Visitor list for a huge recruiting weekend
It may be a stretch to call this a make or break weekend for Texas A&M's 2016 class, but it is a critically important one. Here's a list of some of the players who will be visiting:
Manvel linebacker Jordan Carmouche
Waco cornerback Eric Cuffee
New Orleans defensive tackle D'andre Christmas-Giles
Washington, D.C. linebacker Aaron Hansford
Aldine Davis linebacker Jeffery McCulloch
Fort Bend Hightower linebacker Clifton Lewis
Monroe, Louisiana safety Cameron Lewis
Shreveport cornerback Andraez "Greedy" Williams
Shreveport cornerback Rodarius Williams
And, among the current commits:
Mineola offensive lineman Austin and Riley Anderson
New Orleans WR Clyde-Leflore Chriss
Athens cornerback Travon Fuller
Cibolo Steele defensive end Mark Jackson
McKinney North defensive lineman Justin Madubuike
Fairfield defensive back Charles Oliver
San Antonio John Jay ATH Moses Reynolds
Converse Judson defensive end Alton Robinson
Frankston wide receiver Kendrick Rodgers
Trophy Club Byron Nelson OL Kellen Diesch
Sumlin taking the gloves off?
It seems rather strange, given this day and age (and conference), but apparently Kevin Sumlin doesn't like negative recruiting. We have heard from several sources this week, however, that reality trumps personal preference and A&M's head coach and other staff members are going to be going scorched earth when it comes to talking to several commits and top targets about other programs that have targeted A&M in a negative way over the past couple of months. You can bet that one of those programs that will get the hammer will be 5-7 Texas, which has had no compunction about taking shots at Sumlin and A&M. The Aggies have their chance to return serve this weekend and intend to do it. Stay tuned.
Starkel already at work (Fletch)
Last night, A&M got a commitment from Nick Starkel, which was not unexpected as he told us he would commit to A&M early in the week and was waiting for the in-home visit to pull the trigger. In the commitment story, we listed some of the players Starkel is working on. The two that A&M might have the most success with is North Carolina tight end Thaddeus Moss and Manvel running back D'Vaughn Pennamon. Starkel was pretty confident that A&M could end up with both on National Signing Day. Starkel has been recruiting Moss pretty hard and talks with him often. Pennamon is another recruit whose name has started to gain attention and Starkel said Pennamon might have a big announcement planned soon.
Could A&M really land Moss? (Fletch)
We have been told that it could come down to A&M and NC State. Moss now sees A&M with no tight ends committed and an offensive coordinator committed to throwing the ball to a tight end. Jeff Banks has put a full-court press on Moss and is recruiting him about as hard as he recruited Christian Kirk. The only other school that could sneak in and grab him is UCLA, however A&M and NC State still are the likely spots. Moss is likely to decide on National Signing Day and it will also likely be on ESPN since his dad was one of the greatest wide receivers ever to play.
Something that could help A&M's cause: we have heard that Moss may well come down to visit A&M one last time next weekend, on his own dime.
Junior Day list could be impressive (Fletch)
Yes, it almost time to take a serious look at 2017 kids and throughout Texas, the 2017 could be a very special class in Texas. ATH Devin Morris will likely make the very short drive and it would not be a shock to see him commit, DT Marvin Wilson and teammate OL Walker Little might come as well just to name a few in-state. Outside of Texas, Tate Martell will be there, his teammates Tyjon Lindsey and Haskell Garrett are likely to join him. Detroit WR Donovan Peoples-Jones may possibly come down; five-star offensive guard Wyatt Davis may come as well as he has really wanted to come visit A&M and was close to coming to the Alabama game last season, but had something come up.
More on Hank Hughes (Matt)
On the same night the Aggies landed their 2016 quarterback prospect, another Dallas-Fort Worth area quarterback announced his own commitment to Texas A&M. Richardson J.J. Pearce dual-threat quarterback Hank Hughes accepted a preferred walk-on opportunity from the Aggies."They offered me last Friday and asked me to come up to the facilities, see the campus, and meet the coaches," Hughes said. "I loved it, I loved the entire visit and it was an opportunity I couldn't pass up."I mostly talked with Lance Kothmann, he is the head of walk-on operations for A&M. It's a preferred walk-on opportunity and I'm excited for the challenge."Rated a two-star prospect, the 6-foot-2, 182-pound quarterback held multiple D2 offers from North Dakota State, Eastern Michigan, Liberty, and several other programs. He finished with 1,528 yards and 15 touchdowns passing along with 415 yards and six touchdowns rushing - earning Texas High School Coaches Association All-State Football Academic Second Team honors this season.
(more in the next post)
It may be a stretch to call this a make or break weekend for Texas A&M's 2016 class, but it is a critically important one. Here's a list of some of the players who will be visiting:
Manvel linebacker Jordan Carmouche
Waco cornerback Eric Cuffee
New Orleans defensive tackle D'andre Christmas-Giles
Washington, D.C. linebacker Aaron Hansford
Aldine Davis linebacker Jeffery McCulloch
Fort Bend Hightower linebacker Clifton Lewis
Monroe, Louisiana safety Cameron Lewis
Shreveport cornerback Andraez "Greedy" Williams
Shreveport cornerback Rodarius Williams
And, among the current commits:
Mineola offensive lineman Austin and Riley Anderson
New Orleans WR Clyde-Leflore Chriss
Athens cornerback Travon Fuller
Cibolo Steele defensive end Mark Jackson
McKinney North defensive lineman Justin Madubuike
Fairfield defensive back Charles Oliver
San Antonio John Jay ATH Moses Reynolds
Converse Judson defensive end Alton Robinson
Frankston wide receiver Kendrick Rodgers
Trophy Club Byron Nelson OL Kellen Diesch
Sumlin taking the gloves off?
It seems rather strange, given this day and age (and conference), but apparently Kevin Sumlin doesn't like negative recruiting. We have heard from several sources this week, however, that reality trumps personal preference and A&M's head coach and other staff members are going to be going scorched earth when it comes to talking to several commits and top targets about other programs that have targeted A&M in a negative way over the past couple of months. You can bet that one of those programs that will get the hammer will be 5-7 Texas, which has had no compunction about taking shots at Sumlin and A&M. The Aggies have their chance to return serve this weekend and intend to do it. Stay tuned.
Starkel already at work (Fletch)
Last night, A&M got a commitment from Nick Starkel, which was not unexpected as he told us he would commit to A&M early in the week and was waiting for the in-home visit to pull the trigger. In the commitment story, we listed some of the players Starkel is working on. The two that A&M might have the most success with is North Carolina tight end Thaddeus Moss and Manvel running back D'Vaughn Pennamon. Starkel was pretty confident that A&M could end up with both on National Signing Day. Starkel has been recruiting Moss pretty hard and talks with him often. Pennamon is another recruit whose name has started to gain attention and Starkel said Pennamon might have a big announcement planned soon.
Could A&M really land Moss? (Fletch)
We have been told that it could come down to A&M and NC State. Moss now sees A&M with no tight ends committed and an offensive coordinator committed to throwing the ball to a tight end. Jeff Banks has put a full-court press on Moss and is recruiting him about as hard as he recruited Christian Kirk. The only other school that could sneak in and grab him is UCLA, however A&M and NC State still are the likely spots. Moss is likely to decide on National Signing Day and it will also likely be on ESPN since his dad was one of the greatest wide receivers ever to play.
Something that could help A&M's cause: we have heard that Moss may well come down to visit A&M one last time next weekend, on his own dime.
Junior Day list could be impressive (Fletch)
Yes, it almost time to take a serious look at 2017 kids and throughout Texas, the 2017 could be a very special class in Texas. ATH Devin Morris will likely make the very short drive and it would not be a shock to see him commit, DT Marvin Wilson and teammate OL Walker Little might come as well just to name a few in-state. Outside of Texas, Tate Martell will be there, his teammates Tyjon Lindsey and Haskell Garrett are likely to join him. Detroit WR Donovan Peoples-Jones may possibly come down; five-star offensive guard Wyatt Davis may come as well as he has really wanted to come visit A&M and was close to coming to the Alabama game last season, but had something come up.
More on Hank Hughes (Matt)
On the same night the Aggies landed their 2016 quarterback prospect, another Dallas-Fort Worth area quarterback announced his own commitment to Texas A&M. Richardson J.J. Pearce dual-threat quarterback Hank Hughes accepted a preferred walk-on opportunity from the Aggies."They offered me last Friday and asked me to come up to the facilities, see the campus, and meet the coaches," Hughes said. "I loved it, I loved the entire visit and it was an opportunity I couldn't pass up."I mostly talked with Lance Kothmann, he is the head of walk-on operations for A&M. It's a preferred walk-on opportunity and I'm excited for the challenge."Rated a two-star prospect, the 6-foot-2, 182-pound quarterback held multiple D2 offers from North Dakota State, Eastern Michigan, Liberty, and several other programs. He finished with 1,528 yards and 15 touchdowns passing along with 415 yards and six touchdowns rushing - earning Texas High School Coaches Association All-State Football Academic Second Team honors this season.
(more in the next post)
