Aggies keep working on linebacker recruiting
At the moment, the Aggies don’t have a linebacker commit for 2016, but they’re not exactly firing off offers left and right, either. While there may be some more offers coming in the next week or two as the coaching staff makes the rounds statewide, but right now they’re concentrating on a handful of very good prospects.
The top target remains, as it has been for a couple of months, 5-star Keion Joyner of Havelock, N.C. Joyner rapidly cut his list to four teams (A&M, LSU, UNC and FSU) and it has stayed that way. He intends to visit all four schools this summer, but probably won’t make a decision until farther down the road. LSU entered the picture because of John Chavis, which moved the Aggies right to the forefront when he moved to College Station. Chavis is handling the recruitment personally, which is another boost. While the Tar Heels can’t be discounted because they are close to home, it seems like the consensus is that A&M and FSU will probably be the two teams he ends up deciding between.
Closer to home, the Aggies jumped to the top of the list for Marrero (La.)’s Michael Divinity and appear to be the odds-on favorite to land him at this point. Closer to home, Aldine Davis’ Jeffery McCulloch remains on the radar and has the Aggies among his leaders, though he’s pretty tight-lipped about the process. McCulloch could just about go anywhere he wants, and LSU and Alabama are pushing for him.
An interesting addition to the list is Brendan Ferns, from Saint Clairsville, Ohio. Ferns was a fairly recent offer, and in spite of the distance and his proximity to Ohio State, he intends to visit the Aggies this summer and considers them a viable option. The only inside linebacker A&M is seriously recruiting at this point is Alief Elsik’s Dontavious Jackson, who has the Aggies very high up on his substantial offer list as well. All of the players mentioned are Rivals 250 guys.
The only target outside of the 250 is Converse Judson’s Alton Robinson, another recent offer. He’s liked Texas and Baylor since he was a kid, so the Aggies will have to push through that if they want to get him.
Speaking of potential new linebacker targets… (Courtney)
The Aggies continued their road tour of checking in on linebackers when they stopped in to see Plano Prestonwood Christian Academy linebacker Deonte Williams and Manor outside linebacker Erick Fowler.
Williams is closing in on double-digit offers, with in-state schools Baylor, TCU, and Texas Tech making up the bulk of his offer list.
Williams took home MVP honors at the Rivals Dallas camp.
Erick Fowler is one of the more explosive players around. The Rivals100 prospect has speed that allows him to get instant penetration and he drives through the tackle with power.
Fowler recently visited Texas and he has plans to visit LSU, TCU and Nebraska. He has picked up recent offers from LSU and Alabama.
Offensive line recruiting got big boost during NFL Draft (Fletch)
The fact that Cedric Ogbuehi got drafted in the first helped a lot, but the rest of the NFL did A&M a favor in recruiting offensive lineman. Seven offensive lineman got drafted in the first round. Add that with the fact A&M has had three go in the first round the last three years and another one going in the mid-rounds more than likely that will make A&M the premier destination for offensive lineman. The draft success was also the reason A&M got the Anderson twins to A&M. It will be the reason that Greg Little likely stays with A&M. It will be the reason that guys like Patrick Hudson and Jean Delance take a hard look at A&M. It will be hard to duplicate the success of the 2010 offensive line recruiting class did, but majority of the offensive line class in Texas have not been as deep as that 2010 class was until now. The 2016 offensive line class has that ability to match what the 2010 class did. This class has a left tackle in Greg Little. It has a right tackle in Jean Delance. It has a guards in it with Hudson and Riley Anderson. It has a center in it with Austin Anderson. Nail those five guys, and that will likely be the offensive line class that could match what the 2010 class did.
Cuffee taking his time (Fletch)
Waco 2016 cornerback Eric Cuffee already has 31 offers. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound corner already has Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Missouri, Texas and Vanderbilt have all offered him. Cuffee for now is taking things slow before possibly cutting his list down.
“Right now I have 31 offers and I’m having a hard time cutting the list down,” he said. “Each time I want to, I get a new offer and I could possibly do a top ten when I’m at The Opening, but that is not for sure.”
Right now, no schools are sticking out to Cuffee and is just trying to find the right school for him.
“I’m looking into all the schools right now,” he said. “I want a school with a good family atmosphere and a system that I would fit into well.”
Cuffee already has a big trip planned this summer as he checks out the SEC schools.
“I want to visit the Mississippi schools,” he said. “I also want to visit Auburn and maybe some other SEC schools as well.”
A trip to A&M is in the works for Cuffee as he plans to visit A&M this summer as well.
“I will still visit them this summer,” he said. “The coaches at A&M talk to me all the time they just have not offered me yet and I don’t know when they will offer me.”
2016 Running back recruiting (Rob)
The Aggies are still likely shooting to take two running backs in the 2016 class and are sitting in a good spot for several standouts in the class. Devwah Whaley has been high on the Aggies for quite some time as has Trayveon Williams, Trevor Speights and Tre Turner from New Orleans. The only problem is most of these guys could be willing to wait the distance other than maybe Williams (who appears to have A&M as, at the very least, a co-leader at this point). With that being said though, a lot of players say they are going to wait to commit but grow tired of the process and end it early. Any combination of two of the above will do the Aggies just fine. I wouldn't expect any new offers at the position unless something changes with this group of prospects.
Fast Rising Defensive End to Camp With Aggies (Rob)
Arguably the fastest rising player in the country this spring has been Wichita, Kansas defensive end Xavier Kelly who tells Rivals that he will be in College Station this summer and is aiming to attend one of the Aggies' summer camps. Kelly has added many new offers this spring, including one from the Aggies and holds the Aggies in high regard.
What's Left At O-line in the 2016 class? (Rob)
With the addition of Mineola's Anderson twins to the 2016 commitment list, joining 5-star Gregory Little in the fold for the Aggies, the question turns to what is left for the Aggies in the class. Odds are good that the Aggies will take one more offensive lineman in the class and the early money should be on Jean Delance and with Tennessee standout Bryce Mathews still in play as well. Obviously the staff will continue to work with Little and any change in his commitment could lead to change in approach to the position.
Rising JUCO CB To Watch (Rob)
Kilgore JC cornerback J'Marcus Rhodes has absolutely blown up this spring (he has added offers from OU, Mizzou, and Arizona State to name a few this week). One of the biggest reason his stock is soaring is he is making a push to be able to enroll in the fall at the college of his choice and he isn't a bad player either. That combination of details coupled with the Aggies need at that position (sooner rather than later) could have them extend an offer very soon. Rhodes is originally from West Orange-Stark. If the Aggies offer, the odds of landing him will be high with the favorable depth chart in front of him one he would get on campus.
Aggies offer another big corner (Courtney)
Thursday night Texas A&M offered Memphis (Tenn.) 2016 four-star cornerback Donte’ Vaughn. The Rivals250 Whitehaven prospect said the Aggies came by to watch practice. Vaughn’s father said his son was interested in the Aggies.
A&M will have their work cut out for them. A week ago Vaughn told AuburnSports.com, "Auburn, LSU and Tennessee are my top schools right now," Vaughn said. "I don't have a favorite, though. They are all even."
With plenty of time to make a decision, Vaughn plans to see as many places as possible and enjoy the process as much as a can.
"I take my time. I'm very appreciative of all of it," Vaughn said. "I just take my time with it and take it all in."
“
At the moment, the Aggies don’t have a linebacker commit for 2016, but they’re not exactly firing off offers left and right, either. While there may be some more offers coming in the next week or two as the coaching staff makes the rounds statewide, but right now they’re concentrating on a handful of very good prospects.
The top target remains, as it has been for a couple of months, 5-star Keion Joyner of Havelock, N.C. Joyner rapidly cut his list to four teams (A&M, LSU, UNC and FSU) and it has stayed that way. He intends to visit all four schools this summer, but probably won’t make a decision until farther down the road. LSU entered the picture because of John Chavis, which moved the Aggies right to the forefront when he moved to College Station. Chavis is handling the recruitment personally, which is another boost. While the Tar Heels can’t be discounted because they are close to home, it seems like the consensus is that A&M and FSU will probably be the two teams he ends up deciding between.
Closer to home, the Aggies jumped to the top of the list for Marrero (La.)’s Michael Divinity and appear to be the odds-on favorite to land him at this point. Closer to home, Aldine Davis’ Jeffery McCulloch remains on the radar and has the Aggies among his leaders, though he’s pretty tight-lipped about the process. McCulloch could just about go anywhere he wants, and LSU and Alabama are pushing for him.
An interesting addition to the list is Brendan Ferns, from Saint Clairsville, Ohio. Ferns was a fairly recent offer, and in spite of the distance and his proximity to Ohio State, he intends to visit the Aggies this summer and considers them a viable option. The only inside linebacker A&M is seriously recruiting at this point is Alief Elsik’s Dontavious Jackson, who has the Aggies very high up on his substantial offer list as well. All of the players mentioned are Rivals 250 guys.
The only target outside of the 250 is Converse Judson’s Alton Robinson, another recent offer. He’s liked Texas and Baylor since he was a kid, so the Aggies will have to push through that if they want to get him.
Speaking of potential new linebacker targets… (Courtney)
The Aggies continued their road tour of checking in on linebackers when they stopped in to see Plano Prestonwood Christian Academy linebacker Deonte Williams and Manor outside linebacker Erick Fowler.
Williams is closing in on double-digit offers, with in-state schools Baylor, TCU, and Texas Tech making up the bulk of his offer list.
Williams took home MVP honors at the Rivals Dallas camp.
Erick Fowler is one of the more explosive players around. The Rivals100 prospect has speed that allows him to get instant penetration and he drives through the tackle with power.
Fowler recently visited Texas and he has plans to visit LSU, TCU and Nebraska. He has picked up recent offers from LSU and Alabama.
Offensive line recruiting got big boost during NFL Draft (Fletch)
The fact that Cedric Ogbuehi got drafted in the first helped a lot, but the rest of the NFL did A&M a favor in recruiting offensive lineman. Seven offensive lineman got drafted in the first round. Add that with the fact A&M has had three go in the first round the last three years and another one going in the mid-rounds more than likely that will make A&M the premier destination for offensive lineman. The draft success was also the reason A&M got the Anderson twins to A&M. It will be the reason that Greg Little likely stays with A&M. It will be the reason that guys like Patrick Hudson and Jean Delance take a hard look at A&M. It will be hard to duplicate the success of the 2010 offensive line recruiting class did, but majority of the offensive line class in Texas have not been as deep as that 2010 class was until now. The 2016 offensive line class has that ability to match what the 2010 class did. This class has a left tackle in Greg Little. It has a right tackle in Jean Delance. It has a guards in it with Hudson and Riley Anderson. It has a center in it with Austin Anderson. Nail those five guys, and that will likely be the offensive line class that could match what the 2010 class did.
Cuffee taking his time (Fletch)
Waco 2016 cornerback Eric Cuffee already has 31 offers. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound corner already has Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Missouri, Texas and Vanderbilt have all offered him. Cuffee for now is taking things slow before possibly cutting his list down.
“Right now I have 31 offers and I’m having a hard time cutting the list down,” he said. “Each time I want to, I get a new offer and I could possibly do a top ten when I’m at The Opening, but that is not for sure.”
Right now, no schools are sticking out to Cuffee and is just trying to find the right school for him.
“I’m looking into all the schools right now,” he said. “I want a school with a good family atmosphere and a system that I would fit into well.”
Cuffee already has a big trip planned this summer as he checks out the SEC schools.
“I want to visit the Mississippi schools,” he said. “I also want to visit Auburn and maybe some other SEC schools as well.”
A trip to A&M is in the works for Cuffee as he plans to visit A&M this summer as well.
“I will still visit them this summer,” he said. “The coaches at A&M talk to me all the time they just have not offered me yet and I don’t know when they will offer me.”
2016 Running back recruiting (Rob)
The Aggies are still likely shooting to take two running backs in the 2016 class and are sitting in a good spot for several standouts in the class. Devwah Whaley has been high on the Aggies for quite some time as has Trayveon Williams, Trevor Speights and Tre Turner from New Orleans. The only problem is most of these guys could be willing to wait the distance other than maybe Williams (who appears to have A&M as, at the very least, a co-leader at this point). With that being said though, a lot of players say they are going to wait to commit but grow tired of the process and end it early. Any combination of two of the above will do the Aggies just fine. I wouldn't expect any new offers at the position unless something changes with this group of prospects.
Fast Rising Defensive End to Camp With Aggies (Rob)
Arguably the fastest rising player in the country this spring has been Wichita, Kansas defensive end Xavier Kelly who tells Rivals that he will be in College Station this summer and is aiming to attend one of the Aggies' summer camps. Kelly has added many new offers this spring, including one from the Aggies and holds the Aggies in high regard.
What's Left At O-line in the 2016 class? (Rob)
With the addition of Mineola's Anderson twins to the 2016 commitment list, joining 5-star Gregory Little in the fold for the Aggies, the question turns to what is left for the Aggies in the class. Odds are good that the Aggies will take one more offensive lineman in the class and the early money should be on Jean Delance and with Tennessee standout Bryce Mathews still in play as well. Obviously the staff will continue to work with Little and any change in his commitment could lead to change in approach to the position.
Rising JUCO CB To Watch (Rob)
Kilgore JC cornerback J'Marcus Rhodes has absolutely blown up this spring (he has added offers from OU, Mizzou, and Arizona State to name a few this week). One of the biggest reason his stock is soaring is he is making a push to be able to enroll in the fall at the college of his choice and he isn't a bad player either. That combination of details coupled with the Aggies need at that position (sooner rather than later) could have them extend an offer very soon. Rhodes is originally from West Orange-Stark. If the Aggies offer, the odds of landing him will be high with the favorable depth chart in front of him one he would get on campus.
Aggies offer another big corner (Courtney)
Thursday night Texas A&M offered Memphis (Tenn.) 2016 four-star cornerback Donte’ Vaughn. The Rivals250 Whitehaven prospect said the Aggies came by to watch practice. Vaughn’s father said his son was interested in the Aggies.
A&M will have their work cut out for them. A week ago Vaughn told AuburnSports.com, "Auburn, LSU and Tennessee are my top schools right now," Vaughn said. "I don't have a favorite, though. They are all even."
With plenty of time to make a decision, Vaughn plans to see as many places as possible and enjoy the process as much as a can.
"I take my time. I'm very appreciative of all of it," Vaughn said. "I just take my time with it and take it all in."
“
