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Jimbo 2020: Strangers with Candi

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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Tex Pete

Tex Pete 20136

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6 minutes ago, Terry Silver said:

While not ideal, I'm told Jimbo Fisher and Co. will stay on Smith hard all the way to the transfer portal.  All signs point to him staying at Stanford, but it could be A&M.  At the end of the day, I'm putting my transfer portal crystal ball on A&M.

He'll be in the same transfer class as Malik.

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Lobwedgephil

Lobwedgephil 1139

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2 minutes ago, Butch Had Not said:

I see 6 of their out of state players haven't submitted their letters yet (I could be wrong) . Any updates that they are waiting for 1:30 central time to sign as well? Did Morris flip yet?

From Perroni:

Then there were five.

Four Noon ceremonies with Diggs, Morris, Walker and Johnson. And then Harris at 3 p.m.

 

 

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fattyflattie

fattyflattie 4636

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2 hours ago, texifornia said:

omfg

EMFMWJhWwAEhQIx?format=jpg&name=small

EMFMXaJWoAEq19T?format=jpg&name=900x900

25% or so of the aggys I work with talk about themselves in the Rice/Vandy/UM category.   About 25% of the others think they rank considerably higher than UT, but are in the same group as UF/UGA/UT.   The remaining group understands why aggy jokes exist.  Had one recently tell me why he chose aggy over USC and another very good school I can’t recall. When I asked him wtf, he mentioned how the academics were better in CS. Bonus points, guess who he thinks will win a NC before USC... 

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TexasBeta

TexasBeta 1259

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I look at their list on 247. A vast number of those guys are from out of state, including that hotbed of recruiting New Jersey. Can’t be a good look for the Texas High school coaches but ok.

 

They have the same number of 5 stars and 4 stars as us. Only difference is the six slices of 3 star bread they have beyond our total number of signees.

 

Our per player rank is better.

 

Not trying to use farmer logic here but really. Even if we pick up all three stars, we pass them.

 

And no way they get Collins and Evans.

 

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Thiefery

Thiefery 4961

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23 minutes ago, TexasBeta said:

I look at their list on 247. A vast number of those guys are from out of state, including that hotbed of recruiting New Jersey. Can’t be a good look for the Texas High school coaches but ok.

 

 

 

THSFB coaches won't go after Jimbo.. they only have hard ons for Texas coaches since Mack left.  Don't you remember Coach anonymous statement about Strong? LOL

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Bear19

Bear19 82

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12 minutes ago, markstanco said:
10 hours ago, irishtexan said:
Are we sure those two dudes aren't on the JV team. That's a lot of baby-faced sunshine.

Oh no, the guy on the left that is 50 pounds heavier than the 185 qb is a complete badass. See the other thread.

You have this “welcoming the new recruit” down pat don’t you? asshole.

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Bear19

Bear19 82

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1 hour ago, markstanco said:
1 hour ago, Bear19 said:
You have this “welcoming the new recruit” down pat don’t you? asshole.

Yea he frequents this forum full of 30 and 40 year old guys constantly. Stop being a dipshit and understand my previous point. It isn't that difficult.

I understand your point perfectly. That’s why I called you an asshole.

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Lobwedgephil

Lobwedgephil 1139

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Spoiler

Jimbo Fisher and the Aggies aren't done yet, but let's take a look at the Ags' Class of 2020 – a group likely to finish somewhere between 5th and 7th in the national rankings – from every angle imaginable:

• I said this in the running back class grade story, but things will be interesting to follow between now and Friday. While I'm not expecting Zach Evans‍ to sign until February, would it really shock anyone to see the five-star tailback end the process at a moment's notice? And don't lose sight of the fact that Folsom (CA) four-star Daniyel Ngata‍ is still out there and has yet to sign. Momentum seems on the side of Arizona State there, but I've heard that the national top-60 prospect is still very much in play. Stay tuned. It goes without saying that the Aggies desperately need one more impact tailback signee in this class. In fact, it's probably the only outstanding, unaddressed need at this point.

• We've spent the better part of two years extolling the praises of wide receiver Demond Demas‍, and for good reason. As I said in the wide receiver class grades feature, he's the best high school receiver I've seen the state of Texas produce, and he has instant-impact potential on the field. He's a truly gifted athlete and football player – the type of dude Jimbo Fisher likes to refer to as an 'eraser.' Instead of me rehashing how good a guy who caught 50 passes for over 1,500 yards as a junior is (with half of those grabs producing touchdowns, mind you), take a listen to his interview with us on TexAgs Radio yesterday morning. If what Demas says doesn't get you even more fired up than you already were for a five-star signee, I don't know what will. When your stars exude that kind of passion, leadership and selflessness, things like SEC Championships and playoff berths begin to feel very possible.

TexAgs

Donell Harris is one of the Aggies’ big gets in addressing pass rush.

• Upgrading the pass rush may have been the Ags' No. 1 priority in 2020. There was some Signing Day drama, but man oh man did Mike Elko and the defensive staff address a big need in a big way. The Aggies added 6-4, 235-pounder Braedon Mowry‍, a five-star worthy pass-rusher in Donell Harris‍ and a guy who tallied 19 sacks this year in Fadil Diggs‍. Harris and Diggs have All-SEC (and probably All-American) upside, while Mowry being a year older and arriving on campus next month will probably mean he's ready to play as a true freshman next fall. It's just a matter of time before this trio turns the pass-rush from a weakness into a strength. Speed, length and athleticism off the edge, something that has been sorely lacking since the departure of Myles Garrett and Daeshon Hall a couple of years ago.

• Speaking of Harris, Diggs and the defensive end position, Fisher told me yesterday on TexAgs Radio that he was thrilled with the job the Aggies did of upgrading themselves in the trenches. I think that was particularly true on defense, where the three defensive ends (including two who were national top-150 recruits), two 315-plus pound athletes on the inside and an exceptional linebacker in Antonio Doyle‍ represent a tremendous and immediate upgrade in across-the-board athleticism and speed. The edge guys are long, agile and incredibly 'twitchy,' which will eventually lead to the Ags being much better equipped to defend the perimeter than they were this fall. The Aggies had to fight some intense battles down the stretch, but the end result was a pretty outstanding haul in the front seven for Mike Elko's defense.

• Want to know who I'm rooting for more than anyone in this class? Navasota OL Jordan Jefferson‍. This kid has been an Aggie his entire life and committed to Kevin Sumlin back in ninth grade. He stayed solid early when he had offers from the likes of OU and LSU coming in and was far too loyal for Jimbo Fisher to even consider moving on from, even when guys with more stars or a higher ranking began to appear on the radar. Fisher reciprocated Jefferson's loyalty and commitment and held up his (and A&M's) end of the bargain. I know that's not always popular, as fans celebrate seeing their 'class ranking' rise with each four- or five-star addition, but it's a hell of a lot better than seeing LSU process longtime commits down the stretch...by the way, karma did catch up to Ed O and the Bayou Bengals a little bit today, did it not? There probably wasn't a guy happier to sign with your university today than the kid who grew up 15 miles down the road, and I'm sure his family felt the same. Jordan is going to enroll early, and I'm hoping to see the big man bust his ass under Jerry Schmidt and begin the quest to prove all of the recruiting services wrong. He's a hard-working kid who weighs about 320 pounds in the trenches, so that's a good starting point.

• Adding Brian George‍ late was a really big deal for the A&M defense...probably as soon as next fall. Just a couple of days before NSD, it looked as if the Ags might end up one man too light at cornerback, and it was pretty easy to look back at the process and second guess things like passing on Georgia signee Jalen Kimber‍ and (to a lesser degree) Josh Eaton‍. The Ags went all-in with Ryan Watts‍ (Ohio State) and Dontae Manning‍ (he'll sign in February) and were unable to land the two nationally-recruited cover men. They also appeared to have missed on Ronald Williams‍ (Alabama) and George (who was rumored to be headed to Auburn) from the JC ranks. A year after passing on Marcus Banks (Alabama) and Jay Ward (LSU), the Ags had to be at least a little concerned about being too thin at the position – not only in the future but this fall as well – where instant impact help sure seemed like a necessity. Well, all of the hand-wringing turned out to be for naught, as the Aggies snagged their No. 1 JC target – and probably the most sought after cover man from the junior college ranks – by landing George on Tuesday and signing him on Wednesday. Brian plus Jaylon Jones‍ gives Mo Linguist two elite prospects at the position capable of contending for starting jobs from day one.

Speaking of [Jaylon] Jones, don't let the fact that he committed so early in the process make you forget how good this dude is.

Speaking of Jones, don't let the fact that he committed so early in the process make you forget how good this dude is. I'm not saying he's Derek Stingley, but Jaylon is a special football player and a gifted cover man who was as good as just about any player in the country at his position. He's also an early enrollee and very mature kid, so don't be at all surprised to hear his name in the conversation when we're breaking down competition at the cornerback spots during fall camp.

• Longview’s Haynes King‍ was the man at quarterback, and Darrell Dickey did a tremendous job here. However, it was the relationship Jimbo Fisher forged with the East Texas quarterback during the summer via almost daily morning phone conversations that eventually pushed the Aggies past Tennessee at the finish line. The two became very close during that time, perhaps a natural by-product of King being a head coach's son. John King watched his son lead the Lobos to their first state championship in decades as a junior, with the QB throwing for 3,877 yards and 42 touchdowns against just four INTs. His numbers dipped this fall as Longview was decimated by graduation losses, but Haynes still accounted for nearly 2,400 yards of offense and 30 TDs. King's career numbers are jaw-dropping. In three years as a starter, he's totaled over 9,300 yards of total offense (including 7,900 passing) and has 107 touchdowns to his credit. More than any of that, however, is the fact that King is a winner, fiery competitor, coach's son and a guy who draws the highest of praise from teammates and competitors alike. He's a leader and a gamer. Period. I've seen some Ryan Tannehill comparisons out there, and I don't think those are far off for the 6-2, 190-pounder who can step off 40 yards in 4.5 seconds and is a gifted all-around athlete. When I watch him play, however, I keep coming back to a faster Colt McCoy.

• Speed, speed and more speed. At receiver, linebacker, defensive end, quarterback and in the secondary. The Aggies upgraded the roster in that all-important area at each of those positions. I don't think you guys need me to tell you how important that is and how badly the Ags have lacked it over the past couple of years in some key areas against the top teams on the SEC schedule.

• Haynes King to Demond Demas could be a special combination in 2021 and beyond. Give these two a year (and King will have to win what promises to be an epic QB battle between him, Zach Calzada and 2021 true freshman Eli Stowers‍) in the program and in Fisher's system and the quarterback/receiver battery could be A&M's most feared since Johnny Manziel and Mike Evans. Again, King will have to win the job, but those two being in the same class, the fact that King is a dual-threat from East Texas who built a cult following thanks to his on-field exploits in high school and Demas being a tall, gifted and incredibly athletic (almost acrobatic) wideout from the Greater Houston area just makes it too easy to dream big.

Justin Schoenemann

Devin Price is a gifted receiver who dominates defenders in the red zone.

• Muhsin Muhammad III‍ and Devin Price‍ aren't going to get as much love as they should because of the large shadow cast by Demas, but Dameyune Craig is over-the-moon excited about all three of his wide receiver signees. First of all, all Price does is jump over people and catch touchdowns – 17 in two seasons to be exact. He's the reason the Aggies didn't so much as waste a minute worrying when four-star Troy Omeire‍ – a good player by any metric – decided he wanted to defect to the sinking ship in Austin. As for Muhammad, you watch his tape and it takes one second to realize two things: The dude is a stone-cold playmaker and he's the son of a Pro-Bowl wide receiver. Moose is as polished as he is electric, and it wouldn't surprise me at all to see him quickly emerge as a dynamic weapon in Fisher's offense and eventually turn out to be one of the most productive members of this class.

• There were several items on the 2020 checklist that were non-negotiable musts, but I think there was only one player outside of Demond Demas that I'd have considered an absolute must-sign for the Aggies. That guy? Fort Bend Marshall speed merchant Devon Achane‍, a guy with 109 career touchdowns. Part of what makes Achane so special with the ball in his hands is the fact that he's an All-American caliber sprinter, one who will pull double-duty for Pat Henry's top-5 track & field program during the off-season. Devon can score from anywhere on the field and can do it as a tailback, catching passes out of the backfield, lining up at receiver or in the return game. Jimbo Fisher and Darrell Dickey should have an absolute field day with him and Ainias Smith at their disposal over the next three years. For those of you who weren't at Kyle Field on Saturday afternoon to see Achane help lead Marshall to the 5A state finals, here's what I saw from the 'three-star' (great work, Mike Ferrell and Rivals...you guys have once again outed yourselves as the worst in the business) signee in the first half: a 9-yard catch on a fade from the wide receiver spot, a 24-yard touchdown run from tailback up the middle, an 84-yard catch-and-run that was nullified by penalty and then an 86-yard touchdown run down the opposite sideline on the very next play. Add in a one-yard score and I saw four (actually five) TDs in less than a half scored in a multitude of ways in a state semi-final game. Was I fortunate enough to catch Achane on a big night? Not really. He pretty much puts on a dazzling show every time he touches the field, and I fully expect to see him doing more of the same at Kyle as early as next fall.

• The Ags dipped out of state a little more this time around (exactly half of their 22 signees were from OOS), but they quietly cleaned up in Texas yet again if you really dig in. Demas, Jones, King and Achane are state top-10 prospects in our estimation, and if you don't have Devon in that group then you lose all football credibility with me. From there, Akinola Ogunbiyi‍ certainly played well enough to push into the top-15, giving the Ags five of the top-15 in Texas. They also inked the best pure guard in the state, the No. 1 QB (it really is King or Texas signee Hudson Card, whichever QB's game you prefer most), Texas' best corner and receiver and one of Texas' two best tight ends (OU signee Jalin Conyers‍ is more of an h-back with Blake Smith‍ more your prototypical TE).

As far as the out of state guys go, Donell Harris‍ would have been an easy state top-ten pick had he been in Texas, as would have Fadil Diggs‍.

• As far as the out of state guys go, Donell Harris‍ would have been an easy state top-ten pick had he been in Texas, as would have Fadil Diggs‍. They'd also make up two of the three best (including Alfred Collins‍) if you included them in the in-state DL pool. There's not a better safety in the state than Antonio Johnson‍, and only Alabama signee Drew Sanders‍ would rate higher at linebacker than Antonio Doyle‍ on any credible list (remember, the Ags chose not to go on LSU signee Josh White‍ despite the fact he would probably have committed to A&M early and not looked back). Dallas Walker‍ and Isaiah Raikes‍ were DT signees out of necessity, as only Texas signee Vernon Broughton‍ was deemed worthy of an Aggie offer. Moose Muhammad would probably have fallen in behind only Demas and Ohio State-bound Jaxon Smith‍ on the in-state receiver rankings, and Chris Morris‍ would have been right there with Garrett Hayes‍, Akinola Ogunbiyi‍ and Chad Lindberg‍ when ranking the Texas talent pool on the o-line. 

This marks the third consecutive cycle in which Fisher's Aggies have done a bang-up job of recruiting the entire country, and that was again especially true in the Deep South, where the Ags went in and got Harris, Jackson, Walker and Morris. Fisher and Co. inked prospects from 9 different states (the most in program history), going outside of Texas to Tennessee, Missouri, Illinois, Georgia, Florida, New Jersey, Maryland and North Carolina to sign players.

• Things were very quiet for the Aggies in Dallas this time around, but the Maroon & White did a great job of recruiting the Space City, as they typically do. A&M pulled Demond Demas and Devon Achane out of Houston – easily the two most electric prospects out of H-Town in 2020 – and also nabbed three offensive linemen in Josh Bankhead, Smart Chibuzo‍ and Akinola Ogunbiyi. A&M may still make a run at Fort Bend Marshall ATH Malik Hornsby‍ before all is said and done as well, something we'll find out more about when January rolls around. An interesting piece of info: This marks the second consecutive year and third time in four cycles that Texas A&M has nabbed the best player out of San Antonio (Kellen Mond in 2017, DeMarvin Leal last year and Jaylon Jones this time around).

• The Ags are expecting thirteen early enrollees, meaning they'll have a baker's dozen on hand a month from now when the spring semester begins. To have more than half of your class on campus through an entire off-season under Jerry Schmidt and also participating in spring ball is going to pay significant dividends next spring, particularly during the second half of the season. I don't know the exact number of the most I'd seen prior to this season, but I'm positive thirteen has to be a record number of mid-termers that the Aggies have signed. 

TexAgs

TE signee Blake Smith will fit in nicely behind Jalen Wydermyer and Baylor Cupp.

• Don't sleep on Blake Smith‍. The Aggies have two potential All-SEC tight ends in Jalen Wydermyer and Baylor Cupp, but Jimbo Fisher uses his tight ends as well and as often as just about anyone in college football. Smith has a chance to quickly emerge as the Ags' third option at the position, and the dude's offer list matches up more with his on-field production than his three-star ranking does. He's there with Isaiah Raikes and Devon Achane as the three most underrated players in this year's A&M class, in my opinion. Blake's catch radius is ridiculous, and he snags anything he touches. An underappreciated athlete who began his career as a young quarterback at Southlake, Smith earned offers from the likes of A&M, Clemson, Bama, Michigan and Ohio State despite having caught just six varsity passes as a junior. Smith broke out this year, and had he not been solidly in the A&M fold, his national stock would have absolutely soared. It's a shame the national experts were apparently too preoccupied with the drama scene to notice.

• Go watch Josh Bankhead‍'s senior highlight tape and tell me he's not the guy you'd want on your side in any sort of fight. Josh just mowed through the competition this fall and is going to be an absolute beast in Maroon & White. He also did a great job in helping the Ags put together another highly-regarded class, showing terrific leadership along the way. He's the kind of kid you want to see wearing an A&M uniform, and he is a guy that Jimbo Fisher, Jim Turner, Josh Henson, Lee Grimes, Jason Glenn and Lonnie Madison all swear by. That's more than good enough for me.

• The Aggies got a combined six stars at defensive tackle, but Isaiah Raikes‍ might be the most underrated player in this year's class, and the Aggies had to beat out Tennessee and hold off Auburn for Dallas Walker‍'s signature. Both are over 315 coming in, and one played tailback and the other tight end (and both were productive playmakers on offense) at the varsity level. That's a lot of size and a whole lot of athlete for Elijah Robinson to work with. Those two plus Derick Hunter, Adarious Jones and DeMarvin Leal from 2019 give Robinson and the Aggie d-line five promising bigs in a two-class span, with the potential to add another national-100 talent in McKinnley Jackson‍ in February. Gotta have guys like this if you want to win at the highest level in the SEC.

• Credit the A&M staff for hanging in through the final weekend before the early signing date, through the wee hours on Tuesday night and until the ink was dry on Wednesday fighting battles on an unlevel playing field against programs attempting to steal their commits. Read into that what you will. The Ags had to fend off Maryland for Fadil Diggs‍ (yes, 3-9 Maryland made a run), Auburn for Dallas Walker‍, Florida and slick Dan Mullen for Donell Harris‍ and none other than Lane Kiffin for Chris Morris‍. Jimbo Fisher and his assistants were fighting a battle on seemingly every front in the final 48 hours or so before Signing Day, and the fact that they held on to every one of those prospects is extremely impressive. Something about coffee and closers, right?

• Here's an amazing Joshuah Moten‍ stat: The corner from D.C. was targeted just 16 times in 10 games this fall. He broke up eight of those passes and intercepted four. Go watch the dude's tape again. He's very smooth and very sticky on the island, and his ball skills are elite. He’s a really nice out of state get, and it's worth noting that the Ags picked him over Penn State pickup Joseph Johnson‍ and South Carolina signee Joey Hunter‍ when all three were ready to choose A&M on Fourth of July weekend.

Justin Schoenemann

Akinola Ogunbiyi continues to improve as one of the youngest recruits in the 2020 class.

• Akinola Ogunbiyi‍ had a tremendous senior season, improving as much or more so than any offensive lineman in the state from 2018 to '19. That makes sense when you realize he's several months younger than most of the prospects in his class. It's also part of the reason why his development could end up being incredibly accelerated once he hits campus and enters a college weight room at the midterm. He's already a powerful, agile and very athletic 310-pounder and is only going to get bigger and stronger from here – the prototype when talking about SEC West interior OLs. All you need to know about Aki's talent you could learn from the fact that he was offered by Jim Turner as a 15-year old who had just finished his sophomore season and that Georgia used one of their precious spots on the guard while essentially cherry-picking blockers from around the country under Sam Pittman.

It’s the first time a fellow Kempner Cougar has signed with the Aggies in my 20-plus years over covering A&M football recruiting, so I was as happy as anyone when Aki flipped back from Georgia to TAMU. Technically, it's the second time, but the first was back when sign-and-places were a thing and Robert Ferguson's younger brother Kevin inked with the Ags and went the JUCO route along with a guy by the name of Quincy Driver from Houston Lamar.

• Akinola, Chris Morris‍ and Josh Bankhead‍ are going to immediately make the Aggie offensive line a more physical unit. Those dudes are just flat out nasty, and I saw Smart Chibuzo‍ lean up, start moving better and begin imposing his will in the trenches as a senior as well. That's a whole lot of nasty in the trenches for the Ags, and it could get even better if Javonne Shepherd‍ is able to make it into school during the upcoming spring semester. Shep isn't a done deal just yet, but our sources still feel good about him becoming an Aggie. As long as his transfer credits are in order, I think the A&M OL could get a huge boost on several levels by adding a tackle, another blocker blessed with supreme athletic ability and more of that nasty I was just referring to. I talked to a source plugged into the Texas program who said Tom Herman was much more upset about losing Javonne than the Longhorn bathwater bunch would lead you to believe. The Texas head coach apparently felt the program was losing a guy who had the potential to develop into an All-American tackle. Based on what I know, the guy calling the shots in College Station likely feels the same way.

• How about the closeout? Based on today's signings, it appears as if the Aggies have two spots with which to work. The best-case scenario probably involves Jimbo Fisher and Co. closing things out with five-star tailback Zach Evans‍ (who could announce after this weekend's state title game or during his All-Star game in early January) and borderline national-100 DT McKinnley Jackson‍. Other targets sure to get a serious look include official visitors and center/UGA commit Sedrick Van Pran‍ of Warren Easton High in Louisiana and Fort Bend Marshall athlete Malik Hornsby‍. Sign any two of those four and the Ags are knocking on the door of the top-5, and I'm sure another name or three will emerge as candidates during the January stretch run.

Have some damn faith, people. I'm all for enjoying the highs and stressing over the lows in recruiting, but this nonsense of expecting the worst has got to end.

• I'll be honest, this was one of the least fun recruiting cycles I've ever covered, and it had everything to do with the air of negativity on the boards and the sense of impending doom from A&M fans on social media, TexAgs and elsewhere – even folks in my day-to-day. Always waiting for the other shoe to drop, embracing panic at every opportunity and ignoring the positive momentum while seemingly attempting to will the negative into existence.

It has got to stop. Maybe once Jimbo Fisher reels in yet another elite class in '21 folks will catch on, but until then I'll keep saying it: All the dude does is put together top-6 classes. At Florida State, Jimbo's full classes finished 2, 4, 11, 4, 3, 3, and 6 in the national rankings. His first full class in Aggieland ranked third, and this one looks like it will hold steady at No. 6. Still, we had to wade through the cliff-jumping sessions that occurred when a few of the loudest members of Team Panic led the charge in light of A&M 'striking out' at running back when Jase McClellan‍ and Seth McGowan‍ chose OU and Zach Evans‍ left the Ags out of his top-5 (so far, A&M has inked Devon Achane out of the 'must-have' group and still has a legit look at Evans and Daniyel Ngata). When the Aggies were getting 'no one' along the offensive line prior to flipping Akinola Ogunbiyi‍ from Georgia and beating out Tennessee, Bama and OU for Chris Morris‍ (and then possibly adding Javonne Shepherd‍). When Donell Harris‍ was a lock for LSU and later flipped to Florida or when Morris was bound for Ole Miss because some clown tweeted about it and Lane Kiffin posted a fishing gif. Or how about the meltdown when the Aggies lost Princely Umanmielen‍, Josh Eaton‍ and Xavion Alford‍ to Texas? Two of those three eventually signed elsewhere, and the Ags chose not to re-engage in the recruitment...go figure. Remember Haynes King‍ being 'crystal balled' to Tennessee and the consternation over the Aggies' lack of QB recruiting? Antonio Doyle‍ (Mizzou) and Antonio Johnson‍ (Tennessee) being off the board? There are probably more examples, but all I'm going to say is this: Have some damn faith, people. I'm all for enjoying the highs and stressing over the lows in recruiting, but this nonsense of expecting the worst has got to end. Maybe Fisher can break the cycle of negative thinking (and it goes way up the chain around here, sadly) by signing his third straight class ranking 7th or higher in 2021. It's going to happen, so maybe that will convince the glass half empties among us.

Too preachy? Try being on this side of it and you'll see where I'm coming from. I have a feeling about 90 percent of you will feel me on this regardless.

• Let's talk about the guys in this class who could have made a phone call to pretty much any college program in the country and secured a spot. I'm talking about the guys in the Ags' Class of 2020 who represented the biggest coups by Fisher and his staff. The list starts with the four guys who either ended up as or flirted with five-star status: Demond Demas, Jaylon Jones, Donell Harris and Haynes King. Fadil Diggs, Chris Morris, Moose Muhammad, Antonio Johnson and Antonio Doyle weren't far behind in terms of coast-to-coast offers and attention. As far as high-profile head-to-heads outside of that group go, the Ags nudged past Penn State for Isaiah Raikes, held off Auburn at the finish for Dallas Walker and flipped Akinola Ogunbiyi from Georgia. 

• We can break down all of this stuff on message boards from now until the end of time, but it all comes back to this: No one is winning an SEC championship or coming out of this league and reaching the playoff without loading their roster with elite athletes and putting great players on the field. It's as simple as that, folks. People can bitch and complain all they want about the Ags finishing a disappointing 7-5 this fall, but the reality is that Fisher fielded a team with one senior and only one of his classes on campus, and A&M played the toughest schedule in the country, not to mention program history. Sure, the stakes and expectations need to rise dramatically next fall, and they will. However, what Aggie fans could instead choose to do is be incredibly excited about the fact that Jimbo Fisher has pieced together a class that will rank right there around the top-5 (currently behind only Clemson, Bama, LSU and Ohio State and right there with Georgia on the heels of a five-loss season). Go back and look at those names again. Fisher has had one class in his entire career as a head coach that has ranked outside of the top-6 (if you can believe that), and his first haul at A&M ranked third behind Bama and UGA, and more importantly, showed it on the field as true freshmen this fall. You have to get big-time players to win big-time games, and a good indicator of whether or not you're getting those type of guys is whether or not you're signing prospects that the perennial playoff contenders want. Though they're not even done yet, the Aggies have now done that two cycles in a row, and that should tell you all you need to know about where things are headed under Fisher's leadership.

 

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