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Jimbo 2022: Balls To The Face

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Tex Pete

Tex Pete 21489

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1 hour ago, closetojumping said:

I've encountered them in the business world and will quite literally start actively planning on how to carve them out of whatever we're working on immediately. Nothing against them other than assuming they could go on a shooting spree or commit a felony in the name of exacting some sort of perceived revenge.

These are the pinheads at the neighborhood block party who walk up while you're talking with friends to say "they'll let anyone move into the neighborhood, I guess, yuck yuck yuck" while they sidle into the conversation and then begin to subtly hint at racist shit or imply that we're all in on some good ol'boy shit that no one else standing there is actually interested in discussing. Your basic human hand grenades who can cause a crowd of people to rapidly and chaotically disperse just to get away from them.

You say this as if it isn't the vast majority of them. Sure, stay away from sports talk, and lots of aggies can come across as normal human beings. As soon as football or tee yew come into the conversation, it immediately turns up to 11. They absolutely cannot help themselves.

Just like the aggy psycho sitting a few rows in front of me in "The Zone" at our 2005 game. He sat there quietly drowning in misery as we suffocated their hopes of showing us who was boss once again, then he snapped, turned around and started choking the shit out of the Texas student sitting directly behind him, completely unprovoked. A couple of other guys and I had to struggle for about 30 seconds to get his hands off the kid's neck, then he took off down the steps, leaving his wife and college-aged daughters and the rest of us completely baffled by what we had just witnessed. This is who they are and have always been. Minus the 2%, I guess.

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AntsInMyPants
AntsInMyPants

A&M is playing the NIL game smarter than everyone else. You can bitch and moan all you want, but they are ahead of us. Our OL package is us (finally) trying to catch up.

closetojumping
closetojumping

I talked to two people separately that are connected at ATM.  I know this will sound unbelievable because it is so predictable, including us saying it a bunch here, but apparently they really did

Chuckie Finster
Chuckie Finster

I think my favorite part of all of this is the unquestioned agreement that the dude who threw three interceptions vs. Kent State would have solved all of their problems.

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bizzle

bizzle 1202

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7 hours ago, closetojumping said:

The thing about these wingnuts on the aggie boards with these rants about Texas people being viscerally evil to them, and then their fantasies of all these moments in which an arrogant UT grad or fan is shown their comeuppance from entities such as a middle manager from Baylor is that - you can actually spot most of these types.

I've encountered them in the business world and will quite literally start actively planning on how to carve them out of whatever we're working on immediately. Nothing against them other than assuming they could go on a shooting spree or commit a felony in the name of exacting some sort of perceived revenge.

These are the pinheads at the neighborhood block party who walk up while you're talking with friends to say "they'll let anyone move into the neighborhood, I guess, yuck yuck yuck" while they sidle into the conversation and then begin to subtly hint at racist shit or imply that we're all in on some good ol'boy shit that no one else standing there is actually interested in discussing. Your basic human hand grenades who can cause a crowd of people to rapidly and chaotically disperse just to get away from them.

You can almost spot them without hearing them say anything. Short sleeve button up, huge adam's apple, pleated khakis, thick glasses, and inevitably mouthbreathing as they socially molest their way through life.

 

i honestly had you figured for nicer neighborhoods. 

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Shaddie

Shaddie 1684

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10 minutes ago, Scholz said:

Bizzle!! How’s Vancouver?!

My biggest failure ever. 
 

I was at YVR a few years ago when we gave bizzle hell about no internet in Vancouver. 
I was at airport waiting on flight to DFW and a dude with ATM hat was eating a crap sandwich waiting on his coach seat. Just a loser looking dude. I wanted to take a pic and post it here but figured I might be outing some dude who didn’t deserve it.  
 

I hate myself for being such a pussy. 

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WinningIsHard

WinningIsHard 4171

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It seems insane that they could have the awareness to know Texas has underperformed the last 10 years then in the same breath say we are garbage that has always benefitted from media lies and manipulation. Which is it you sheep fuckers, we are either good and have struggled or we suck and this is normal. I'm applying logic to illogical people though so this is partly my fault to start with. lol

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texifornia

texifornia 59017

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1 minute ago, BruceVonClaude said:
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So recruits are out until 4am at Texas' pool party and drive to College Station and get to listen to Jimbo speak a million miles an hour of gibberish? 

They've got a longer list with only a middling amount of overlap. It'll be interesting.

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RollLeft

RollLeft 5090

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18 minutes ago, BruceVonClaude said:
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So recruits are out until 4am at Texas' pool party and drive to College Station and get to listen to Jimbo speak a million miles an hour of gibberish? 

Our guest speaker is also a monkey, hopefully at 4am.

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EZ$

EZ$ 2125

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7 hours ago, SydneyCarton said:

When is their pool party? That's a salty looking list. 

 

7 hours ago, Atticus said:

The day after ours. July 31

Who do we contact to flatten recruits tires and make sure all tire shops are closed until Monday?

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billfromlaketravis

billfromlaketravis 11823

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On 7/28/2021 at 3:58 PM, MonkeyDoughnut said:

They have tied their success so tightly to SEC & Jimbo it will be a shame when he leaves for greener pastures.

Please stop with the Jimbo wishcasting. It’s embarrassing. 

He’s somewhat competent and has a guaranteed contract that a Supreme Court justice would kill for. He can coast on past success and not looking like Sumlin for the rest of the deal.

 

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Tex Pete

Tex Pete 21489

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2 hours ago, billfromlaketravis said:

Please stop with the Jimbo wishcasting. It’s embarrassing. 

He’s somewhat competent and has a guaranteed contract that a Supreme Court justice would kill for. He can coast on past success and not looking like Sumlin for the rest of the deal.

 

Uh, he hasn’t looked like Sumlin since birth! He also hasn’t been called those kind of names in aggyland. 

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Sgt Hulk

Sgt Hulk 14452

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On 7/27/2021 at 10:07 AM, closetojumping said:

The thing about these wingnuts on the aggie boards with these rants about Texas people being viscerally evil to them, and then their fantasies of all these moments in which an arrogant UT grad or fan is shown their comeuppance from entities such as a middle manager from Baylor is that - you can actually spot most of these types.

I've encountered them in the business world and will quite literally start actively planning on how to carve them out of whatever we're working on immediately. Nothing against them other than assuming they could go on a shooting spree or commit a felony in the name of exacting some sort of perceived revenge.

These are the pinheads at the neighborhood block party who walk up while you're talking with friends to say "they'll let anyone move into the neighborhood, I guess, yuck yuck yuck" while they sidle into the conversation and then begin to subtly hint at racist shit or imply that we're all in on some good ol'boy shit that no one else standing there is actually interested in discussing. Your basic human hand grenades who can cause a crowd of people to rapidly and chaotically disperse just to get away from them.

You can almost spot them without hearing them say anything. Short sleeve button up, huge adam's apple, pleated khakis, thick glasses, and inevitably mouthbreathing as they socially molest their way through life.

 

I have correctly guessed the last 12 or 13 aggys ive met in the military simply by how they spoke or carried themselves.  Yeah some had the look of downs syndrome or a chromosome issue, but most the moment they open their mouths I ask what year they graduated aggyland and they ask me how i knew.  I tell them they sound functionally retarded and all aggys sound the same. i've met one and only one solid dude a Col who is a good mentor. He sent me a linkedin after a year of knowing him, i right away and said bravo sir on hiding the fact that youre an aggy,  You would have never guessed, but I wager thats like .005% of aggys 

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RomaVicta

RomaVicta 30594

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Somebody have that picture of how he cooks chicken?

Aluminum foil tub with already gooey chicken pieces with huge amounts of butter filling in the spaces. I'm not a BBQ  mujahadeen, but that shit raised my cholestrol level just looking at the picture. But maybe he knows his audience.

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Stinkpalm

Stinkpalm 697

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11 minutes ago, billfromlaketravis said:

Did that fat POS really get a shirt embroidered? The dork culture runs strong in College Station. 

Glad to see he’s following aggy tradition and pasting unimpressive finishes on his shirt, much like their wall. “Top 10 ribs” is definitely aggy-speak for 10th place in (likely) a 12 person cook-off.  

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Fud

Fud 9724

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Pierogi

Spoiler

I’ve talked to a number of people and gotten feedback from players and other sources. This past weekend was absolutely huge for A&M. Here are some notes on guys that were there.

-I am going to put in an A&M Crystal Ball prediction for national top-50 ATH Deyon Bouie. A&M was in really good shape with him after his unofficial visit early in June and nothing has changed on that front. He spent the whole weekend again for a second time and it helped even more. I think there’s a chance you could see something happen soon but, even if not, I think it will be A&M.


Also, A&M is recruiting him at corner. However, with the numbers of defensive backs the Aggies are still in on, the possibility that have fans mentioned of him playing offense is not out of the question. If A&M lands a bunch of other guys in the secondary, A&M loves his potential as a wideout as well. A&M is okay with taking six DBs and lowering the number in the 2023 class. So, depending how many others join, Bouie to offense is a possibility.


-Bear Alexander is also very high on A&M. I put in a Crystal Ball for him after he decommitted from Georgia and I still like it. I think he and Bouie end up at the same place and, like Bouie, a decision could come soon. But, even if not, the Aggies have reason to feel good.


-Just like after his official visit weekend, I still feel good about A&M landing Harold Perkins. He still plans to wait until the Under Armour game to announce, but there’s a chance he could do it sooner. LSU is still in it as well but the Aggies are in really good shape.


-I still also like where A&M is with Chris Marshall. I shared in another thread that Marshall has only taken two official visits and only ‘might’ take on to Alabama this fall. He says he still wants to wait until after the season but A&M has made him a priority and it’s something he likes.


-Bryce Anderson and Jimbo Fisher had their conversation on Saturday and I’ve heard that went really well. He’s a big fan of Fisher and Fisher is really wanting him on board. A ton of Anderson’s good friends are currently committed to A&M and others are leaning that way and that helps a ton.


His plan now is to be at Texas’ home opener and then a game at A&M not long after and then make a decision. A&M is in good shape there. The Longhorns are still in it, but this weekend went a ways with the Aggies’ momentum.


-The Jacoby Mathews recruitment is going to be really interesting to follow. He left very high on A&M. However, going back to Louisiana and getting pressure about LSU is always something worrisome. But, he is close with Anderson so, if Anderson ends up at A&M, that is going to help with Mathews a ton. There is a lot cautious optimism on Mathews.


-As far as Jaylon Guilbeau, I think he could be a victim of the numbers. While he is friends with Anderson, they are not a package deal. They have had fun with that idea on social media but it’s not something that is set or anything. I think Guilbeau is a big fan of A&M and would commit but I don’t think there will be room.


-On the other hand, while things have not completely been settled on this front, I think Julian Humphrey will have a spot in the class. And I think he will end up an Aggie.


-On the one negative front, I don’t think A&M is in the best shape with Kam Dewberry at the moment. While most think Ohio State is the one to beat after his official visit last month, I would watch out for Oklahoma as well. The Sooners are very much in that one. A&M is not out of it but has a lot of work to do.


-I have not heard a ton on the defensive linemen that were in town but you saw the update that Shemar Stewart is returning for an official during the Alabama game. The Aggies are back in it for Omari Aboras well and will likely get him on campus for an official. I know Walter Nolen had a good time but have not heard yet how realistic A&M’s chances are with him just yet.


-Also, while we have not been told by anyone that was 100-percent sure he wasn't there, but no recruits saw Denver Harris there. Either way, he’s a longshot for A&M. Alabama is in really good shape there and actions speak louder than words. He wasn’t at Texas on Friday and if he wasn’t at A&M, that is telling.

 

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Lobwedgephil

Lobwedgephil 1146

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Spoiler

You can view Part 1 of Ask Liucci, the video edition, HERE.

Get me fired up for this season again and pour me a glass of maroon koolaid! What's the latest from inside the locker room and what/who are you most intrigued about heading into fall camp?

The real buzz out of Bright has a whole hell of a lot to do with the buy-in from the seniors and star players on down. Even the true freshmen have already 'figured things out' in terms of what's expected. A couple of younger (first and second-year) guys were lagging a little early but were quickly told how things are done during Jerry Schmidt's off-season. Whether it's in the weight room, during conditioning or voluntary 7-on-7 and skill work, this is a team that is all in and has been ever since the Orange Bowl win. Ask anyone on the inside and they'll tell you things just feel, look and sound different around the football facility. That and the fact that this freshman class looks just like the two before it: Absolutely loaded and with an eye-catching amount of top-end talent. And when you're hearing names like Yulkeith Brown, Albert Regis, Tyreek Chappell, Zion Taylor, Matthew Wykoff and Dreyden Norwood as guys who are turning heads, it's an excellent indicator that the class is absolutely loaded, considering those are some of the lower-ranked guys in the class (at least when it comes to 'star rankings').

What does college football look like 10 years from now?

Your guess is as good as mine. I think the SEC will be sitting at 20 teams, to be honest. Twelve-team playoff. B1G will have expanded (USC and another?), ACC will be fighting to fend off SEC expansion. Big 12 won't exist. Trending towards two mega-conferences? Tough to say. Whatever it is, we'll hate the sound of it today but the changes will be gradual enough that we'll all still be on board (most of us, anyway).

Elko gets most of the attention about potentially moving on, but what other assistants aspire to move up the ranks? I assume most would, but occasionally you find guys that love what they do and where they're at (Terry Price and Bud Foster as examples)

I think several are upwardly mobile but it will take the perfect situation for them to move. Guys like Elko, Robinson, Henson jump out and Coley has been an OC at big-time programs in the past. Again, A&M is paying their assistants big money and they're working for an SEC program that is rapidly ascending the national ladder. They're also working under a national championship head coach, so every assistant in Aggieland can afford to be very picky. It's why the Ags were one of the few programs in the country that didn't lose a single assistant following last season.

If you could time travel back 10 years, what would you tell this man to give him hope?

"This is your last game in the Big 12, you'll dress better and lose some weight and you won't have to see these *#$%*@ for a full decade." Oh, that and, "Don't worry, the gif will no longer be funny by 2043."

Do you think LSU football gets any punishment as a result of recent investigations? Curious if SEC considers that during pod assignment (if they go that route).

Yes. And I think they find out in Baton Rouge prior to the season. Not sure how long that would take to become public but it could be during the fall. No, the league wouldn't consider anything like that in assigning pods if that's the route they go.

Okay, Looch, gotta get your take on the pod system vs the 8-team divisions. To me, it's a no-brainer to go pods, 9 game conference schedule: 3 annual games from your pod, 2 bi-annual rotating games from the other 3 pods, that way you play everybody within a 2-year cycle, along with getting a home game from everybody every 4 years. ...

I think the only thing I don't like about the pod system is that we've never seen it. I also think I don't like the possibility of a 'Big 12' pod with OU, Texas and Missouri. A&M fans would hate that setup. I'm all for playing the Horns every year but would love if the Ags were in a different pod just to keep it more traditional 'SEC' feel.

Your idea would make sense, only in order to play the Horns every year, you'd have to keep things within the same pod. I just don't like the idea of reverting back to playing three teams from the Big 12 every single year... especially Mizzou. But you know they'll pair up A&M and Texas so you're kind of stuck with OU and either Mizzou or Arkansas in your system. I'd like to see something similar but perhaps somehow working in a permanent opponent from another pod. Not going to take the time right now to sort through how that would work but you get what I mean.

...since we're trending towards 'Super Conference' mode, it just makes more sense to play more different teams within your conference each and every year.

I keep thinking this question is over but keep realizing it's just more your commentary on the hypothetical scheduling (which was interesting by the way).

...I'll hang up and listen...

Are you sure we're hanging up? Positive? Okay, hang up in 3, 2, 1... And by the way, my favorite idea is the simple, three teams every year and then rotate six teams one year, the other six the next format. Play everyone twice in four years (a college career), get everyone at home every four years and have three legitimate rivals.

Where do TCU and BU end up?

I think they are in a bad, bad way right now, even more so than Tech and Iowa State. The biggest losers here could be TCU, Baylor and K-State. I think TCU and BU could be gobbled up by the AAC. Really a tough situation for a place like TCU, who wandered around in the desert for so long after the SWC, and found some early success in the Big 12 (and continued success in baseball and were making great hires across the big three sports). Now what? And how do the fans stay hopeful that big-time college athletics will continue to be played in Fort Worth at this point?

Does the fact that they are private and (supposed to be) religious schools help or harm them in their search?

Not really. At all.

Billy, you mentioned in a recent post that there may be more SEC expansion on the horizon. Who are the possible schools for that expansion? It doesn't seem like there are any available teams that would move the needle, except for maybe USC and UCLA (Ohio State seems like a pipe dream, and the ACC schools are supposedly locked up until 2036).

USC is always fascinating because of the brand and because of the LA/West Coast market but it's just such a terrible fit for travel and just doesn't seem to work. That said, I could one day see the Trojans in the B1G. As for the SEC, I think it's the ACC for them. Eventually. Like you said, those programs are locked in for a while. The ACC was probably actually the driving force behind Sankey and the SEC grabbing the Longhorns and Sooners last week, as well. Had they added OU and Texas, their footprint would have extended all the way into Texas and the league would have added something like 6 million more TV sets (from 30 to 36 million). The SEC expanded by only around 800k but it kept the ACC from grabbing a pair of powers who were absolutely on the market. Imagine an ACC adding the Texas footprint and the Longhorn and Sooner brands and then eventually using that flex to finally absorb Notre Dame? Sankey and the SEC did and didn't like what they saw. Instead, they've locked down the SEC as the dominant force in college football for the foreseeable future.

Yes or No question Sark is basically tu's version of Sumlin but without Johnny, a way less experienced OL and a much worse overall HC record?

I would say no. I see where you're going and the end result could look a lot like Sumlin's year two or three-six run in the SEC but at least Sumlin was coming directly off of a successful stint as a head coach and there was an unknown ceiling at this level. On the one hand, Sark having been the boss at USC and UW makes him much more experienced when it comes to coaching at power programs but he had also struggled at get it done at both spots and hasn't been a head coach in several years. I think he's Sumlin (results-wise) minus the breakout first season and he's there a couple of years less than Summy was in CS. 

Wildcard that could change that narrative? He has a breakout year THIS year in a far inferior league, led by his own offensive star in Bijan and that gets everyone on Austin on board and fools recruits in the short-term. Very important season in Austin or he could be another 3-4 year guy.

Second Yes or No question Had TexAgs staff been OC at Bama last year, end result would have been same as Sark's (but probably recruited slightly better)?

Sark did a hell of a job with that offense. But so did Kiffin and Locksley. He's not a unicorn and was absolutely made to look better because of the overwhelming talent at WR, RB and along the offensive line. Anyone who doesn't recognize both facts (that Sark is an outstanding offensive mind and that he was working with an NFL offense in terms of talent) simply refuses to acknowledge the obvious.

What are the real limits on transfers, and nil money, and why wont every team simply buy a roster now, up to and including spending tens or hundreds of millions annually on paying players through nil arrangements?

Most power programs will be doing exactly that. Not tens or hundreds of millions, however. Even for programs like A&M and Texas, that well will run dry... especially as they're also being asked for money for facilities upgrades, coaches salary increases, etc. But you're going to be talking about a lot of money being pushed to the athletes via the NIL. It's just going to escalate every time you hear about a new deal.

How big will the new superconference really be?

I think eventually the potential is there for a 48-team, NFL type of league and that's it. But that's way down the road. To me now, I could see three 18- or 20-team super-leagues form within the next five-seven years.

What surprises are left in tu/espn/sankey's deal that we haven't heard about yet?

There's really no telling. I think the mistrust of Sankey may be being a bit overblown outside of never underestimating what a savvy businessman will do but there's no telling where Texas and ESPN are involved. One thing I'm fairly certain of, however, is that they're not going to carry any more power than the other 'haves' in the conference. And contrary to what the past week made it look like, if you know anyone around the league, they consider A&M one of the haves and it's not really up for debate. You're only as strong as your leadership, however, so the Aggies need to regroup after getting plenty of egg on the face in the wake of this PR failure.

What other dirty tricks do you expect from tu and ou to attempt to unlevel the playing field?

I'm not expecting them to have the ability to pull nearly as much as folks seem to think. This is about A&M staying up and continuing the trajectory in football. If they do that and Fisher knows he's getting everything he needs to succeed (which he will), then it really doesn't matter who is in the league. The conference was already brutally tough enough and now the Ags probably don't have to face Bama annually, so there might even be a slight reprieve in one way.

NCAA division 1 revenue currently equals the NFL. If free transfers and no nil caps are the new rule, will the NFL have to step in to protect its turf from the new superconference?

I don't know what the NFL could do other than to create a D-League type of option of their own. I just don't think they NEED to do that, regardless of what direction college 'superconferences' go on Saturdays.

Why is the A&M admin likely voting yay? Why wouldn't we abstain?

I know folks were split on this one on the boards and throughout the fan base but the way I see it is that A&M protested (and should have done so behind the scenes and much earlier in the process) and the deal was going through regardless. I know how it looks to some through a Maroon lens but even though everyone following and covering this stuff knows that the Aggies weren't happy with the decision, at some point, you really do need to get on board and not be petty about the whole thing. You're a part of a conference (still) and you're not going anywhere. The other 13 members voted in favor and you weren't kept in the dark quite as much as was being originally floated out there. This was Sankey-driven, but I don't think the Commissioner is quite the villain in this that he's been portrayed as. He's a businessman who is far more worried about the bottom line and the future of the league than he is any one team.

If tu went behind our back to join the SEC, do you expect them to get "behind the back" treatment as an SEC member i.e. getting an easy pod, or forcing us to play them and ou plus Missouri, instead of us going against LSU and the Mississippi schools?

I don't expect that but they'll certainly try to when it comes to Texas A&M. We've seen it all too often over the years. Then again, there are going to be many instances where the Aggies and Longhorns are going to actually be ALIGNED in their desire to get something pushed through or blocked so, as wild as it may sound to some of you, that's where the addition would actually benefit A&M.

By the way, 'forcing' A&M to play Missouri, Texas and OU every year isn't THAT much different than LSU, State and Ole Miss. And adding Texas and OU as annual foes while dropping Bama and Auburn would be a plus. If I'm A&M, I'd use this to get a first-year break from Bama if you could (after facing them ten or eleven years straight).

How much of a negative impact will A&M have from a recruiting standpoint (short and long term), now that tu will be an SEC Conference member?

I don't think they will at all. Look at this past weekend as proof. If anything, it will give Texas a nice boost and negate the built-in affiliation advantage A&M got to work with for a decade. Texas also still has to win and win under Sark almost immediately or that bump they're poised to get goes right out the window. Everyone realizes that but it's not as entertaining or dramatic for the media to mention just yet. If Jimbo and the Ags continue to win and are an established top-10 program, they're going to continue to recruit lights out regardless of who is in the league.

Man, you had me worried there for a moment when I saw the pic… am I glad this was not the version I always see posted on OB when I go tear harvesting... Those ***holes over there suck!!!

Some of them are awful for a lot of reasons but plenty are perfectly fine. And then, some are just flat-out obsessed with me and making up whatever type of bull**** they can about me. I watch it and just shake my head, laugh and am happy there's no one out there who I don't know or have never met who gets into my head so much that I have to resort to the lowest level to make myself feel better about myself. As for that gif, what anyone who knows me gets is that I find it absolutely hilarious. Look, it's funny. Funny as hell and it's certainly held up over a full decade so you know it was good! Hell, I've got friends who have it pop up on their phone when I call. We all laugh about it. It's timeless.

If we go to pods, do you think the SEC will adopt a semi-finals for the championship? That along with a12 team playoff might be over the top for number of games.

Yeah, that's a tough one. I think it's a stretch when combined with a 12-team playoff. That's why the 3-6, no division idea might work best. There's also that part of let's say Alabama went 12-0 and Auburn went 11-1 with a loss to Bama. How does that feel if Auburn was the only other 1-loss team in the conference and let's say a 9-3 co-pod champion got in elsewhere. It's kind of like a scaled-down version of what I think is wrong with guaranteeing conference champs get into the new playoff format.

How much added money will each current member of the SEC get when OU/sip are added?

Good question. I think everything at this point is just speculation but it's a fairly good bump. Maybe not what many would assume, however. I think this was as much a defensive move as it was an offensive move by the conference.

Who exactly is responsible for A&M's PR? The same people that have been at it for the past 25 years? Whoever it is needs to be shown the door. Time to hire a competent firm or group of people so this university quits looking dumb on a semi-regular basis. Though recent news might have technically been a surprise, it was never out of the realm of possibility and the leaders should have already had talking points drafted beforehand no matter how small the possibility is thought to be. May as well start planning responses for the idiotic plans these jokers will likely try to pull once they're actually members.

I don' think this was a PR thing as much as it was an unacceptable communication chain breakdown. That's what led to so much of the disjointed messaging coming out in the wake of the news and, after all information was gathered, subsequent backpedaling. 

Some schools were very active in the transfer portal (OU, Bama) whereas A&M was not. Is that a philosophy thing with Jimbo or should we expect more transfer activity in the future?

I think you can expect more activity from the Ags in the portal moving forward. It's something they're factoring in to their recruiting moves at this time and will moving forward. The most interesting piece will be if the NCAA adjusts in terms of the initial counter rule to allow for more leeway with so many kids being on the move.

Given realignment, how important is it for A&M to break through this year (or at least to live up to last year's performance)? It seems to me that this season just got a lot more important in terms of being able to maintain our recruiting level after our in-state conference edge disappears.

Completely agree. You answered your own question there. Ags don't have to go to a playoff or win a natty this year but sustaining program momentum and continuing to trend towards SEC and national title contention is as important as ever.

Do you think the state of Texas still owns the highest level of football talent over any other state in the union?

Highest numbers, yes. As far as top-end, elite talent goes, there are several states that would give Texas a run for its money (and then some). The Lone Star State still (and always will) dominate in terms of the quality/quantity combination, however.

How important is it that we just accept what is happening with tu and OU joining our conf. and start looking forward to whatever silver lining there is?

I think saying 'just accept it' is really the wrong way to go about it. You would have preferred to remain the only SEC team from Texas forever but it didn't work out that way. Times change, the college football/tv/money/conference landscape is changing daily as is college football in general. Like most of you, I was loving the way things were and, to be perfectly blunt, not being in the same league or having to deal with our friends from Texas. I'm not talking about on the field but rather off the field and in terms of being conference 'partners.' The track record has not been good. But here we are. I'm not sure of the silver lining other than you'll get the chance to beat both of them on the field but I do think it's time to start to get fired up about the matchups and what a new-look SEC could look like with Texas A&M remaining near the top and as one of the most upwardly-mobile programs in the country... and continuing to excel and take it to the next level in every other sport, as well. OU and Texas are in. All they're doing is putting even more distance between the league and every other in just about everything.

Thanks for bringing Nuno to the Texags Family. He's been a flawless transition from Gabe and I look forward to the new content that is going to be coming our way. Any hints as to what we may be seeing as I'm guessing more video content or live broadcasts?

Not to give too much away, but we have plans for a couple of new pieces of content in the fall, including a video feature early Sunday to get things started. He also has some fun plans for Saturday nights following the game. David has been every bit as incredible an addition as I had hoped and the overwhelming majority of you guys have made his very tough transition (new job, new city, moving the family) so much easier. He's one of the all-time good guys and unbelievably hard-working and talented, which is why he's always been on my 'list' of folks I'd love to bring on board if that opportunity ever presented itself.

Do you think Buzbee knew beforehand that tu was going to make the move to the SEC? Is this why Buzbee has been so vocal in pulling out his support?

No. I don't think that had anything to do with why he was so vocal last summer. And it seems that not everyone realizes this so I'll add that he's no longer on the board and hasn't been for a while. Has instead focused on his law practice and, as all of you know, running for the mayor's seat in Houston.

Who is responsible for getting the donor NIL money together to pay players? Let's face it, with no rules it's now a bidding war.

Things are happening rapidly behind the scenes. The Aggies are going to be big winners on the NIL front and I'll leave it at that.

Lots of schools have taken on analyst positions to help with the coaching end. Have you seen any schools move toward hiring an NIL-focused position to help the athletes specifically?

I think I'd read where a couple have and I could certainly see where it would help but only to a point. It would be more about educating the athletes, since college programs and athletic departments really can't have any say in the NIL deals players strike.

It almost seems like you could essentially hire someone as the equivalent of an agent, but working for the University instead, specifically to help find NIL opportunities for players. Even having something like that seems like it'd be useful to recruiting.

The crazy thing is that while the schools can't do that, folks working for actual agents can. Heck, TexAgs could even create an arm that does exactly what you're talking about, but we don't intend to take on that type of workload.

A second more general version of that question would be, what is the most creative use of the NIL that you've seen implemented in the early wild west of NIL?

Probably the Miami thing where every player gets a little bit (a 'little' as in 6K). Would love to see a baseline where every athlete at A&M (and maybe you start with the Big 3) gets something.

Who knew and why was it kept from top A&M brass and the athletic department?

I don't know specifically who knew but I know everyone at A&M should have known in early June at the latest. As I said last week, getting to the bottom of where the chain of communication broke down sure feels like an absolute must for the folks in charge.

Any thoughts on how the college football landscape will look like over the next decade, in the light of NIL and the conference consolidation? What is the future for the NCAA?

Good question but such a long answer that I think I've answered on air and perhaps even in this thread.

What, if any, kind of recruiting advantage should we see over tu and ou if they have 4 more seasons in a lame-duck conference?

They won't have four more years in there. I'd say they're playing in the SEC next fall or, at the latest to start 2023. If they do sit in there for too long, it will quickly become a recruiting disadvantage. There's a fine line. At first, they'd benefit from claiming 'SEC' without having to take the Ls that come with it on the field on Saturdays. But once it became clear it's going to be another couple of years, they'd lose the recruiting bump they'll both receive in the short term.

Being a second-generation Aggie I have long thought that the State Fair of Texas game should have been between sip and the Aggies instead of Sooner. Sooner and sip can play on Thanksgiving weekend, (home and home), and we get LSU to end the regular season. I figure Sooner would fight like hell to keep the State Fair of Texas game but I believe the Aggies playing the State Fair of Texas game would improve our recruiting and offset any damage to our recruiting from the SEC accepting the B12 refugees. Your thoughts?
 

That would never happen. On several levels. And you WANT to play the Horns at Kyle Field every other year if they're in your conference. Zero chance that game is ever anything but a home-and-home, which is the way it should stay, IMO.

The guys on The Ticket in Dallas were hinting that the SEC would help tu and OU pay their buyout to the b12. Surely that's not the case

I don't think the SEC will do it. But I do think there's some legitimate smoke to the idea of ESPN doing it with the money they owe Texas for the remainder of the Longhorn Network deal. That's far from a sure thing, however.

In recruiting How much of an advantage is Austin over College Station? CS is a completely different place than it was when we were in the big 12

Just depends entirely on the kid and the family of the young man/woman you're recruiting. It's truly a matter of preference in a lot of instances. At times, however, the young athlete is looking more at things like the coaches, playing time, where the program is currently at and trending, academics and even facilities/game day atmosphere even more so than the city. It's not the be-all, end-all by any stretch and recruits tend to come to College Station and have a hell of a time, contrary to what the folks in Austin would like to believe.

If the SEC continues to expand to 20 or more teams at what point does the quality of play begin to suffer due to the finite number of truly elite recruits being spread thin?
Do you think that will only affect the already weaker schools and the strong schools will just continue to get stronger?

Not worried about the first part of your question being a thing but I do think NIL, the portal and conference expansion is going to expand the chasm between the haves and have nots.

NIL Question - how does this setup change the roster management of baseball? With partial scholarships being the norm, it seems to me college baseball would be set to benefit a ton from NIL. Am I off base?

College baseball could be the biggest beneficiary at a place like Texas A&M, no doubt about it. Do that right and it can serve as a lethal weapon when it comes to recruiting out of high school (simply by the prospects knowing what the guys on the roster are making) and in terms of being able to keep kids from entering the draft.

Last week at media days Sankey said that 6 of the 14 teams had reached the 80-85% vaccinated level. Do you know if we are one of those 6 teams?

The Aggies were not one of those teams at the time, per my sources. However, they're getting closer and closer to that point.

So are we playing the horns every year on thanksgiving?

No idea yet but don't you fully expect that will be the case? Again, if we're in the league together, I personally don't have a problem with it and it would mean the Ags are not only in the premier conference in all of college football but also once again be a part of one of the best rivalry games, as well.

Will the Texas coach that is not allowed to coach in the SEC be able to coach when they enter the league?

Bo Davis? I think his whole deal (a previous Show Cause) will be in the rearview mirror by the time Texas enters the conference.

What's Jimbo going to do with all the extra budget from the new TV contracts?

Who knows but I wouldn't bet against it allowing him to add more analysts and football support staff. You can never have enough.

What capital campaigns are under way or in the future for Jimbo's vision for the program?

Not to give too much away, but Jimbo has mentioned it before so you're talking about a new indoor setup (something pretty epic), a stand-alone academic center and I think even a new outdoor practice field or two.

Do you have any worries that tu will eventually get some power within the SEC? Who expected they would get huge NCAA protection and power with one plant for the enforcement branch in the 60's or so moving forward for decades? My gut tells me that the SEC will not relinquish any power from the "originals". We have some history of that...

Never say never but I think they're walking into a 14-team group that isn't going to allow them to take any sort of power or control in the league. Nothing like what they were able to do in the Big 12.

Do you think think the rest of the SEC has really thought out the long-term ramifications of having the 2 flagship Texas universities that dwarf in size and resources all other member institutions? While we Aggies are not thrilled at the moment with tu entering the conference, once they are in, we more than likely will have a common interest and common voice on things like championship games sites, tournament locations, media week and conference offices location. When the Texas schools merged with the Big 8, they absolutely dominated the conference administration issues ranging from office location to admission requirements.

This is something I touched on a little earlier. Agree completely that, despite how most feel today, there are some real benefits to A&M and Texas being in the league together.

Any word on summer workouts and how players are doing? Any really standing out?

I mentioned this one more than a few times in recent weeks and believe I did so either earlier in this write-up or in the audio portion.

Can you provide some details about the internal Communication breakdown within the A&M chain of command? Will we learn who dropped the ball or will this be protected info?

I'd expect that would be internal and not for public consumption.

Have you thought of setting up an option for subscribers to donate to a TexAgs NIL fund?

I've been thinking of a lot of different ways that TexAgs can expand in the NIL game, some of which we fully intend to implement. 

Could you please become at least a semi-regular call in guest on The Ticket in DFW, either in the afternoon with Bob Sturm and Corby on the Hardline or call in to the Musers in the morning so they'd have some accurate information regarding our program? Do you have to be contacted by them to do that or is that something you can set up?

Love The Ticket. That reminds me, the Longhorn slug who runs the coaching scoop site? Barnett maybe? He's as biased as anyone running a 'fan site' anywhere yet runs his mouth a little reckless (including to the guys at The Ticket, which is why this reminded me of his sorry ass)... especially for a dude trying to cover colleges and coaches/coaching searches from coast to coast. Guy must not like me because he gets his Burnt Orange ass handed to him on most hires around here but that's not the way to handle losing.

Thanks for doing these and always being the voice of reason!

Haha anything I can do to help counsel when the moods are bad and get you guys fired up when they're good, right?!?!?

Does the SEC stop at 16, or continue to expand to 20, 24?

I think they keep going but don't think it'll be anything in the immediate future. Maybe not another ten years but I don't expect anything in the next three.

What sec related message are t-sips giving at the pool party?

Despite what a kid or two has said, they're pushing it very hard. You know the message. They've gone from telling kids in this class that conference affiliation doesn't matter and that the SEC is overrated and a 'one-team' league to making the move a major part of the pitch overnight. It's what anyone in their position would do but I do believe the Ags need to hammer that point home to recruits.

Can you talk about the true narrative of tu's move to the SEC and that being the complete lack of vision of their leadership and that they will forever (or at least until they wreck the SEC) be following in our footsteps?

They're absolutely following in A&M's footsteps here. Let's be thankful they gave the Ags a reason to leave and watched stubbornly as A&M got a ten-year head start. As I've said many times over, this isn't the same Texas A&M that left the Big 12 a decade ago. Not even close.

What is our reputation among the other SEC schools both administration and fanbase?

I've said this before and will again: Texas A&M is viewed by the league media, the coaches around the conference and ADs as one of the league's 'haves' and a premier player on the conference landscape. Prior to the news breaking last Wednesday, there was more buzz surrounding Aggie football than during any of the media days I've been to save the one prior to the 2013 season, but that was way more about Johnny and the Manning Academy than anything else. This year, it was about A&M and what Jimbo Fisher has built and continues to build in College Station, both for this year and moving forward. Stewart Mandel and The Athletic be damned, most of the folks - league-wide and nationally - recognize what Fisher has going in Aggieland. They're viewed right there with UGA, LSU and Florida as the programs jockeying for position behind Bama and as playoff/title contenders.

Will we have any say on which pod we are in, assuming there will be pods?

I think assuming there will be pods is still a stretch. And I'm sure the Ags will have the same input everyone else will. There COULD be some leverage there in terms of where you end up but I think it would be unwise to EXPECT the Ags are going to be able to walk into that room and say "Alright fellas, you owe us one." Could work out that way but probably in more subtle ways like early scheduling during the first couple of seasons at 16, possibly in terms of pod alignment, getting the first A&M-Texas game at Kyle Field, etc but there are certainly no guarantees that any of that will happen.

A decade ago, Texas A&M made it clear that not being in a conference with t.u. was a priority for Texas A&M. Achieving that goal was a hard-fought victory. Now, Texas A&M will affirmatively vote to admit t.u. to a conference which has Texas A&M as a member. Will Texas A&M leadership directly explain that jaw-dropping reversal to constituents?

I absolutely expect that to happen. First behind the scenes to some of the real power brokers. That's already happening to some degree. Explaining the why is the easy part (it was really out of A&M's hands and the reasons, while most don't like them AT ALL, are fairly obvious). The how things went down with A&M appearing so caught off guard is what I think needs to be explained more so than the league expanding in the manner they did.

When does Fall Camp start?

Friday.

 

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9 hours ago, Lobwedgephil said:
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You can view Part 1 of Ask Liucci, the video edition, HERE.

Get me fired up for this season again and pour me a glass of maroon koolaid! What's the latest from inside the locker room and what/who are you most intrigued about heading into fall camp?

The real buzz out of Bright has a whole hell of a lot to do with the buy-in from the seniors and star players on down. Even the true freshmen have already 'figured things out' in terms of what's expected. A couple of younger (first and second-year) guys were lagging a little early but were quickly told how things are done during Jerry Schmidt's off-season. Whether it's in the weight room, during conditioning or voluntary 7-on-7 and skill work, this is a team that is all in and has been ever since the Orange Bowl win. Ask anyone on the inside and they'll tell you things just feel, look and sound different around the football facility. That and the fact that this freshman class looks just like the two before it: Absolutely loaded and with an eye-catching amount of top-end talent. And when you're hearing names like Yulkeith Brown, Albert Regis, Tyreek Chappell, Zion Taylor, Matthew Wykoff and Dreyden Norwood as guys who are turning heads, it's an excellent indicator that the class is absolutely loaded, considering those are some of the lower-ranked guys in the class (at least when it comes to 'star rankings').

What does college football look like 10 years from now?

Your guess is as good as mine. I think the SEC will be sitting at 20 teams, to be honest. Twelve-team playoff. B1G will have expanded (USC and another?), ACC will be fighting to fend off SEC expansion. Big 12 won't exist. Trending towards two mega-conferences? Tough to say. Whatever it is, we'll hate the sound of it today but the changes will be gradual enough that we'll all still be on board (most of us, anyway).

Elko gets most of the attention about potentially moving on, but what other assistants aspire to move up the ranks? I assume most would, but occasionally you find guys that love what they do and where they're at (Terry Price and Bud Foster as examples)

I think several are upwardly mobile but it will take the perfect situation for them to move. Guys like Elko, Robinson, Henson jump out and Coley has been an OC at big-time programs in the past. Again, A&M is paying their assistants big money and they're working for an SEC program that is rapidly ascending the national ladder. They're also working under a national championship head coach, so every assistant in Aggieland can afford to be very picky. It's why the Ags were one of the few programs in the country that didn't lose a single assistant following last season.

If you could time travel back 10 years, what would you tell this man to give him hope?

"This is your last game in the Big 12, you'll dress better and lose some weight and you won't have to see these *#$%*@ for a full decade." Oh, that and, "Don't worry, the gif will no longer be funny by 2043."

Do you think LSU football gets any punishment as a result of recent investigations? Curious if SEC considers that during pod assignment (if they go that route).

Yes. And I think they find out in Baton Rouge prior to the season. Not sure how long that would take to become public but it could be during the fall. No, the league wouldn't consider anything like that in assigning pods if that's the route they go.

Okay, Looch, gotta get your take on the pod system vs the 8-team divisions. To me, it's a no-brainer to go pods, 9 game conference schedule: 3 annual games from your pod, 2 bi-annual rotating games from the other 3 pods, that way you play everybody within a 2-year cycle, along with getting a home game from everybody every 4 years. ...

I think the only thing I don't like about the pod system is that we've never seen it. I also think I don't like the possibility of a 'Big 12' pod with OU, Texas and Missouri. A&M fans would hate that setup. I'm all for playing the Horns every year but would love if the Ags were in a different pod just to keep it more traditional 'SEC' feel.

Your idea would make sense, only in order to play the Horns every year, you'd have to keep things within the same pod. I just don't like the idea of reverting back to playing three teams from the Big 12 every single year... especially Mizzou. But you know they'll pair up A&M and Texas so you're kind of stuck with OU and either Mizzou or Arkansas in your system. I'd like to see something similar but perhaps somehow working in a permanent opponent from another pod. Not going to take the time right now to sort through how that would work but you get what I mean.

...since we're trending towards 'Super Conference' mode, it just makes more sense to play more different teams within your conference each and every year.

I keep thinking this question is over but keep realizing it's just more your commentary on the hypothetical scheduling (which was interesting by the way).

...I'll hang up and listen...

Are you sure we're hanging up? Positive? Okay, hang up in 3, 2, 1... And by the way, my favorite idea is the simple, three teams every year and then rotate six teams one year, the other six the next format. Play everyone twice in four years (a college career), get everyone at home every four years and have three legitimate rivals.

Where do TCU and BU end up?

I think they are in a bad, bad way right now, even more so than Tech and Iowa State. The biggest losers here could be TCU, Baylor and K-State. I think TCU and BU could be gobbled up by the AAC. Really a tough situation for a place like TCU, who wandered around in the desert for so long after the SWC, and found some early success in the Big 12 (and continued success in baseball and were making great hires across the big three sports). Now what? And how do the fans stay hopeful that big-time college athletics will continue to be played in Fort Worth at this point?

Does the fact that they are private and (supposed to be) religious schools help or harm them in their search?

Not really. At all.

Billy, you mentioned in a recent post that there may be more SEC expansion on the horizon. Who are the possible schools for that expansion? It doesn't seem like there are any available teams that would move the needle, except for maybe USC and UCLA (Ohio State seems like a pipe dream, and the ACC schools are supposedly locked up until 2036).

USC is always fascinating because of the brand and because of the LA/West Coast market but it's just such a terrible fit for travel and just doesn't seem to work. That said, I could one day see the Trojans in the B1G. As for the SEC, I think it's the ACC for them. Eventually. Like you said, those programs are locked in for a while. The ACC was probably actually the driving force behind Sankey and the SEC grabbing the Longhorns and Sooners last week, as well. Had they added OU and Texas, their footprint would have extended all the way into Texas and the league would have added something like 6 million more TV sets (from 30 to 36 million). The SEC expanded by only around 800k but it kept the ACC from grabbing a pair of powers who were absolutely on the market. Imagine an ACC adding the Texas footprint and the Longhorn and Sooner brands and then eventually using that flex to finally absorb Notre Dame? Sankey and the SEC did and didn't like what they saw. Instead, they've locked down the SEC as the dominant force in college football for the foreseeable future.

Yes or No question Sark is basically tu's version of Sumlin but without Johnny, a way less experienced OL and a much worse overall HC record?

I would say no. I see where you're going and the end result could look a lot like Sumlin's year two or three-six run in the SEC but at least Sumlin was coming directly off of a successful stint as a head coach and there was an unknown ceiling at this level. On the one hand, Sark having been the boss at USC and UW makes him much more experienced when it comes to coaching at power programs but he had also struggled at get it done at both spots and hasn't been a head coach in several years. I think he's Sumlin (results-wise) minus the breakout first season and he's there a couple of years less than Summy was in CS. 

Wildcard that could change that narrative? He has a breakout year THIS year in a far inferior league, led by his own offensive star in Bijan and that gets everyone on Austin on board and fools recruits in the short-term. Very important season in Austin or he could be another 3-4 year guy.

Second Yes or No question Had TexAgs staff been OC at Bama last year, end result would have been same as Sark's (but probably recruited slightly better)?

Sark did a hell of a job with that offense. But so did Kiffin and Locksley. He's not a unicorn and was absolutely made to look better because of the overwhelming talent at WR, RB and along the offensive line. Anyone who doesn't recognize both facts (that Sark is an outstanding offensive mind and that he was working with an NFL offense in terms of talent) simply refuses to acknowledge the obvious.

What are the real limits on transfers, and nil money, and why wont every team simply buy a roster now, up to and including spending tens or hundreds of millions annually on paying players through nil arrangements?

Most power programs will be doing exactly that. Not tens or hundreds of millions, however. Even for programs like A&M and Texas, that well will run dry... especially as they're also being asked for money for facilities upgrades, coaches salary increases, etc. But you're going to be talking about a lot of money being pushed to the athletes via the NIL. It's just going to escalate every time you hear about a new deal.

How big will the new superconference really be?

I think eventually the potential is there for a 48-team, NFL type of league and that's it. But that's way down the road. To me now, I could see three 18- or 20-team super-leagues form within the next five-seven years.

What surprises are left in tu/espn/sankey's deal that we haven't heard about yet?

There's really no telling. I think the mistrust of Sankey may be being a bit overblown outside of never underestimating what a savvy businessman will do but there's no telling where Texas and ESPN are involved. One thing I'm fairly certain of, however, is that they're not going to carry any more power than the other 'haves' in the conference. And contrary to what the past week made it look like, if you know anyone around the league, they consider A&M one of the haves and it's not really up for debate. You're only as strong as your leadership, however, so the Aggies need to regroup after getting plenty of egg on the face in the wake of this PR failure.

What other dirty tricks do you expect from tu and ou to attempt to unlevel the playing field?

I'm not expecting them to have the ability to pull nearly as much as folks seem to think. This is about A&M staying up and continuing the trajectory in football. If they do that and Fisher knows he's getting everything he needs to succeed (which he will), then it really doesn't matter who is in the league. The conference was already brutally tough enough and now the Ags probably don't have to face Bama annually, so there might even be a slight reprieve in one way.

NCAA division 1 revenue currently equals the NFL. If free transfers and no nil caps are the new rule, will the NFL have to step in to protect its turf from the new superconference?

I don't know what the NFL could do other than to create a D-League type of option of their own. I just don't think they NEED to do that, regardless of what direction college 'superconferences' go on Saturdays.

Why is the A&M admin likely voting yay? Why wouldn't we abstain?

I know folks were split on this one on the boards and throughout the fan base but the way I see it is that A&M protested (and should have done so behind the scenes and much earlier in the process) and the deal was going through regardless. I know how it looks to some through a Maroon lens but even though everyone following and covering this stuff knows that the Aggies weren't happy with the decision, at some point, you really do need to get on board and not be petty about the whole thing. You're a part of a conference (still) and you're not going anywhere. The other 13 members voted in favor and you weren't kept in the dark quite as much as was being originally floated out there. This was Sankey-driven, but I don't think the Commissioner is quite the villain in this that he's been portrayed as. He's a businessman who is far more worried about the bottom line and the future of the league than he is any one team.

If tu went behind our back to join the SEC, do you expect them to get "behind the back" treatment as an SEC member i.e. getting an easy pod, or forcing us to play them and ou plus Missouri, instead of us going against LSU and the Mississippi schools?

I don't expect that but they'll certainly try to when it comes to Texas A&M. We've seen it all too often over the years. Then again, there are going to be many instances where the Aggies and Longhorns are going to actually be ALIGNED in their desire to get something pushed through or blocked so, as wild as it may sound to some of you, that's where the addition would actually benefit A&M.

By the way, 'forcing' A&M to play Missouri, Texas and OU every year isn't THAT much different than LSU, State and Ole Miss. And adding Texas and OU as annual foes while dropping Bama and Auburn would be a plus. If I'm A&M, I'd use this to get a first-year break from Bama if you could (after facing them ten or eleven years straight).

How much of a negative impact will A&M have from a recruiting standpoint (short and long term), now that tu will be an SEC Conference member?

I don't think they will at all. Look at this past weekend as proof. If anything, it will give Texas a nice boost and negate the built-in affiliation advantage A&M got to work with for a decade. Texas also still has to win and win under Sark almost immediately or that bump they're poised to get goes right out the window. Everyone realizes that but it's not as entertaining or dramatic for the media to mention just yet. If Jimbo and the Ags continue to win and are an established top-10 program, they're going to continue to recruit lights out regardless of who is in the league.

Man, you had me worried there for a moment when I saw the pic… am I glad this was not the version I always see posted on OB when I go tear harvesting... Those ***holes over there suck!!!

Some of them are awful for a lot of reasons but plenty are perfectly fine. And then, some are just flat-out obsessed with me and making up whatever type of bull**** they can about me. I watch it and just shake my head, laugh and am happy there's no one out there who I don't know or have never met who gets into my head so much that I have to resort to the lowest level to make myself feel better about myself. As for that gif, what anyone who knows me gets is that I find it absolutely hilarious. Look, it's funny. Funny as hell and it's certainly held up over a full decade so you know it was good! Hell, I've got friends who have it pop up on their phone when I call. We all laugh about it. It's timeless.

If we go to pods, do you think the SEC will adopt a semi-finals for the championship? That along with a12 team playoff might be over the top for number of games.

Yeah, that's a tough one. I think it's a stretch when combined with a 12-team playoff. That's why the 3-6, no division idea might work best. There's also that part of let's say Alabama went 12-0 and Auburn went 11-1 with a loss to Bama. How does that feel if Auburn was the only other 1-loss team in the conference and let's say a 9-3 co-pod champion got in elsewhere. It's kind of like a scaled-down version of what I think is wrong with guaranteeing conference champs get into the new playoff format.

How much added money will each current member of the SEC get when OU/sip are added?

Good question. I think everything at this point is just speculation but it's a fairly good bump. Maybe not what many would assume, however. I think this was as much a defensive move as it was an offensive move by the conference.

Who exactly is responsible for A&M's PR? The same people that have been at it for the past 25 years? Whoever it is needs to be shown the door. Time to hire a competent firm or group of people so this university quits looking dumb on a semi-regular basis. Though recent news might have technically been a surprise, it was never out of the realm of possibility and the leaders should have already had talking points drafted beforehand no matter how small the possibility is thought to be. May as well start planning responses for the idiotic plans these jokers will likely try to pull once they're actually members.

I don' think this was a PR thing as much as it was an unacceptable communication chain breakdown. That's what led to so much of the disjointed messaging coming out in the wake of the news and, after all information was gathered, subsequent backpedaling. 

Some schools were very active in the transfer portal (OU, Bama) whereas A&M was not. Is that a philosophy thing with Jimbo or should we expect more transfer activity in the future?

I think you can expect more activity from the Ags in the portal moving forward. It's something they're factoring in to their recruiting moves at this time and will moving forward. The most interesting piece will be if the NCAA adjusts in terms of the initial counter rule to allow for more leeway with so many kids being on the move.

Given realignment, how important is it for A&M to break through this year (or at least to live up to last year's performance)? It seems to me that this season just got a lot more important in terms of being able to maintain our recruiting level after our in-state conference edge disappears.

Completely agree. You answered your own question there. Ags don't have to go to a playoff or win a natty this year but sustaining program momentum and continuing to trend towards SEC and national title contention is as important as ever.

Do you think the state of Texas still owns the highest level of football talent over any other state in the union?

Highest numbers, yes. As far as top-end, elite talent goes, there are several states that would give Texas a run for its money (and then some). The Lone Star State still (and always will) dominate in terms of the quality/quantity combination, however.

How important is it that we just accept what is happening with tu and OU joining our conf. and start looking forward to whatever silver lining there is?

I think saying 'just accept it' is really the wrong way to go about it. You would have preferred to remain the only SEC team from Texas forever but it didn't work out that way. Times change, the college football/tv/money/conference landscape is changing daily as is college football in general. Like most of you, I was loving the way things were and, to be perfectly blunt, not being in the same league or having to deal with our friends from Texas. I'm not talking about on the field but rather off the field and in terms of being conference 'partners.' The track record has not been good. But here we are. I'm not sure of the silver lining other than you'll get the chance to beat both of them on the field but I do think it's time to start to get fired up about the matchups and what a new-look SEC could look like with Texas A&M remaining near the top and as one of the most upwardly-mobile programs in the country... and continuing to excel and take it to the next level in every other sport, as well. OU and Texas are in. All they're doing is putting even more distance between the league and every other in just about everything.

Thanks for bringing Nuno to the Texags Family. He's been a flawless transition from Gabe and I look forward to the new content that is going to be coming our way. Any hints as to what we may be seeing as I'm guessing more video content or live broadcasts?

Not to give too much away, but we have plans for a couple of new pieces of content in the fall, including a video feature early Sunday to get things started. He also has some fun plans for Saturday nights following the game. David has been every bit as incredible an addition as I had hoped and the overwhelming majority of you guys have made his very tough transition (new job, new city, moving the family) so much easier. He's one of the all-time good guys and unbelievably hard-working and talented, which is why he's always been on my 'list' of folks I'd love to bring on board if that opportunity ever presented itself.

Do you think Buzbee knew beforehand that tu was going to make the move to the SEC? Is this why Buzbee has been so vocal in pulling out his support?

No. I don't think that had anything to do with why he was so vocal last summer. And it seems that not everyone realizes this so I'll add that he's no longer on the board and hasn't been for a while. Has instead focused on his law practice and, as all of you know, running for the mayor's seat in Houston.

Who is responsible for getting the donor NIL money together to pay players? Let's face it, with no rules it's now a bidding war.

Things are happening rapidly behind the scenes. The Aggies are going to be big winners on the NIL front and I'll leave it at that.

Lots of schools have taken on analyst positions to help with the coaching end. Have you seen any schools move toward hiring an NIL-focused position to help the athletes specifically?

I think I'd read where a couple have and I could certainly see where it would help but only to a point. It would be more about educating the athletes, since college programs and athletic departments really can't have any say in the NIL deals players strike.

It almost seems like you could essentially hire someone as the equivalent of an agent, but working for the University instead, specifically to help find NIL opportunities for players. Even having something like that seems like it'd be useful to recruiting.

The crazy thing is that while the schools can't do that, folks working for actual agents can. Heck, TexAgs could even create an arm that does exactly what you're talking about, but we don't intend to take on that type of workload.

A second more general version of that question would be, what is the most creative use of the NIL that you've seen implemented in the early wild west of NIL?

Probably the Miami thing where every player gets a little bit (a 'little' as in 6K). Would love to see a baseline where every athlete at A&M (and maybe you start with the Big 3) gets something.

Who knew and why was it kept from top A&M brass and the athletic department?

I don't know specifically who knew but I know everyone at A&M should have known in early June at the latest. As I said last week, getting to the bottom of where the chain of communication broke down sure feels like an absolute must for the folks in charge.

Any thoughts on how the college football landscape will look like over the next decade, in the light of NIL and the conference consolidation? What is the future for the NCAA?

Good question but such a long answer that I think I've answered on air and perhaps even in this thread.

What, if any, kind of recruiting advantage should we see over tu and ou if they have 4 more seasons in a lame-duck conference?

They won't have four more years in there. I'd say they're playing in the SEC next fall or, at the latest to start 2023. If they do sit in there for too long, it will quickly become a recruiting disadvantage. There's a fine line. At first, they'd benefit from claiming 'SEC' without having to take the Ls that come with it on the field on Saturdays. But once it became clear it's going to be another couple of years, they'd lose the recruiting bump they'll both receive in the short term.

Being a second-generation Aggie I have long thought that the State Fair of Texas game should have been between sip and the Aggies instead of Sooner. Sooner and sip can play on Thanksgiving weekend, (home and home), and we get LSU to end the regular season. I figure Sooner would fight like hell to keep the State Fair of Texas game but I believe the Aggies playing the State Fair of Texas game would improve our recruiting and offset any damage to our recruiting from the SEC accepting the B12 refugees. Your thoughts?
 

That would never happen. On several levels. And you WANT to play the Horns at Kyle Field every other year if they're in your conference. Zero chance that game is ever anything but a home-and-home, which is the way it should stay, IMO.

The guys on The Ticket in Dallas were hinting that the SEC would help tu and OU pay their buyout to the b12. Surely that's not the case

I don't think the SEC will do it. But I do think there's some legitimate smoke to the idea of ESPN doing it with the money they owe Texas for the remainder of the Longhorn Network deal. That's far from a sure thing, however.

In recruiting How much of an advantage is Austin over College Station? CS is a completely different place than it was when we were in the big 12

Just depends entirely on the kid and the family of the young man/woman you're recruiting. It's truly a matter of preference in a lot of instances. At times, however, the young athlete is looking more at things like the coaches, playing time, where the program is currently at and trending, academics and even facilities/game day atmosphere even more so than the city. It's not the be-all, end-all by any stretch and recruits tend to come to College Station and have a hell of a time, contrary to what the folks in Austin would like to believe.

If the SEC continues to expand to 20 or more teams at what point does the quality of play begin to suffer due to the finite number of truly elite recruits being spread thin?
Do you think that will only affect the already weaker schools and the strong schools will just continue to get stronger?

Not worried about the first part of your question being a thing but I do think NIL, the portal and conference expansion is going to expand the chasm between the haves and have nots.

NIL Question - how does this setup change the roster management of baseball? With partial scholarships being the norm, it seems to me college baseball would be set to benefit a ton from NIL. Am I off base?

College baseball could be the biggest beneficiary at a place like Texas A&M, no doubt about it. Do that right and it can serve as a lethal weapon when it comes to recruiting out of high school (simply by the prospects knowing what the guys on the roster are making) and in terms of being able to keep kids from entering the draft.

Last week at media days Sankey said that 6 of the 14 teams had reached the 80-85% vaccinated level. Do you know if we are one of those 6 teams?

The Aggies were not one of those teams at the time, per my sources. However, they're getting closer and closer to that point.

So are we playing the horns every year on thanksgiving?

No idea yet but don't you fully expect that will be the case? Again, if we're in the league together, I personally don't have a problem with it and it would mean the Ags are not only in the premier conference in all of college football but also once again be a part of one of the best rivalry games, as well.

Will the Texas coach that is not allowed to coach in the SEC be able to coach when they enter the league?

Bo Davis? I think his whole deal (a previous Show Cause) will be in the rearview mirror by the time Texas enters the conference.

What's Jimbo going to do with all the extra budget from the new TV contracts?

Who knows but I wouldn't bet against it allowing him to add more analysts and football support staff. You can never have enough.

What capital campaigns are under way or in the future for Jimbo's vision for the program?

Not to give too much away, but Jimbo has mentioned it before so you're talking about a new indoor setup (something pretty epic), a stand-alone academic center and I think even a new outdoor practice field or two.

Do you have any worries that tu will eventually get some power within the SEC? Who expected they would get huge NCAA protection and power with one plant for the enforcement branch in the 60's or so moving forward for decades? My gut tells me that the SEC will not relinquish any power from the "originals". We have some history of that...

Never say never but I think they're walking into a 14-team group that isn't going to allow them to take any sort of power or control in the league. Nothing like what they were able to do in the Big 12.

Do you think think the rest of the SEC has really thought out the long-term ramifications of having the 2 flagship Texas universities that dwarf in size and resources all other member institutions? While we Aggies are not thrilled at the moment with tu entering the conference, once they are in, we more than likely will have a common interest and common voice on things like championship games sites, tournament locations, media week and conference offices location. When the Texas schools merged with the Big 8, they absolutely dominated the conference administration issues ranging from office location to admission requirements.

This is something I touched on a little earlier. Agree completely that, despite how most feel today, there are some real benefits to A&M and Texas being in the league together.

Any word on summer workouts and how players are doing? Any really standing out?

I mentioned this one more than a few times in recent weeks and believe I did so either earlier in this write-up or in the audio portion.

Can you provide some details about the internal Communication breakdown within the A&M chain of command? Will we learn who dropped the ball or will this be protected info?

I'd expect that would be internal and not for public consumption.

Have you thought of setting up an option for subscribers to donate to a TexAgs NIL fund?

I've been thinking of a lot of different ways that TexAgs can expand in the NIL game, some of which we fully intend to implement. 

Could you please become at least a semi-regular call in guest on The Ticket in DFW, either in the afternoon with Bob Sturm and Corby on the Hardline or call in to the Musers in the morning so they'd have some accurate information regarding our program? Do you have to be contacted by them to do that or is that something you can set up?

Love The Ticket. That reminds me, the Longhorn slug who runs the coaching scoop site? Barnett maybe? He's as biased as anyone running a 'fan site' anywhere yet runs his mouth a little reckless (including to the guys at The Ticket, which is why this reminded me of his sorry ass)... especially for a dude trying to cover colleges and coaches/coaching searches from coast to coast. Guy must not like me because he gets his Burnt Orange ass handed to him on most hires around here but that's not the way to handle losing.

Thanks for doing these and always being the voice of reason!

Haha anything I can do to help counsel when the moods are bad and get you guys fired up when they're good, right?!?!?

Does the SEC stop at 16, or continue to expand to 20, 24?

I think they keep going but don't think it'll be anything in the immediate future. Maybe not another ten years but I don't expect anything in the next three.

What sec related message are t-sips giving at the pool party?

Despite what a kid or two has said, they're pushing it very hard. You know the message. They've gone from telling kids in this class that conference affiliation doesn't matter and that the SEC is overrated and a 'one-team' league to making the move a major part of the pitch overnight. It's what anyone in their position would do but I do believe the Ags need to hammer that point home to recruits.

Can you talk about the true narrative of tu's move to the SEC and that being the complete lack of vision of their leadership and that they will forever (or at least until they wreck the SEC) be following in our footsteps?

They're absolutely following in A&M's footsteps here. Let's be thankful they gave the Ags a reason to leave and watched stubbornly as A&M got a ten-year head start. As I've said many times over, this isn't the same Texas A&M that left the Big 12 a decade ago. Not even close.

What is our reputation among the other SEC schools both administration and fanbase?

I've said this before and will again: Texas A&M is viewed by the league media, the coaches around the conference and ADs as one of the league's 'haves' and a premier player on the conference landscape. Prior to the news breaking last Wednesday, there was more buzz surrounding Aggie football than during any of the media days I've been to save the one prior to the 2013 season, but that was way more about Johnny and the Manning Academy than anything else. This year, it was about A&M and what Jimbo Fisher has built and continues to build in College Station, both for this year and moving forward. Stewart Mandel and The Athletic be damned, most of the folks - league-wide and nationally - recognize what Fisher has going in Aggieland. They're viewed right there with UGA, LSU and Florida as the programs jockeying for position behind Bama and as playoff/title contenders.

Will we have any say on which pod we are in, assuming there will be pods?

I think assuming there will be pods is still a stretch. And I'm sure the Ags will have the same input everyone else will. There COULD be some leverage there in terms of where you end up but I think it would be unwise to EXPECT the Ags are going to be able to walk into that room and say "Alright fellas, you owe us one." Could work out that way but probably in more subtle ways like early scheduling during the first couple of seasons at 16, possibly in terms of pod alignment, getting the first A&M-Texas game at Kyle Field, etc but there are certainly no guarantees that any of that will happen.

A decade ago, Texas A&M made it clear that not being in a conference with t.u. was a priority for Texas A&M. Achieving that goal was a hard-fought victory. Now, Texas A&M will affirmatively vote to admit t.u. to a conference which has Texas A&M as a member. Will Texas A&M leadership directly explain that jaw-dropping reversal to constituents?

I absolutely expect that to happen. First behind the scenes to some of the real power brokers. That's already happening to some degree. Explaining the why is the easy part (it was really out of A&M's hands and the reasons, while most don't like them AT ALL, are fairly obvious). The how things went down with A&M appearing so caught off guard is what I think needs to be explained more so than the league expanding in the manner they did.

When does Fall Camp start?

Friday.

 

Don't feel like reading through that; any injury or attrition news? 

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Orange&White

Orange&White 5573

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6 minutes ago, MonkeyDoughnut said:

What will Fong do when Elko likely leaves for that head coach job this year? I imagine he'll have more options to choose from this year.

Elko leaving for a HC job and Arkansas finally beating the aggies has been mentioned here every offseason for the past few years. I'll believe either of them when they actually happen.

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NoName

NoName 17148

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25 minutes ago, Orange&White said:

Elko leaving for a HC job and Arkansas finally beating the aggies has been mentioned here every offseason for the past few years. I'll believe either of them when they actually happen.

Elko leaving is going to happen.

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Lobwedgephil

Lobwedgephil 1146

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Liucci
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Brauny did a pretty amazing job of keeping you guys up to speed all weekend and got plenty of in-person and phone interviews following a monster visit weekend for Jimbo Fisher and the Aggies. Here are ten thoughts as we approach a big decision from one of the Ags' longtime targets and (at least) one of the previous weekend visitors:

1) Best collection of talent I've ever seen in College Station on a given recruiting weekend. Bar none. Go check the thread about other programs crying about the turnout in Aggieland. When you have fans from LSU, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas (what else is new...all the way down to The Motel crying foul as a working member of a national site) and even Alabama getting worked up and envious about the turnout for the A&M pool party, you know you've accomplished something.

2) Momentum is nice, but the only 'accomplishment' that really matters is picking up commitments and eventually signing an outstanding class. The Ags are well on their way to reaching that goal but who will be the next to jump on board? At this point in time, the two to keep the closest eye on would be a pair of defensive backs.  Bryce Andersonwill announce between A&M and Texas on Friday and Deyon Bouie (Smoke) is someone I feel could make his A&M/UGA pick prior to his senior season. They won't be the only two prime-time Aggie targets to wrap things up before the season starts (recent LSU de-commit and Ponchatoula (LA) safety Jordan Matthews is someone I'll be watching closely) but beyond those two, you're talking about a mild surprise. For what it's worth, if the Aggies are fortunate enough to add Bryce and Smoke to the fold, the current class ranking of 12 moves all the way up to 6, right behind LSU and just ahead of Georgia.

3) Everyone is counting the hours until tomorrow when Beaumont West Brook defensive back Bryce Anderson will announce between A&M and Texas. The five-star playmaker's choice would be a big one in any cycle, but it's particularly high-profile in this instance for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, Bryce has been one of the Ags' top-level priorities from day one, dating back to very early in his high school career. Anderson is good enough to be an instant-impact guy in the A&M secondary and is gifted enough that he could do so anywhere on the back end.  

Second, this is an old-school, rather a new-school, Aggie-Longhorn battle for one of the elite prospects in the Lone Star State. The battles between Texas and A&M suddenly feel like they mean a whole heck of a lot more on the recruiting front, and if Jimbo Fisher, Mike Elko and the Ags win out for the Golden Triangle defender, it's going to feel like one of the more significant head-to-heads this cycle.

Finally, Anderson would not only address one of the more significant need areas for the Ags, but the five-star defensive back is also the type of recruit whose commit would boost class momentum in a big way. He's wildly popular in the Houston area and around the state and is also close with more than a couple of the Aggies' primary out-of-state targets, as well. Putting it simply, Bryce would immediately join forces with guys like Bobby Taylor and Donovan Green as ace recruiters for the Ags.

4) Coming out of this weekend and entering the start of fall camp, which players do I feel best about when it comes to Texas A&M eventually winning out? Let's try this by category (and, no, I'm not saying the Ags are getting all of these guys, just the level of confidence on my end):
 
5) If you're wondering why I didn't include a pair of targets at corner on that list, it's because I'm convinced the Ags could land either Florida commit and Clear Lake standout Julian Humphrey or PA Memorial's Jaylon Guilbeau with an all-in push. If the Ags do end up landing Anderson on Friday and feel good about Bouie, the options look kind of like this:  

Push for one of those two pure CBs and feel great about a five-man haul and consider adding a true safety like Jordan Mathews or Kamari Wilson the five-star icing on the cake if you can pull it off. Or...take a couple of games in the fall to evaluate the in-state corners, better gauge your chances with Mathews and then decide what the final move is.

One thing worth noting: The Ags signed four DBs last year after losing Kendal Daniels after NSD and only three HS cover men the cycle before that, with one already tearing an ACL (Josh Moten) and another looking like a guy who will head to the NFL after next season (Jaylon Jones). A pretty significant need for the Ags to sign five really good ones this year, no doubt about it.

6) The Ags' big commitment from the Class of 2023 - Colton Thomasson - has a great story. The 6-7 tackle from Smithson Valley played much heavier than he'd like last fall but also impressed plenty of big-time programs on tape. However, the junior-to-be at one point was north of 400 pounds. The young man fully committed himself to getting into real shape and shedding pounds and did a pretty remarkable job, losing 91 pounds along his journey. Fast forward to earlier this summer, and the 320-pound tackle made the camp rounds and blew away the competition and college coaches alike, picking up offers at nearly every camp he attended, including A&M, Texas, OU, Baylor and TCU.  

A feel-good story for Thomasson, without question, but this is also a great ending for Josh Henson and the Aggies, who offered Colton following his camp showing in College Station and immediately considered the towering, flexible and athletic tackle an absolute must in the 2023 class. He joins Louisiana QB and possible five-star Eli Holstein and gifted DE Anthony James of Wylie East on the early commit list. The Ags are in a very nice early position for a couple of five-stars from the junior ranks in Allen DE David Hicks and El Campo RB Rueben Owens (TexAgs' current No. 1 and No. 2-ranked players in the state).

The 2023 train has already left The Station and is picking up quite a bit of steam behind the scenes.

7) So far, all but one (Washington kicker Ethan Moczulski) of the Ags' 12 commitments hail from Texas. That will soon change, as there are several five-star and national top-100 targets the Aggies are pursuing. Most of those left standing reside within the SEC footprint, plus a couple of big-time targets out of Pac-12 country. Let's take a quick look at where the Ags stand with the prime-time targets:

Smoke Bouie
Love the Ags' chances here and have for a while. Smoke's return trip to College Station was even better than his visit earlier this summer and it almost feels like he's already a member of the class in terms of how he's meshed with the others. While pulling a five-star that Kirby Smart desperately wants out of the Peach State is about as tall a task as there is in recruiting, the Aggies are getting closer and closer to getting it done.

Gabe Brownlow-Dindy
This has sounded like an A&M/OU battle for quite some time. The national top-10 prospect is the type of young man whose recruitment is very relationship-driven, and the Ags have scored big in that department. There's also the fact that Brownlow-Dindy's family will be moving to College Station soon (I believe following his senior season in Florida). Because he grew up in an OU house, the Sooners are still very formidable here, but Fisher, Elijah Robinson and the Aggies are positioned to pull off what could end up being the biggest upset of the 2022 cycle.

Anthony Lucas
Arizona's No. 1 prospect recently released a top-7 featuring A&M, Bama, Miami, USC, Oregon, Notre Dame and LSU. Led by Terry Price and Elijah Robinson, the Ags are right there in this thing but he's still fairly open.

Jacoby Mathews
Mathews visited officially in June and seemed locked in on LSU. That's changed of late, as the five-star safety decommitted and opened things up prior to returning to Aggieland over the weekend. Suddenly, even the folks in Bayou Country are openly calling A&M the team to top. This one will be worth watching between now and the start of football season, as Jacoby is coming off of a tremendous College Station visit and has really bonded with several current and future members of the '22 class.

Le'Veon MossLe
The Alabama commit was back in town last weekend and the Ags are still a very real threat here. While flipping a Tide pledge sounds unlikely if not impossible, Tommie Robinson has done an amazing job here and the Aggies are in the midst of a full-summer push and don't intend on going anywhere. Moss continues to consider the Ags a very real option despite his commitment to Saban and Bama.

Mark Nabou
Love the Aggies' chances with the 6-5, 350-pound tackle from the Pacific Northwest. A&M, Michigan and Oregon stand out and Nabou will be in town for the Alabama game in early October. After that, I'd keep a close eye on the big OL who has been a prime-time target since his camp showing in June.

Walter Nolen
This one is quite the longshot, but the No. 2 prospect in the country absolutely loved his three-day visit to Aggieland and so did his father. The five-star defensive tackle from Tennessee plans to return for an official this fall, and Elijah Robinson and Nick Williams are the leads in this one. So, yes, I'm telling you there's a chance.

Shemar Stewart
While the Ags have been recruiting the five-star defensive end and national top-10 prospect for quite a while, this one has kind of come out nowhere in terms of A&M surging up his list of favorites. Stewart spent the entire weekend in College Station and loved everything about the school, the program, the coaching staff and the visit. The Aggies are riding some real momentum here, but Shemar is in no rush to decide and is going to be under a lot of pressure to stay in state (Miami, in particular). Still, A&M, LSU, UGA, Ohio State...all of the big dogs are calling, and the Ags have as good a shot as any. He plans to return for an official during Bama weekend.

Kamari Wilson
Wilson has already officially visited but plans to return to a game this fall. This one will be pretty tough, with Georgia, LSU, Florida, FSU and Miami rounding out his final six. A lot of folks feel UGA is going to be tough to beat here and the pull to remain in Florida will be strong.

😎 A position that is beginning to remind me of running back two classes ago is wide receiver. A ton of hand-wringing when a high-profile target or two fall off the board, fans questioning the direction at the position, only to see the finished product ended up looking pretty damn good after all. Think Zach Evans, EJ Smith and Devon Achane (followed immediately thereafter by LJ Johnson, of course).  

The Ags lost a tough battle for Georgia five-star Kojo Antwi and the nation's No. 1 at the position, Frisco game-breaker Evan Stewart, has only given the Ags cursory interest. After picking up 6-5 specimen Noah Thomas in the early going (one of the more underrated prospects in Texas), Dameyune Craig and the Ags suddenly appear well-positioned with two of the state's best at wideout. A&M was in great shape with Fort Bend Marshall's Chris Marshall and in a solid position with Spearman speedster Brenen Thompson prior to last weekend's BBQ, and now I'd say the Ags are in as good a spot as they've been with Marshall (he's also being recruited actively by Buzz Williams, as well) and may also be emerging as the team to beat for Thompson, as well.

Neither player appears close to deciding and Thompson is planning to visit again this fall, but the Ags are trending with two big-play pass-catchers who could round out a pretty darn exciting three-man haul that would feature incredible size (Thomas), rare speed (Thompson) and an athletic freak who reminds me a lot of former A&M star Robert Ferguson (Marshall).

9) We're a long way off from this happening, but the possibility that the Ags' defensive class in 2022 ends up being considered arguably the best in program history (on Signing Day, at least) isn't all that far-fetched.

The Ags' current commit haul includes several truly gifted athletes. Bobby Taylor and Jarred Kerr in the secondary, Ish Harris and Martrell Harris at linebacker and Jadon Scarlett and Malick Sylla along the defensive front.  

Sylla - the nation's No. 55 recruit per the composite - is a borderline five-star talent. He could soon be joined by several defenders carrying a similarly lofty ranking. The Ags are very close with both Bryce Anderson (No. 48 overall) and Smoke Bouie (No. 50) and are in a very good spot when it comes to guys like Bear Alexander (a five-star and the No. 30-ranked player in the country), Harold Perkins (five-stars and No. 12 overall) and Jacoby Mathews (five-star, No. 26 overall) and are no worse than tied at the top for Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy, the nation's No. 7 overall prospect.

A&M is also very much in the hunt for weekend visitors Shemar Stewart (Composite No. 8 overall) and Walter Nolen (the No. 2 overall prospect in America). Five-star safety Kamari Wilson (No. 16 overall) and Anthony Lucas (No. 84 overall) recently included the Ags among his seven finalists.  

In state, Ernest Cooper comes in at No. 150 nationally, Jaylon Guilbeau is one spot behind that in the composite and Julian Humphrey checks in at 95th overall.  

When you look at the aforementioned names and factor in the Ags' chances with each individually, it quickly becomes clear that Fisher and Elko could lead the way on a defensive class featuring a half dozen or more signees ranked among the nation's top 60 recruits, possibly as many as seven or eight.

Absolutely insane.

10) Look, the Aggies were working on getting a star-studded group to the end of summer BBQ/pool bash long before news broke about OU and Texas joining the SEC. They're also trying to recruit at a level that Alabama and Georgia do annually as part of the ongoing quest to knock the Tide off of the Southeastern Conference mountaintop. Fact of the matter is, Jimbo Fisher and the Aggies are accustomed to fighting recruiting battles with the Bulldogs and Tide, with Florida for players from the Sunshine State, with Ohio State and Oklahoma and everyone in the SEC in the Deep South and B1G powers for blue-chip prospects from the Northeast.  

The Sooners and Longhorns joining the league doesn't change what's already true: Fisher and A&M are regularly fighting - and oftentimes winning - recruiting battles from coast to coast and within the home state border for the best of the best. None of that changes with last week's news.

That said, if you know anything about Jimbo, it's that he's as competitive a coach as there is in the sport. He'd probably never admit as much, but don't think for a second there's not a little extra motivation to show not only folks in the Lone Star State but across the college football world that the Ags aren't going to be phased by SEC expansion (and certainly not the Longhorns) and will continue to recruit at an elite level.

Somewhere, Stewart Mandel is working on an article to point out that, while a great recruiter, Jimbo Fisher has been unable to produce a national championship or beat Alabama during his whole three years in College Station. Seriously, what is with some of these guys??? 
 

 

 

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El Compadre

El Compadre 774

Posted
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3 hours ago, Lobwedgephil said:
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Liucci
Staff
AG
Brauny did a pretty amazing job of keeping you guys up to speed all weekend and got plenty of in-person and phone interviews following a monster visit weekend for Jimbo Fisher and the Aggies. Here are ten thoughts as we approach a big decision from one of the Ags' longtime targets and (at least) one of the previous weekend visitors:

1) Best collection of talent I've ever seen in College Station on a given recruiting weekend. Bar none. Go check the thread about other programs crying about the turnout in Aggieland. When you have fans from LSU, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas (what else is new...all the way down to The Motel crying foul as a working member of a national site) and even Alabama getting worked up and envious about the turnout for the A&M pool party, you know you've accomplished something.

2) Momentum is nice, but the only 'accomplishment' that really matters is picking up commitments and eventually signing an outstanding class. The Ags are well on their way to reaching that goal but who will be the next to jump on board? At this point in time, the two to keep the closest eye on would be a pair of defensive backs.  Bryce Andersonwill announce between A&M and Texas on Friday and Deyon Bouie (Smoke) is someone I feel could make his A&M/UGA pick prior to his senior season. They won't be the only two prime-time Aggie targets to wrap things up before the season starts (recent LSU de-commit and Ponchatoula (LA) safety Jordan Matthews is someone I'll be watching closely) but beyond those two, you're talking about a mild surprise. For what it's worth, if the Aggies are fortunate enough to add Bryce and Smoke to the fold, the current class ranking of 12 moves all the way up to 6, right behind LSU and just ahead of Georgia.

3) Everyone is counting the hours until tomorrow when Beaumont West Brook defensive back Bryce Anderson will announce between A&M and Texas. The five-star playmaker's choice would be a big one in any cycle, but it's particularly high-profile in this instance for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, Bryce has been one of the Ags' top-level priorities from day one, dating back to very early in his high school career. Anderson is good enough to be an instant-impact guy in the A&M secondary and is gifted enough that he could do so anywhere on the back end.  

Second, this is an old-school, rather a new-school, Aggie-Longhorn battle for one of the elite prospects in the Lone Star State. The battles between Texas and A&M suddenly feel like they mean a whole heck of a lot more on the recruiting front, and if Jimbo Fisher, Mike Elko and the Ags win out for the Golden Triangle defender, it's going to feel like one of the more significant head-to-heads this cycle.

Finally, Anderson would not only address one of the more significant need areas for the Ags, but the five-star defensive back is also the type of recruit whose commit would boost class momentum in a big way. He's wildly popular in the Houston area and around the state and is also close with more than a couple of the Aggies' primary out-of-state targets, as well. Putting it simply, Bryce would immediately join forces with guys like Bobby Taylor and Donovan Green as ace recruiters for the Ags.

4) Coming out of this weekend and entering the start of fall camp, which players do I feel best about when it comes to Texas A&M eventually winning out? Let's try this by category (and, no, I'm not saying the Ags are getting all of these guys, just the level of confidence on my end):
 
5) If you're wondering why I didn't include a pair of targets at corner on that list, it's because I'm convinced the Ags could land either Florida commit and Clear Lake standout Julian Humphrey or PA Memorial's Jaylon Guilbeau with an all-in push. If the Ags do end up landing Anderson on Friday and feel good about Bouie, the options look kind of like this:  

Push for one of those two pure CBs and feel great about a five-man haul and consider adding a true safety like Jordan Mathews or Kamari Wilson the five-star icing on the cake if you can pull it off. Or...take a couple of games in the fall to evaluate the in-state corners, better gauge your chances with Mathews and then decide what the final move is.

One thing worth noting: The Ags signed four DBs last year after losing Kendal Daniels after NSD and only three HS cover men the cycle before that, with one already tearing an ACL (Josh Moten) and another looking like a guy who will head to the NFL after next season (Jaylon Jones). A pretty significant need for the Ags to sign five really good ones this year, no doubt about it.

6) The Ags' big commitment from the Class of 2023 - Colton Thomasson - has a great story. The 6-7 tackle from Smithson Valley played much heavier than he'd like last fall but also impressed plenty of big-time programs on tape. However, the junior-to-be at one point was north of 400 pounds. The young man fully committed himself to getting into real shape and shedding pounds and did a pretty remarkable job, losing 91 pounds along his journey. Fast forward to earlier this summer, and the 320-pound tackle made the camp rounds and blew away the competition and college coaches alike, picking up offers at nearly every camp he attended, including A&M, Texas, OU, Baylor and TCU.  

A feel-good story for Thomasson, without question, but this is also a great ending for Josh Henson and the Aggies, who offered Colton following his camp showing in College Station and immediately considered the towering, flexible and athletic tackle an absolute must in the 2023 class. He joins Louisiana QB and possible five-star Eli Holstein and gifted DE Anthony James of Wylie East on the early commit list. The Ags are in a very nice early position for a couple of five-stars from the junior ranks in Allen DE David Hicks and El Campo RB Rueben Owens (TexAgs' current No. 1 and No. 2-ranked players in the state).

The 2023 train has already left The Station and is picking up quite a bit of steam behind the scenes.

7) So far, all but one (Washington kicker Ethan Moczulski) of the Ags' 12 commitments hail from Texas. That will soon change, as there are several five-star and national top-100 targets the Aggies are pursuing. Most of those left standing reside within the SEC footprint, plus a couple of big-time targets out of Pac-12 country. Let's take a quick look at where the Ags stand with the prime-time targets:

Smoke Bouie
Love the Ags' chances here and have for a while. Smoke's return trip to College Station was even better than his visit earlier this summer and it almost feels like he's already a member of the class in terms of how he's meshed with the others. While pulling a five-star that Kirby Smart desperately wants out of the Peach State is about as tall a task as there is in recruiting, the Aggies are getting closer and closer to getting it done.

Gabe Brownlow-Dindy
This has sounded like an A&M/OU battle for quite some time. The national top-10 prospect is the type of young man whose recruitment is very relationship-driven, and the Ags have scored big in that department. There's also the fact that Brownlow-Dindy's family will be moving to College Station soon (I believe following his senior season in Florida). Because he grew up in an OU house, the Sooners are still very formidable here, but Fisher, Elijah Robinson and the Aggies are positioned to pull off what could end up being the biggest upset of the 2022 cycle.

Anthony Lucas
Arizona's No. 1 prospect recently released a top-7 featuring A&M, Bama, Miami, USC, Oregon, Notre Dame and LSU. Led by Terry Price and Elijah Robinson, the Ags are right there in this thing but he's still fairly open.

Jacoby Mathews
Mathews visited officially in June and seemed locked in on LSU. That's changed of late, as the five-star safety decommitted and opened things up prior to returning to Aggieland over the weekend. Suddenly, even the folks in Bayou Country are openly calling A&M the team to top. This one will be worth watching between now and the start of football season, as Jacoby is coming off of a tremendous College Station visit and has really bonded with several current and future members of the '22 class.

Le'Veon MossLe
The Alabama commit was back in town last weekend and the Ags are still a very real threat here. While flipping a Tide pledge sounds unlikely if not impossible, Tommie Robinson has done an amazing job here and the Aggies are in the midst of a full-summer push and don't intend on going anywhere. Moss continues to consider the Ags a very real option despite his commitment to Saban and Bama.

Mark Nabou
Love the Aggies' chances with the 6-5, 350-pound tackle from the Pacific Northwest. A&M, Michigan and Oregon stand out and Nabou will be in town for the Alabama game in early October. After that, I'd keep a close eye on the big OL who has been a prime-time target since his camp showing in June.

Walter Nolen
This one is quite the longshot, but the No. 2 prospect in the country absolutely loved his three-day visit to Aggieland and so did his father. The five-star defensive tackle from Tennessee plans to return for an official this fall, and Elijah Robinson and Nick Williams are the leads in this one. So, yes, I'm telling you there's a chance.

Shemar Stewart
While the Ags have been recruiting the five-star defensive end and national top-10 prospect for quite a while, this one has kind of come out nowhere in terms of A&M surging up his list of favorites. Stewart spent the entire weekend in College Station and loved everything about the school, the program, the coaching staff and the visit. The Aggies are riding some real momentum here, but Shemar is in no rush to decide and is going to be under a lot of pressure to stay in state (Miami, in particular). Still, A&M, LSU, UGA, Ohio State...all of the big dogs are calling, and the Ags have as good a shot as any. He plans to return for an official during Bama weekend.

Kamari Wilson
Wilson has already officially visited but plans to return to a game this fall. This one will be pretty tough, with Georgia, LSU, Florida, FSU and Miami rounding out his final six. A lot of folks feel UGA is going to be tough to beat here and the pull to remain in Florida will be strong.

😎 A position that is beginning to remind me of running back two classes ago is wide receiver. A ton of hand-wringing when a high-profile target or two fall off the board, fans questioning the direction at the position, only to see the finished product ended up looking pretty damn good after all. Think Zach Evans, EJ Smith and Devon Achane (followed immediately thereafter by LJ Johnson, of course).  

The Ags lost a tough battle for Georgia five-star Kojo Antwi and the nation's No. 1 at the position, Frisco game-breaker Evan Stewart, has only given the Ags cursory interest. After picking up 6-5 specimen Noah Thomas in the early going (one of the more underrated prospects in Texas), Dameyune Craig and the Ags suddenly appear well-positioned with two of the state's best at wideout. A&M was in great shape with Fort Bend Marshall's Chris Marshall and in a solid position with Spearman speedster Brenen Thompson prior to last weekend's BBQ, and now I'd say the Ags are in as good a spot as they've been with Marshall (he's also being recruited actively by Buzz Williams, as well) and may also be emerging as the team to beat for Thompson, as well.

Neither player appears close to deciding and Thompson is planning to visit again this fall, but the Ags are trending with two big-play pass-catchers who could round out a pretty darn exciting three-man haul that would feature incredible size (Thomas), rare speed (Thompson) and an athletic freak who reminds me a lot of former A&M star Robert Ferguson (Marshall).

9) We're a long way off from this happening, but the possibility that the Ags' defensive class in 2022 ends up being considered arguably the best in program history (on Signing Day, at least) isn't all that far-fetched.

The Ags' current commit haul includes several truly gifted athletes. Bobby Taylor and Jarred Kerr in the secondary, Ish Harris and Martrell Harris at linebacker and Jadon Scarlett and Malick Sylla along the defensive front.  

Sylla - the nation's No. 55 recruit per the composite - is a borderline five-star talent. He could soon be joined by several defenders carrying a similarly lofty ranking. The Ags are very close with both Bryce Anderson (No. 48 overall) and Smoke Bouie (No. 50) and are in a very good spot when it comes to guys like Bear Alexander (a five-star and the No. 30-ranked player in the country), Harold Perkins (five-stars and No. 12 overall) and Jacoby Mathews (five-star, No. 26 overall) and are no worse than tied at the top for Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy, the nation's No. 7 overall prospect.

A&M is also very much in the hunt for weekend visitors Shemar Stewart (Composite No. 8 overall) and Walter Nolen (the No. 2 overall prospect in America). Five-star safety Kamari Wilson (No. 16 overall) and Anthony Lucas (No. 84 overall) recently included the Ags among his seven finalists.  

In state, Ernest Cooper comes in at No. 150 nationally, Jaylon Guilbeau is one spot behind that in the composite and Julian Humphrey checks in at 95th overall.  

When you look at the aforementioned names and factor in the Ags' chances with each individually, it quickly becomes clear that Fisher and Elko could lead the way on a defensive class featuring a half dozen or more signees ranked among the nation's top 60 recruits, possibly as many as seven or eight.

Absolutely insane.

10) Look, the Aggies were working on getting a star-studded group to the end of summer BBQ/pool bash long before news broke about OU and Texas joining the SEC. They're also trying to recruit at a level that Alabama and Georgia do annually as part of the ongoing quest to knock the Tide off of the Southeastern Conference mountaintop. Fact of the matter is, Jimbo Fisher and the Aggies are accustomed to fighting recruiting battles with the Bulldogs and Tide, with Florida for players from the Sunshine State, with Ohio State and Oklahoma and everyone in the SEC in the Deep South and B1G powers for blue-chip prospects from the Northeast.  

The Sooners and Longhorns joining the league doesn't change what's already true: Fisher and A&M are regularly fighting - and oftentimes winning - recruiting battles from coast to coast and within the home state border for the best of the best. None of that changes with last week's news.

That said, if you know anything about Jimbo, it's that he's as competitive a coach as there is in the sport. He'd probably never admit as much, but don't think for a second there's not a little extra motivation to show not only folks in the Lone Star State but across the college football world that the Ags aren't going to be phased by SEC expansion (and certainly not the Longhorns) and will continue to recruit at an elite level.

Somewhere, Stewart Mandel is working on an article to point out that, while a great recruiter, Jimbo Fisher has been unable to produce a national championship or beat Alabama during his whole three years in College Station. Seriously, what is with some of these guys??? 
 

 

 

I feel this doesn't get said enough, but, Fuck Billy Liucci.

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