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Jimbo 2020: Strangers with Candi

Machinator

By Machinator
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Neonmoon
Neonmoon

Just to recap Five Star WR and Aggy commit Demond Demas wanted to transfer from North Forest High School to Tomball High School. He stated it was to better his living situation, and not for athle

blacklab
blacklab
BurntOrangeCrush
BurntOrangeCrush

Hey everyone, just got back from Baton Rouge. I was taking my stepson there for an orientation (he got his GED and only qualified for Blinn, aggy, and LSU) and got to hang out with some of the local f

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Vertigo

Vertigo 20334

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53 minutes ago, Scholz said:

"Fisher is a better coach than Herman..."

If only they had played each other in a bowl game or something.  Then we would know for sure.

Ya but that wasn't fair. Houston's roster was far Superior to Florida State. They were out talented!

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Dennis Taylor

Dennis Taylor 18874

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4 hours ago, Machinator said:

The Athletic just let Looch publish his first puff piece. Dear god, I thought they were going to maintain more separation than this.

A position-by-position breakdown for Texas A&M midway through preseason camp

 

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COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Let’s kick things off with a quick comment about the Aggies’ freshmen: This group is as good as I’ve ever seen come through A&M.

We’re talking about class loaded with talent at the top with the likes of national top-60 prospects Kenyon Green, Baylor Cupp and DeMarvin Leal, as well as top-100 prospects Demani Richardson, Dylan Wright and Brian Williams.

A lot of the excitement — even veteran strength and conditioning coach Jerry Schmidt mentioned to Jimbo Fisher that this group was as good as any he’s welcomed to a campus — has to do with Fisher and his staff believing there aren’t any “misses” in the bunch. When you consider that three-star prospects such as offensive lineman Layden Robinson (who has been getting a look at left tackle in recent practices), receiver/return man Ainias Smith, tight end Jalen Wydermyer, defensive tackle Adarious Jones and linebacker Chris Russell look like real players despite being among the least-heralded members of the class, it’s easy to see why Fisher and those in the program are so excited about the group’s impact, this season and beyond.

The Aggies return a lot from last season’s 9-4 squad. But as crazy as it may sound, we could see as many as four true freshmen starters fairly early. Green, Richardson, Leal and either of the tight ends stand out as the best bets. Throw in junior college transfer Elijah Blades, who has a real shot at corner, and Smith possibly pushing in the return game, and it’s not a stretch that a half-dozen members of the ’19 class could work their way onto the first team at some point during the season’s first half.

There’s no need to spend too much time talking about quarterback just yet. Simply listen to Jimbo Fisher rave about Kellen Mond approaching a “championship level” in his development and that tells you all you need to know about how preseason camp has gone for his starter. But it hasn’t all been perfect for Mond. He lost a fumble in Sunday’s scrimmage and struggled to connect on deep balls. But he has been performing at a high level and made noticeable strides as a passer. I’m also getting the feeling we’re going to see Mond use his legs a little more this fall.

There hasn’t been much movement in terms of the backup derby. James Foster, Zach Calzada and Connor Blumrick continue to engage in a battle that could linger well into September. Ten practices in, and it sounds as if the three basically have alternated days in which one of them stands out. In other words, no one appears quite ready to take a firm grip on the No. 2 job.

• I think it’s fair to say Green has been the revelation early in camp. It’s hard to imagine him not starting the opener at guard. And moving a guy who might make millions playing tackle one day probably was an easy choice. Rather than shake things up by moving a proven SEC tackle such as Carson Green or Dan Moore inside, coaches have put Green inside and let him learn on the fly. Green is a rare talent who is learning the position and offense quickly. He’s also held his own against Justin Madubuike and Bobby Brown, so it’s not like he’s lining up against inferior competition at practice.

Green getting plenty of work with the starting unit has led to Colton Prater seeing more time at center. I still think Ryan McCollum will be the starting center, but don’t count out Prater, a senior who is playing the best ball of his A&M career. If nothing else, new line coach Josh Henson should have two centers he feels good about entering the season. Prater and a steadily improving Luke Matthews are my early camp picks as the sixth and seventh options up front, though both are in the starting discussion.

• It sounds as if things have been up and down at tight end, which is to be expected when you have three talented players with basically zero experience. Cupp and Wydermyer are players who cause Fisher to visibly light up when he’s talking about them. And not enough is said about sophomore Glenn Beal, a 6-foot-5, 265-pounder who has the potential to be a devastating blocker and is also capable of making plays in the passing game. The tight ends aren’t quite there in terms of consistency or polish, but still are likely to be a difference-making force for Fisher’s offense this season.

It’s worth pointing out that eventual consensus All-American Jace Sternberger had zero college starts or catches at this time a year ago. Give Fisher this type of talent and he’s going to make sure the tight end is a staple of A&M’s passing game this season. All three are going to play and play a lot.

One of the early camp surprises is Camron Horry. The tight end signee-turned-defensive end is back at tight end. From a physical standpoint, Horry doesn’t even look like the same player he was a year ago. Just file the name away and see if he gets his shot in some multi-tight end sets early in the season.

• Don’t be surprised to see A&M occasionally utilize 6-5, 225-pound Caleb Chapman as an inside receiver, much like Sternberger lined up in that spot last season. It’s things like that and perhaps mixing in more two-back formations that could create real matchup problems for opposing defenses this season. It’s also the reason not having a true scholarship fullback isn’t going to be much of an issue. Walk-on junior Cagan Baldree drew praise from Fisher on Sunday, but Fisher knows he has plenty of ways to mix things up, whether that means lining up a tight end in the backfield, operating out of a two-back set (which was used some last fall and again during Sunday’s open practice) or putting one of the bigger backs, like Jacob Kibodi or Cordarrian Richardson, in front of his primary ball-carrier.

• Speaking of the tailbacks, Jashaun Corbin is a special talent. He is going to be a game-changing weapon and will be one of the SEC’s breakout stars in 2019. Still, I don’t think Corbin will come close to amassing as many touches (close to 300) as Trayveon Williams had last season. The load likely will be shared a little more this season. And I’m not sure running backs coach Jay Graham is close to determining how things will be split up. That’s because all five backs have been solid in camp. I will say Kibodi’s name seems to come up a lot; it appears as if the third-year sophomore has hit the ground running following a stellar finish to spring practice.

Wide receiver coach Dameyune Craig has a loaded group with which to work. This has become evident over the past few days even with Kendrick Rogers and Quartney Davis sidelined with what we’re told are minor injuries. In addition to emerging true freshmen Smith and Wright, redshirt freshmen Chapman and Jalen Preston have looked good. Preston, in particular, has made significant strides over last season. Chapman caught a long TD in Sunday afternoon’s open practice and probably joined Jhamon Ausbon as the Aggies’ most productive pass-catcher.

Wright (who might have been the most dynamic receiver on the field during the first practice) and Smith are going to see the field this fall. Both have had some spectacular moments during the first two weeks of work. Smith is next-level quick and a maddeningly tough coverage assignment in the slot. He’s playing both receiver positions and could push for one of the spots in the return game.

Davis looked sensational during the first few days of camp, but with he and Rogers sidelined, Ausbon has stood out. Ausbon (6-3, 210) has shed more than 10 pounds from where he was to open last season, and now is a step quicker and, in his words, noticeably “twitchier.”

Rogers has missed a lot of time, in both spring practice and now preseason camp. The Aggies need his raw playmaking ability and confidence on the field. Depth aside, seeing Rogers out of a boot and back on the field at least a week or so before the opener would be a particularly uplifting development.

• Sunday, it sure felt as if the defensive line controlled a good part of the open practice. The first team consisted of Micheal Clemons and Tyree Johnson at end and Brown and Madubuike inside; the unit looked exceptionally disruptive at times. A&M’s defensive front should be as strong as any in the SEC in 2019, and it’s quite possibly the most physically imposing D-line I’ve seen in 20 years of covering Aggies football.

As for depth, Jayden Peevy is somewhat of a known commodity, but Johnson (who told me Sunday that he is around 240 pounds after arriving at 265) and Max Wright have had strong camps at end. Leal is this season’s Bobby Brown, meaning he’s going to play a ton early; he very well could take it one step further and push to start sooner rather than later. And two other true freshmen are beginning to make waves in Derick Hunter and Adarious Jones. Jones is another one of the less-heralded true freshmen who already looks better than his three-star ranking. With TD Moton and Mohamed Diallo having left the program via the transfer portal, Hunter and Jones will see the field as backups.

Mike Elko sounded as if he felt good with where things are at linebacker, both with his starters (Anthony Hines and Buddy Johnson) and the backups. Hines is especially excited to be back on the field after missing all but one game in 2018, and per Elko, his last three or four practices have been particularly encouraging. As for Johnson, Fisher sounds even more bullish on him than he did before practices began.

Russell and Andre White stand out when it comes to the depth guys. Both true freshmen already look the part, and Hines had some good things to say about White during the media session. It’s easy to see why the A&M staff was so high on Russell; he is big (6-2, 220), plenty physical and can run to the football. Aaron Hansford had a couple of nice pass breakups during Sunday’s practice, and the converted receiver is still very much in the depth mix.

• It’s still too early to tell how things are going to shake out in the secondary, but Richardson could end up as a starter. The entire four-man class of newcomers look like hits in the early going, with Richardson and Blades possessing instant-impact potential. Richardson has spent quality time with the starters with Leon O’Neal out with a thumb injury. The depth shuffle at the position also has led to Brian Williams getting enough second-team action to begin drawing some positive attention of his own. At corner, Erick Young is regularly drawing praise from position coach Maurice Linguist. He’s built like a safety (6-1, 212) but is a potential lockdown corner.

As for the veterans, Debione Renfro and Myles Jones were the first-team corners Sunday and have been there for most of camp. Charles Oliver was off to a good start, as well, before being dinged up and missing some work. I thought Jones stood out in coverage Sunday, making several plays on the ball downfield, including a pair of near-interceptions on deep balls that he played perfectly.

• Finally, Braden Mann is still Braden Mann. The Ray Guy Award winner stepped onto Kyle Field and launched a 70-yard missile out of the end zone. And if you want to know another out-of-nowhere camp surprise, how about Australian punter Nik Constantinou? The late 2019 addition has team sources buzzing with his absolute cannon of a right leg.

 

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Burt Macklin

Burt Macklin 19053

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35 minutes ago, Machinator said:

Message board word on Cupp is that he broke his leg in four places and tore a ligament in his ankle.

JFC that's horrible. 

28 minutes ago, Johnny Sack said:

Damn, he is a stud too.  Hope he heals 100%.

Unfortunately, seems unlikely if the above report is at all accurate.

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Nivek

Nivek 16987

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For those of you that mine the aggy sites, do they spend any time at all discussing the attrition needed to sign a class of 25-27 and who that might be?

I see what you did there.

Also the article is wonderful. It will be nice to contrast with the end of the season article.
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HtownHorn

HtownHorn 14781

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Perroni says it happened when he was blocking down field and got rolled up from behind. Most likely by a cube. Said everyone knew it was bad because of the immediate player reaction. Of course it took a while to get the cubes off him before Schmidt could get to Cupp to make him rub some dirt on it.

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TexasMan

TexasMan 10988

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First of all, Beliucci hour audio is *conveniently* experiencing technical difficulties on this episode. 

36:45 - 41:15

Looch and Fat Hamm belly ache about CBS Sports coming out with that article saying Texas is the best program in the state. Even to the point of Looch calling Ehlinger "Simple Sam" - a clear and obvious nod to 'Simple Jack' from Tropic Thunder - at the 38:55 mark. I thought I heard it wrong at first, but this is the scumbag Chin Pubes we're talking about, so I wouldn't put it past him. 

47:45 - 52:00

They finally talk about losing Princely to mean ol' Texas. Of course it's a bunch of spin, but does give UT *some* credit. 

 

https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/texags.blob.core.windows.net/audio/0120469-uvia.mp3

 

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texaslong

texaslong 678

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Posted (edited)
20 minutes ago, TexasMan said:

First of all, Beliucci hour audio is *conveniently* experiencing technical difficulties on this episode. 

36:45 - 41:15

Looch and Fat Hamm belly ache about CBS Sports coming out with that article saying Texas is the best program in the state. Even to the point of Looch calling Ehlinger "Simple Sam" - a clear and obvious nod to 'Simple Jack' from Tropic Thunder - at the 38:55 mark. I thought I heard it wrong at first, but this is the scumbag Chin Pubes we're talking about, so I wouldn't put it past him. 

47:45 - 52:00

They finally talk about losing Princely to mean ol' Texas. Of course it's a bunch of spin, but does give UT *some* credit. 

 

https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/texags.blob.core.windows.net/audio/0120469-uvia.mp3

 

Simple Sam? Real classy there Looch. That’s the kind of stuff he calls other people out for. 

Edited by texaslong
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Ricky Butler

Ricky Butler 2732

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20 minutes ago, TexasMan said:

Even to the point of Looch calling Ehlinger "Simple Sam" - a clear and obvious nod to 'Simple Jack' from Tropic Thunder - at the 38:55 mark. I thought I heard it wrong at first, but this is the scumbag Chin Pubes we're talking about, so I wouldn't put it past him. 

I bet he gets internet shamed for this.

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