Aggies look to get healthy — but won’t get to 100%
One of the biggest limitations on the Aggies through five games has been injuries at key positions. They get a chance to get healthy again this week, but they’re still going to be short at least a couple of players when Alabama arrives next weekend.
The biggest deal will be Otaro Alaka. His season is likely finished after having shoulder surgery earlier this week. He’d fought through the injury earlier this season and re-aggravated it against Arkansas. Claude George will be his likely replacement, but don’t look for things to change all that much; A&M has largely been running a 4-2-5 set to get Donovan Wilson and Noel Ellis on the field more, and they’ll probably keep doing it now because of how well Wilson has been playing. A.J. Hilliard and Shaan Washington will be the primary linebackers, with George and Josh Walker the second team.
The next big name on the list is, of course, Speedy Noil. He’s been fighting a bunch of maladies, most recently an ankle sprain. He was off crutches and not in a boot last Saturday, and there’s a lot of optimism he’ll be ready next week. The same goes for RB James White, though it would be a bad idea to claim either’s a certainty right now.
Jeremy Tabuyo continues to recover from his arthroscopic surgery. He’ll be out for Alabama but could be back as soon as the Ole Miss game.
Massive visitor list for Alabama (Fletch, Rob)
Confirmed
2016
Mineola OL Austin Anderson
Mineola OL Riley Anderson
Shreveport 2016 offensive lineman Colton Prater
New Orleans TE Irvin Smith (official)
Chandler (Ariz.) WR N’Keal Harry (official)
Scottsdale (Ariz.) CB Byron Murphy (official)
Euless Trinity defensive tackle Chris Daniels (official)
Westlake Village (Calif.) WR Theo Howard (official)
McAllen Memorial RB Trevor Speights (official)
Gardena (Calif.) DE Wole Betiku (official)
2017
Bishop Gorman QB Tate Martell
Bishop Gorman WR Tyjon Lindsey
Bishop Gorman DT Haskell Garrett
Houston Episcopal DT Marvin Wilson
George Ranch DB Adam Beck
2018
Katy Taylor DE Max Wright
Justin Northwest OL Darrell Simpson
Likely to attend, but not confirmed
2016
Pretty much all of the 2016 commits not already confirmed
Spring Westfield DT Ed Oliver
Spring Westfield WR Tyrie Cleveland
Trophy Club Byron Nelson OL Kellen Diesch
2017
La Grange RB J.K. Dobbins
Houston Langham Creek RB Toneil Carter
Plano East 2017 linebacker Anthony Hines (when interviewed a few weeks ago, they admitted a 2:30 kickoff would be hard to make because of a prior engagement, but they wanted to go to the game)
Collinsville (Okla.) LB Levi Draper (A&M offered earlier this week. He is committed to Oklahoma State, but is taking visits)
2018
Fort Bend Elkins OL Luke Matthews
50/50 chance they show
2016
North Mesquite 2016 OL Jean Delance
Silsbee OL Patrick Hudson
Houston Aldine Davis ILB Jeffery McCulloch
Waco DB Eric Cuffee (He said on Sunday after he visited for the Mississippi State game that he was unsure if he was going to make Alabama. Cuffee has wanted to make this game for a while so he might find a way)
Ags hit critical recruiting stretch (Rob)
The Aggies are smack dab in the middle of what will likely be looked back on in hindsight as they key stretch in the 2016 recruiting class. The Aggies sit at a very respectable 5-0 on the season with a top 10 ranking and plenty to sell on a busy week in recruiting nationally.
The staff has spread out this week and will have made visits to every target left on their board, many of whom will return the trip next weekend as the Aggies host a who's who of recruits at the Alabama game next weekend.
Tate Martell, Tyjon Lindsey, Haskell Garrett, N'Keal Harry, Byron Murphy, Oluwole Betiku and Theo Howard are all top flight targets in Arizona and California. They will all get visits this week and will all be at the game next week, plus many more.
In addition to the great west coast targets staff will be heavily present in Tennessee (Chavis) as well as all over Texas and likely Louisiana too.
After racking up the frequent flyer miles this week the staff will look to take their next huge step on the national and recruiting scene when they host Alabama to what will be a packed house, especially the recruiting section.
We will look to follow up with all of those visited this weekend for updates next week in advance of their visits.
How Will TD Moton's Situation Play Out? (Rob)
Look for the talented 2015 late qualifier to be back in Aggieland this weekend for the second consecutive game and if his grades check out and the staff is comfortable things could begin to get a little more official. If his tweet last week was any indication as to how passionate he is to be in College Station, and the staff decides to officially move forward, this would could wrap up without much fanfare.
If they do decide to bring in Moton, look for that to change the landscape some in the 2016 class. Look for the Agges to continue to push hard on Ross Blacklock and Ed Oliver and stay in contact with Chris Daniels but likely only end up with one of the group. Oliver is the crown jewel, but may be the most difficult to land, even though A&M feels they can overcome coaching and family ties that led him to UH.
Jones recaps A&M visit (Matt)
The A&M coaches offered Long Beach (Calif.) Poly corner Jack Jones this past May and the Rivals100 prospect took an official visit to College Station last weekend.
“I cannot remember exactly how long we have been in touch, but it’s been a while now,” Jones said. “Coach (Jeff) Banks and Coach (Aaron) Moorehead are my main contacts from Texas A&M. They showed me around the facilities, the stadium and the campus.
“The visit was fun, I really enjoyed the coaches, the players and the environment there. The facilities there are mind-blowing. I didn’t really know what to expect, but I thought the visit was great. I would like to possibly get back there and see what it’s really like outside of a game day.”
Jones is listed at corner, but the standout prospect also plays receiver and kick returner on special teams.
“Most college coaches, including the A&M coaches, see me playing a little bit of both corner and receiver,” Jones said. “I like playing it all, and the coaches even see me helping out immediately on special teams as a returner.
“Coach Moorehead always says that with me and Christian (Kirk) on each side of the offense that teams could not stop us. All of the coaches showed a lot of interest and told me that I could play either offense or defense, they just really want me in the program at A&M.”
The 5-foot-10, 163-pound athlete remains open to the recruiting process and plans to begin narrowing down his options after the season.
“I’m just taking a few of my official visits and looking for the best option,” Jones said. “Location doesn’t matter to me at all, I could end up playing 15-plus hours away from home if I find the right fit. I’m still pretty wide open and will probably begin narrowing down my options in early January.”
Rated a four-star prospect, Jones is the No. 3 corner in the nation, the No. 37 prospect in the latest Rivals100 national rankings and the No. 9 player on the Rivals.com California Preseason Top 100 for the 2016 class.
Aggies not the only ones after Kellen Diesch (Courtney)
Trophy Club Byron Nelson three-star offensive tackle Kellen Diesch committed to Arkansas in June, but last Tuesday he decided to open things back up. He confirmed with AggieYell this week that it was the right move.
"I've been talking about it with my family for a while now," Said DIesch. "Arkansas is a great school, but I just don't know if it's the right school for me. I decided to take a step back and look at things"
At School the 6-foot-7, 270-pound prospect plays a little bit of everything, but most schools see him playing offensive tackle at the next level. There's a lot of upside with Diesch and schools have not let up on his recruitment.
"Florida hit me up on Tuesday, Mississippi State and schools that offered me really early," said Diesch. "Texas A&M, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Baylor have probably recruited me the hardest."
Last weekend Diesch was at AT&T Stadium for a Baylor unofficial visit.
"It was crazy," said Diesch. "There was a lot of offense. It would really be fun to be a part of that program."
This weekend Diesch will be taking an official visit to Tennessee.
"I heard the game day atmosphere was crazy with the Vol walk and everything," said Diesch. "It's going to be a fun experience."
DIesch is planning on a couple more official visit as well.
"Texas A&M, maybe USC and Baylor," said Diesch. "That's all I really have planned right now."
Diesch said he is looking for a school where he fits in with the program and the coaching staff. He is also looking to major in business.
"Arkansas had a really good business program and so does A&M," said Diesch.
Diesch said Arkansas will still be in the picture.
"Arkansas was understanding, because I have been looking around for a little bit," said Diesch.
Texas A&M is in good position with Diesch. Expect the Aggies to be in this until the end.
(More in the next post)
One of the biggest limitations on the Aggies through five games has been injuries at key positions. They get a chance to get healthy again this week, but they’re still going to be short at least a couple of players when Alabama arrives next weekend.
The biggest deal will be Otaro Alaka. His season is likely finished after having shoulder surgery earlier this week. He’d fought through the injury earlier this season and re-aggravated it against Arkansas. Claude George will be his likely replacement, but don’t look for things to change all that much; A&M has largely been running a 4-2-5 set to get Donovan Wilson and Noel Ellis on the field more, and they’ll probably keep doing it now because of how well Wilson has been playing. A.J. Hilliard and Shaan Washington will be the primary linebackers, with George and Josh Walker the second team.
The next big name on the list is, of course, Speedy Noil. He’s been fighting a bunch of maladies, most recently an ankle sprain. He was off crutches and not in a boot last Saturday, and there’s a lot of optimism he’ll be ready next week. The same goes for RB James White, though it would be a bad idea to claim either’s a certainty right now.
Jeremy Tabuyo continues to recover from his arthroscopic surgery. He’ll be out for Alabama but could be back as soon as the Ole Miss game.
Massive visitor list for Alabama (Fletch, Rob)
Confirmed
2016
Mineola OL Austin Anderson
Mineola OL Riley Anderson
Shreveport 2016 offensive lineman Colton Prater
New Orleans TE Irvin Smith (official)
Chandler (Ariz.) WR N’Keal Harry (official)
Scottsdale (Ariz.) CB Byron Murphy (official)
Euless Trinity defensive tackle Chris Daniels (official)
Westlake Village (Calif.) WR Theo Howard (official)
McAllen Memorial RB Trevor Speights (official)
Gardena (Calif.) DE Wole Betiku (official)
2017
Bishop Gorman QB Tate Martell
Bishop Gorman WR Tyjon Lindsey
Bishop Gorman DT Haskell Garrett
Houston Episcopal DT Marvin Wilson
George Ranch DB Adam Beck
2018
Katy Taylor DE Max Wright
Justin Northwest OL Darrell Simpson
Likely to attend, but not confirmed
2016
Pretty much all of the 2016 commits not already confirmed
Spring Westfield DT Ed Oliver
Spring Westfield WR Tyrie Cleveland
Trophy Club Byron Nelson OL Kellen Diesch
2017
La Grange RB J.K. Dobbins
Houston Langham Creek RB Toneil Carter
Plano East 2017 linebacker Anthony Hines (when interviewed a few weeks ago, they admitted a 2:30 kickoff would be hard to make because of a prior engagement, but they wanted to go to the game)
Collinsville (Okla.) LB Levi Draper (A&M offered earlier this week. He is committed to Oklahoma State, but is taking visits)
2018
Fort Bend Elkins OL Luke Matthews
50/50 chance they show
2016
North Mesquite 2016 OL Jean Delance
Silsbee OL Patrick Hudson
Houston Aldine Davis ILB Jeffery McCulloch
Waco DB Eric Cuffee (He said on Sunday after he visited for the Mississippi State game that he was unsure if he was going to make Alabama. Cuffee has wanted to make this game for a while so he might find a way)
Ags hit critical recruiting stretch (Rob)
The Aggies are smack dab in the middle of what will likely be looked back on in hindsight as they key stretch in the 2016 recruiting class. The Aggies sit at a very respectable 5-0 on the season with a top 10 ranking and plenty to sell on a busy week in recruiting nationally.
The staff has spread out this week and will have made visits to every target left on their board, many of whom will return the trip next weekend as the Aggies host a who's who of recruits at the Alabama game next weekend.
Tate Martell, Tyjon Lindsey, Haskell Garrett, N'Keal Harry, Byron Murphy, Oluwole Betiku and Theo Howard are all top flight targets in Arizona and California. They will all get visits this week and will all be at the game next week, plus many more.
In addition to the great west coast targets staff will be heavily present in Tennessee (Chavis) as well as all over Texas and likely Louisiana too.
After racking up the frequent flyer miles this week the staff will look to take their next huge step on the national and recruiting scene when they host Alabama to what will be a packed house, especially the recruiting section.
We will look to follow up with all of those visited this weekend for updates next week in advance of their visits.
How Will TD Moton's Situation Play Out? (Rob)
Look for the talented 2015 late qualifier to be back in Aggieland this weekend for the second consecutive game and if his grades check out and the staff is comfortable things could begin to get a little more official. If his tweet last week was any indication as to how passionate he is to be in College Station, and the staff decides to officially move forward, this would could wrap up without much fanfare.
If they do decide to bring in Moton, look for that to change the landscape some in the 2016 class. Look for the Agges to continue to push hard on Ross Blacklock and Ed Oliver and stay in contact with Chris Daniels but likely only end up with one of the group. Oliver is the crown jewel, but may be the most difficult to land, even though A&M feels they can overcome coaching and family ties that led him to UH.
Jones recaps A&M visit (Matt)
The A&M coaches offered Long Beach (Calif.) Poly corner Jack Jones this past May and the Rivals100 prospect took an official visit to College Station last weekend.
“I cannot remember exactly how long we have been in touch, but it’s been a while now,” Jones said. “Coach (Jeff) Banks and Coach (Aaron) Moorehead are my main contacts from Texas A&M. They showed me around the facilities, the stadium and the campus.
“The visit was fun, I really enjoyed the coaches, the players and the environment there. The facilities there are mind-blowing. I didn’t really know what to expect, but I thought the visit was great. I would like to possibly get back there and see what it’s really like outside of a game day.”
Jones is listed at corner, but the standout prospect also plays receiver and kick returner on special teams.
“Most college coaches, including the A&M coaches, see me playing a little bit of both corner and receiver,” Jones said. “I like playing it all, and the coaches even see me helping out immediately on special teams as a returner.
“Coach Moorehead always says that with me and Christian (Kirk) on each side of the offense that teams could not stop us. All of the coaches showed a lot of interest and told me that I could play either offense or defense, they just really want me in the program at A&M.”
The 5-foot-10, 163-pound athlete remains open to the recruiting process and plans to begin narrowing down his options after the season.
“I’m just taking a few of my official visits and looking for the best option,” Jones said. “Location doesn’t matter to me at all, I could end up playing 15-plus hours away from home if I find the right fit. I’m still pretty wide open and will probably begin narrowing down my options in early January.”
Rated a four-star prospect, Jones is the No. 3 corner in the nation, the No. 37 prospect in the latest Rivals100 national rankings and the No. 9 player on the Rivals.com California Preseason Top 100 for the 2016 class.
Aggies not the only ones after Kellen Diesch (Courtney)
Trophy Club Byron Nelson three-star offensive tackle Kellen Diesch committed to Arkansas in June, but last Tuesday he decided to open things back up. He confirmed with AggieYell this week that it was the right move.
"I've been talking about it with my family for a while now," Said DIesch. "Arkansas is a great school, but I just don't know if it's the right school for me. I decided to take a step back and look at things"
At School the 6-foot-7, 270-pound prospect plays a little bit of everything, but most schools see him playing offensive tackle at the next level. There's a lot of upside with Diesch and schools have not let up on his recruitment.
"Florida hit me up on Tuesday, Mississippi State and schools that offered me really early," said Diesch. "Texas A&M, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Baylor have probably recruited me the hardest."
Last weekend Diesch was at AT&T Stadium for a Baylor unofficial visit.
"It was crazy," said Diesch. "There was a lot of offense. It would really be fun to be a part of that program."
This weekend Diesch will be taking an official visit to Tennessee.
"I heard the game day atmosphere was crazy with the Vol walk and everything," said Diesch. "It's going to be a fun experience."
DIesch is planning on a couple more official visit as well.
"Texas A&M, maybe USC and Baylor," said Diesch. "That's all I really have planned right now."
Diesch said he is looking for a school where he fits in with the program and the coaching staff. He is also looking to major in business.
"Arkansas had a really good business program and so does A&M," said Diesch.
Diesch said Arkansas will still be in the picture.
"Arkansas was understanding, because I have been looking around for a little bit," said Diesch.
Texas A&M is in good position with Diesch. Expect the Aggies to be in this until the end.
(More in the next post)
