Jimbo 2021: Meemaw's Got a Brand New Bag

[SHOOTER12 8886]

1 hour ago, BruceVonClaude said:

Maybe they are lighting a fire under his dick, hence the censorship.

Just aggy reedin and rightin at it's finest.

[Funk Doctor Spock 13283]

On 3/31/2020 at 8:16 AM, Ricky's one-hitter said:

Hattersley with some class predictions, courtesy of @Longhornfrenzy

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Hattersley's A&M 2021 class prediction 1.0
VIP ByANDREW HATTERSLEY 58 minutes ago
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When Texas A&M’s class of 2020 was finished, it was the highest point total for the Aggies in the history of the modern recruiting rankings era. There were multiple five-stars and the Maroon and White showed that it is a national brand, signing players from 14 different states.

Jimbo Fisher and Co. are looking to replicate that magic in the 2021 class.

The Aggies currently have three commitments, all ranked as four-star prospects, and will likely take a full class of 25 once again. With junior college running back Earnest Crownover set to enroll when school starts in August, he will be eligible to play this season but will count toward the 2021 numbers. That means there are 24 spots left.

Things will definitely change between now and Signing Day as, a year ago, there were players that ended up on the Aggie commit list that weren’t really targets at this point in time. However, it is becoming clearer as to which prospects have the most interest in A&M and vice versa.

Today, both recruiting analysts for GigEm247 give a shot at their first predictions for the final A&M class. We will update these throughout the recruiting cycle but, as of now, this is our best guesses as to who will end up signing with A&M in the end.

For GigEm247 analyst Brian Perroni's predictions, CLICK HERE.

QUARTERBACK

(Photo: Brian Perroni, 247Sports)
Denton Guyer QB Eli Stowers

The nation’s No. 7 rated dual-threat quarterback was A&M’s first commitment in the 2021 class and has made multiple trips to College Station since. While it was a bit of a surprise to see A&M offer Flower Mound quarterback Garrett Nussmeier a few weeks ago, Stowers has expressed comfort in the past being part of a two-quarterback class and has developed a close relationship with the Aggie coaching staff. Stowers plans to enroll early and participate in spring ball next year.

RUNNING BACK

(Photo: Brian Perroni, 247Sports)
Cy-Fair RB LJ Johnson

Rated as the top running back in Texas, according to 247Sports, A&M sits near the top of Johnson’s list, however, Jimbo Fisher and Co. will face heavy competition from LSU, Georgia, Oklahoma, Stanford and Texas for the four-star running back but are currently sitting in a good position. Johnson said A&M, Georgia and Oklahoma are a few of the likely schools to receive an official visit, while there is a good chance LSU receives one as well.

Miami Central (Fla.) RB Amari Daniels

Daniels is the only all-purpose back A&M has offered so far and plays for one of the top high school programs in the country. Daniels recently named a top four of A&M, Georgia, Nebraska and Penn State. While no decision is imminent, the Aggies have recently picked up a pair of crystal balls and sit in good shape for the nation’s No. 3 rated all-purpose back.

Kilgore JC RB Earnest Crownover

The junior college running back already committed to the Aggies in early January, however, he did not sign in February as A&M is going to count him towards the 2021 class. Crownover will enroll in Aggieland in August when the fall semester begins. That takes advantage of a loophole that allows him to count towards 2021 since the 2020 class is full, however, he will still be able to play this upcoming season.

WIDE RECEIVER

(Photo: Brian Perroni, 247Sports)
North Shore WR Shadrach Banks

One of three commits in the 2021 class currently for A&M, Banks remains solid in his commitment to the Aggies. The four-star receiver is coming off a frustrating year missing part of the year with a broken foot before suffering another setback in the first round of the playoffs. This time it was an ankle injury that ended his season.

Banks will have another opportunity to help North Shore reach yet another state title game before I expect him to head off to A&M.

East St. Louis (IL) WR Keontez Lewis

A&M could go in a couple different directions for their second receiver spot but I would not lose sight of Keontez Lewis, who is the teammate of Aggie early enrollee Antonio Johnson. A&M has been one of a number of programs to show interest in him and A&M has had some success in that region in recent years.

While he may not be among the most highly rated receivers in the 2021 class, he has a lot of upside as Midwest recruiting analyst Allen Trieu notes as well: “He has nice hands and he is really skilled. He’s a really good route runner and has sure hands. He has some pretty solid track times so where he’s pegged as this possession guy, I think he has a little more upside than that.”

TIGHT END

(Photo: Jeremy Clark , 247Sports)
Grandview TE/DE Dametrious Crownover

Crownover is ranked as a tight end, but the 6-foot-6, 235-pound junior is being recruited to A&M as both a tight end and defensive end. Having his older brother already on the commitment list bodes well for the Aggies, who were in a strong position even before that.

Given the family ties and A&M being in pursuit of him for quite a while, I like the Aggies to end up with the younger Crownover as well.

Frisco Independence TE Elijah Arroyo

A&M could go a lot of directions at the tight end position but Arroyo, who was the first in-state tight end offer that tight ends coach James Coley extended, is a name to keep an eye on. Arroyo was not able to make it on campus for A&M’s Super Bowl recruiting event but will likely look to visit once the dead period is lifted after also taking visits to a couple other spots including SMU, TCU and Auburn.

OFFENSIVE LINE
Trey Zuhn
(Photo: Brian Perroni, 247Sports)
Fossil Ridge (CO) Trey Zuhn

Texas A&M landed one commitment during its Super Bowl party earlier this year and that came from Zuhn. The four-star offensive tackle was born in College Station and still has family there now.

Now residing in Colorado, Zuhn is solid in his commitment to the Aggies.

Richmond Foster OT Reuben Fatheree

The four-star offensive tackle has taken multiple trips to College Station, including right before National Signing Day where he spent the day with offensive line coach Josh Henson. While it would have beneficial for A&M to get him back in town before the dead period, A&M remains in good shape for him. Baylor, LSU and Oklahoma are a couple other schools to keep an eye on as well.

Fatheree does not have a timeline for when he hopes to make a decision, but I am sticking with my crystal ball pick to A&M for the Foster product to stay close to home.

Butler C.C OT Javonne Shepherd

A&M has pursued Shepherd aggressively on a pair of occasions and will likely try once again if he is able to graduate from Butler in time to be part of the 2021 class. Offensive line remains a big need for A&M and adding a player like Shepherd would certainly help.

Shepherd will have three years left to play three and if he is able to take care of what he needs to at Butler I like him to end up as part of the A&M class.

Katy Taylor OG Bryce Foster

This is going to be a battle for the Aggie legacy, who has an older brother that played for A&M and comes from an Aggie family, with Texas and Oklahoma firmly in the mix as well.

The Aggies are currently the crystal ball favorite with a pair of selections while Texas and Oklahoma each hold one as well. Given the family ties to A&M I will give the slight edge to A&M but this will be a fight to end up with Foster.

DEFENSIVE END

(Photo: Mike Roach, 247Sports)
Pleasant Grove WDE Landon Jackson

A&M was set to receive the four-star pass rushers first official visit the weekend of April 18, which was set to be the spring game. While that date does fall after the dead period, it remains to be seen if he will still go ahead with that date.

Defensive ends coach Terry Price has done a good job developing a strong relationship with Jackson. While Texas, LSU, Alabama, Ohio State and others are in the mix, I think eventually the Aggie legacy ends up at A&M, who were the first to offer the 6-foot-6, 240-pound defender who’s dad was a walk-on basketball player for the Aggies.

Pleasant Grove SDE Marcus Burris

Texas A&M and Texas are also locked in a battle for Burris who would prefer to stay closer to home. Much like Jackson, Burris is also high on A&M and has developed a similarly good relationship with Price. The four-star defender was not able to make it to A&M’s Super Bowl party earlier this year, but has been on campus plenty of times and has a good relationship with the coaching staff.

The Aggies sit in a good position for Burris, but Texas did make a strong impression on him during a visit earlier this year to Austin where the Longhorns outlined some changes to its defensive principles.

Burris does not have a timeline but could commit at any time although he might opt to wait until after the dead period to take visits to Texas and A&M before making a decision.

National Christian Academy (MD) SDE Monkell Goodwine

The four-star pass rusher is one of the most sought-after defenders in the 2021 class. He is listed as a defensive end but could end up playing multiple positions along the line at the next level including inside at defensive tackle.

Texas A&M received an unofficial visit from the East coast standout back in mid-November and raved about the visit after saying then that A&M would be in his top group. A&M has a couple of things working in their favor including Goodwine’s teammate and Joshuah Moten signing with A&M along with the presence of area recruiter Elijah Robinson.

Robinson has proven to be a huge asset for A&M in recent cycles as it relates to closing on big targets and the Aggies have a good chance of winning another battle with Goodwine.

Northeast (PA) WDE Elijah Jeudy

Texas A&M was one of the first schools to offer the 6-foot-3, 233-pound four-star defender and he has been high on the Aggies since. Just like with Goodwine, Robinson also holds a good relationship with Robinson and while a couple schools like Penn State, Alabama, Georgia, LSU are also in the mix, A&M is well positioned with Philadelphia defender.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

(Photo: Brian Dohn, 247Sports)
Bergen Catholic (NJ) DT Tywone Malone

A&M had a lot of success in South Jersey in the 2020 class and will look to do the same in the northern part of the state this year. The 6-foot-3.5, 300-pound defensive tackle visited Aggieland during this past season and has listed A&M as one of his top four schools along with Ohio State, Rutgers and Ole Miss.

Robinson is once again the weapon here that I think will ultimately make the difference as to why Malone ends up picking the Aggies.

Westlake Village (CA) DT Victory Vaka

A&M has not hosted the four-star defensive tackle on campus yet but will do so later this year when Vaka heads to campus for an official visit in early November.

Although Vaka has not taken a visit to A&M, he has constantly kept A&M among his top schools which is a testament to the relationship he has developed with Robinson.

Although if he were to make a decision right now, A&M would probably not be the choice, the Aggies will have their chance to make an impression on Vaka when he visits Aggieland later this year for the first time. Given the four-star defender has included A&M twice in his top five without even taking a visit speaks to the relationships he has with the staff and the Aggies remain a real threat to land him.

LINEBACKER

(Photo: 247Sports)
Chaminade-Madonna Prep (Fla.) OLB Terrence Lewis

The top-ranked linebacker, according to the 247Sports Composite, previously listed A&M along with Florida and Nebraska as the three schools he was highest on. Working in A&M’s favor is his relationship with national top-100 defensive end Donell Harris, who signed with the Maroon and White in December.

It is going to be another battle to pry the five-star defender away from Florida, but the Aggies have a real shot at doing so given the success Fisher and his staff have had in the region in recent years. Lewis has strong relationships both with players and coaches and I like A&M to eventually end up with him.

Fort Bend Bush LB Kenneth Phillips III

After suffering a serious injury not long before signing day last year, Phillips did not end up signing with A&M and will instead do so as part of the 2021 class. This was a decision that was beneficial for both Phillips and A&M as it saved the Fort Bend linebacker from losing a year while rehabbing and allowed A&M one more spot in the 2020 class.

After committing to A&M in July 2019, I like Phillips to end up in the 2021 class and join Lewis as the two linebacker commits.

CORNERBACK
Tony Grimes
(Photo: Andrew Ivins, 247Sports)
Princess Anne (VA) CB Tony Grimes

Arguably one of the most important targets in the 2021 class for A&M, the Aggies have some work still to do as it relates to the five-star cornerback.

The departure of Linguist was a bit of a blow, but Grimes still has a good relationship with Jimbo Fisher while TJ Rushing has made him a heavy priority as well. Working in A&M’s favor is that Grimes does not plan to make a decision until Dec. 1. While Georgia is a big threat, Grimes has always been very high on Fisher and what he would be able to accomplish at A&M. I like Grimes to end up at A&M largely due to that relationship with Fisher.

Denton Guyer CB Deuce Harmon

A teammate of Stowers, A&M has built a strong relationship with Harmon, who has constantly appreciated the treatment he’s received from the Aggie coaching staff and been a frequent visitor.

Harmon planned to take an official visit to Notre Dame the first week of April but will have to reschedule. I like where A&M stands with Harmon and expect him to eventually end up in the 2021 class and join Stowers, who has been recruiting Harmon to join him in Aggieland.

Lackawanna C.C (PA) CB De'Jahn Warren

A&M has added a junior college cornerback in each of the past two cycles and it would not be a surprise to see them do that once again with Warren.

The nation’s top JUCO cornerback dropped his list down to 11 earlier this month and included A&M on it. Warren told 247Sports earlier this year he views A&M as a good school to develop said he hopes to eventually take a visit to A&M where the Aggies will have their chance to make an impression.

SAFETY

(Photo: 247Sports)
Beggs (Ok.) S Kendal Daniels

While Texas A&M missed out on one of its top safety targets Dakota Mitchell, A&M has also shown a lot of interest in another one of the top safeties in the class.

The Aggies will have to battle Oklahoma and Oklahoma State for Daniels, but A&M sits in a good position for the four-star safety who is a clear priority for the staff.

Miami (Fla.) Northwestern S Kamren Kinchens

The four-star safety was not able to make it to campus for A&M’s Super Bowl party but is high on the Aggies and has a good relationship with A&M analyst Ishmael Aristide. A&M has a couple of aspects playing in its favor along with Aristide as Kinchens is close friends with Harris, while the Aggies have also had a lot of success in recent years in South Florida and Coley should only help in that regard. LSU and Auburn are two big threats for Kinchens who will visit plenty of other programs before deciding

 

Hilarious. There are at least 5 they aren't getting. 

[Funk Doctor Spock 13283]

DP

Edited April 3, 2020 by Spider2YBanana

[Elmer_Fudd 22984]

Perroni crystal balled a 5* LB from Florida to them.

https://247sports.com/Player/Terrence-Lewis-46058521/

[Pato del Muerto 53462]

I’d like to think that if they pulled a kid that highly ranked out of Hollywood, fl, the sec PTB would take notice and respond with some sort of smack down. 

[Funk Doctor Spock 13283]

I'd bet he's Bama or Florida bound. Unless he's intellectually delayed, he's not going to the special ed university. 

[Elmer_Fudd 22984]

I took a peak at SEC Rant recruiting and found some stuff on this 5* LB.  

Just dropped a top 6 with no Florida schools.

Poster said he was kicked out of his previous school and Miami dropped his offer.

Has same handler as Donnel Harris.

What says you @TBGFL

Edited April 5, 2020 by Elmer_Fudd

[Dijon Robinson 1511]

5 minutes ago, Elmer_Fudd said:

I took a peak at SEC Rant recruiting and found some stuff on this 5* LB.  

Just dropped a top 6 with no Florida schools.

Poster said he was kicked out of his previous school and Miami dropped his offer.

Has same handler as Donnel Harris.

What says you @TBGFL

Think I remember someone for a few weeks back saying that he got expelled from his earlier HS because he punched his teacher

[SwanderedTalent 5761]

23 minutes ago, ChampionshipLevelPiss said:

Think I remember someone for a few weeks back saying that he got expelled from his earlier HS because he punched his teacher

I am sure there is a bullshit mitigating factor there! but you'll have to wait for the kid to sign somewhere else before you hear an Aggie refer to it as bullshit

[texifornia 59012]

7 hours ago, Elmer_Fudd said:

Perroni crystal balled a 5* LB from Florida to them.

https://247sports.com/Player/Terrence-Lewis-46058521/

[RabidM 2756]

Yeah, he's normally so stingy with those crystal balls. 

[TBGFL 397]

11 hours ago, Elmer_Fudd said:

I took a peak at SEC Rant recruiting and found some stuff on this 5* LB.  

Just dropped a top 6 with no Florida schools.

Poster said he was kicked out of his previous school and Miami dropped his offer.

Has same handler as Donnel Harris.

What says you @TBGFL

Yes, he punched a teacher. He's got multiple red flags. Even Mullen, who will take red flags and reaches, has backed away.

[Thiefery 5108]

5 hours ago, TBGFL said:

Yes, he punched a teacher. He's got multiple red flags. Even Mullen, who will take red flags and reaches, has backed away.

He's the type of headcase that wins you the SEC WEST!! -Looch

[Scholz 12305]

Imagine him clocking Cuckbo on the sidelines when he pulls his tough little man act.

[Spawn of Cthulhu 2241]

If he slept they teacher, he'll be slepting Jimbo for sure.

[Lobwedgephil 1146]

Billy is having a rough day with OU. 

 

 

Spoiler

Liucci

In reply to Electric Wizard •  3:45p 

Staff

AG

Electric Wizard said:

I can't believe we lost King to Tennessee.

This. Plus all of the Zach Evans and Donell Harris CBs last year.

But I do think you've got your head in the sand a little if you don't think there's definitive OU momentum here that the Ags need to overcome. Bedenbaugh has this reputation going but those OU guys aren't as good as advertised when they square off against real defenses and I still think a guy with Foster's skill set playing in the Big 12 isn't the best fit by a longshot. The Aggies have to recruit against that, in my opinion.  

We shall see where this one goes but he's one that I absolutely think the Aggies need to sign. Not the end of the world if they don't from a 'one player does not make a class, a position or a program' standpoint but you can't go losing players of this caliber with strong A&M ties to Dryfit LIncoln and OU and a finesse, precious few d-linemen getting drafted into the NFL league like the Big 12

 

 

Liucci

In reply to PlanoGuy •  4:56p 

Staff

AG

+ 1 more quotes (click to expand)

Liucci said:

This. Plus all of the Zach Evans and Donell Harris CBs last year.

But I do think you've got your head in the sand a little if you don't think there's definitive OU momentum here that the Ags need to overcome. Bedenbaugh has this reputation going but those OU guys aren't as good as advertised when they square off against real defenses and I still think a guy with Foster's skill set playing in the Big 12 isn't the best fit by a longshot. The Aggies have to recruit against that, in my opinion. 

We shall see where this one goes but he's one that I absolutely think the Aggies need to sign. Not the end of the world if they don't from a 'one player does not make a class, a position or a program' standpoint but you can't go losing players of this caliber with strong A&M ties to Dryfit LIncoln and OU and a finesse, precious few d-linemen getting drafted into the NFL league like the Big 12

PlanoGuy said:

The last 4 starting OL that OU/Bedenbaugh graduated are about to start their 2nd year in the NFL. 2 of those 4 (Orlando Brown & Cody Ford) were starters as rookies and Brown made the Pro Bowl as a rookie. Creed Humphrey is regarded as one of the elite Centers in college football and will likely be a high draft pick in the 2021 NFL draft. Bedenbaugh is regarded as the best college OL coach in the country and his pupils have the NFL success to back it up.

I think Bill is a really good coach. I think Ford and Brown are freaks of nature who overcame playing in that dogcrap conference and kept their draft stock high enough. That said, I will point out that most of those guys you're mentioning came off of one great o-line yet still dind't get picked until the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 4th rounds (probably around where Creed will be drafted, as well). If you don't think the reason they're not going higher because they're playing laughably bad competition week after week I don't know what to tell you.

On the other side of the coin, since the Ags have joined the SEC in 2012, the Aggies have had four offensive linemen selected in the first round and another go in the second round. During that same span, Oklahoma has had ONE first-rounder (eight years ago, mind you) and one second-rounder. To take it one step further, the entire Big 12 has had ONE offensive lineman drafted in the FIrst Round since the Ags left the league following the 2011 season.  

Think about that Bedenbaugh defender, in EIGHT drafts since the Aggies left, the ENTIRE CONFERENCE has had ONE offensive linemen go in Round 1. Meanwhile, the Aggies have had four. OU has absoutely been the class of the conference during that time and the Sooners have essentially had their pick in terms of recruiting high end talent and the Aggies - who have been middle of the SEC pack essentially since joining and are now suddenly trending decidedly upward - have had four. SEC OLs during that same time period? By my count it was 15. That's FIFTEEN to ONE if you're scoring at home.

Playing in the Big 12 is an albatross that any highly-rated offensive lineman will carry around his neck to the next level. It can and will be held against him until he proves otherwise in the NFL but he could set himself to lose millions of dollars before reaching that point.

 

 

Liucci

4:59p 

Staff

AG

Again, if you're going to go anywhere in that league, OU is clearly the choice. No question or argument there. But the level of competition and terrible reputation when it comes to it being a 'finesse league' is a legitimate hurdle every blocker that chooses to play there has to overcome.

 

 

 

Liucci

In reply to USAFLT •  7:58p 

Staff

AG

What it really means is that OU is very confident and Dryfit Lincoln and their coaches are talking to the national guys and saying it's a done deal. 

 

 

[Elmer_Fudd 22984]

I guess Looch forgot how that aggy OL looked when they played real defenses last year like Georgia, LSU, Auburn, ect.  

[HtownHorn 15230]

Holy fuck. What a take by Looch. Sure he puts his entire OL in the NFL consistently, but when they play real college defenses they fail to score 60.

Scoring points hasn't been OU's problem in the playoffs, they are averaging 36.7 against the best the SEC has to offer.

[texifornia 59012]

foster

Spoiler

 

[HtownHorn 15230]

What does have aggy have in their favor in regards to Foster? He doesn't like the school, none of his friends are going there, their OL recruiting and coaching are dog shit, their throwing program is dogshit. The fact his brother was given no choice on what school he could attend and his mom posts on texaggy are not the advantages you should be counting on.

[Spawn of Cthulhu 2241]

"Dryfit Lincoln"? Wow, Liucci's really coming with the heat.

[Thiefery 5108]

3 minutes ago, HtownHorn said:

What does have aggy have in their favor in regards to Foster? He doesn't like the school, none of his friends are going there, their OL recruiting and coaching are dog shit, their throwing program is dogshit. The fact his brother was given no choice on what school he could attend and his mom posts on texaggy are not the advantages you should be counting on.

Bro.. they are sec.. that is the advantage.. take your burnt orange tinted contacts off and put on Looch's maroon, ed hardy tinted sunglasses.

[Thiefery 5108]

Just now, Spawn of Cthulhu said:

"Dryfit Lincoln"? Wow, Liucci's really coming with the heat.

He's gonna suspend Mama Foster off his site,  if Bryce does wind up in Norman, right?

[SydneyCarton 49477]

5 minutes ago, HtownHorn said:

What does have aggy have in their favor in regards to Foster? He doesn't like the school, none of his friends are going there, their OL recruiting and coaching are dog shit, their throwing program is dogshit. The fact his brother was given no choice on what school he could attend and his mom posts on texaggy are not the advantages you should be counting on.

Family pressure is an advantage. If you don't think so, I don't know what else to tell you. Ask Eric Winston how that works, or anyone with an Uncle. 

[Burt Macklin 19230]

36 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

Family pressure is an advantage. If you don't think so, I don't know what else to tell you. Ask Eric Winston how that works, or anyone with an Uncle. 

Yeah. Flat out lulz at HtownHorn thinking growing up a full on redass with a brother already at A&M isn’t an advantage for them. The fact that he’s not even considering them with all those advantages speaks volumes about their program and especially Jimbo’s OLs. 

[SydneyCarton 49477]

1 minute ago, Burt Macklin said:

Flat out lulz at HtownHorn 

Fixed for succinctness while maintaining accuracy. 

[Lobwedgephil 1146]

Spoiler

Your latest ask Billy

Can you compile a list of the recruits you personally want in the upcoming class including the 3 already in?

Including the three commits, I'll go with my top handful in state and out of state:
In-State (no order):
Bryce Foster‍
Deuce Harmon‍
Reuben Fatheree‍
Landon Jackson‍
Marcus Burris‍
John Paul Richardson
Shemar Turner‍
LJ Johnson Jr‍/Camar Wheaton‍
Savion Byrd‍
Landen King‍
Andrew Mukuba‍
Terrence Cooks‍
JoJo Earle‍
Matthew Wykoff‍
Dametrious Crownover‍

OOS (only including guys I think are well within reach or I'm confident will visit):
Tony Grimes‍
Monkell Goodwine‍
Corey Kiner‍
Terrence Lewis‍
Bram Walden‍
Tristan Leigh‍
Amari Daniels‍
Victory Vaka‍

Who are the top 5 guys you want A&M to land the most, and what are the current chances for signing them? Thanks for doing these!

Top five in the class overall? Let's do this combined in-state and out:

Tony Grimes
Monkell Goodwine
Bryce Foster
Landon Jackson
LJ Johnson, Camar Wheaton or Corey Kiner

When things get better, and people start going back to their (new) normal lives, where is the one place that you want to go first, or the one thing that you want to do first, that you can't or won't do now?

There's a list that I'm sure most can relate to. Home to see the family in Sugar Land, any live sporting event (I'm assuming an Astros game), my usual restaurants around town for lunch and dinner with friends, sitting in an actual movie while devouring a pizza/pounding a coke float and a nice day trip up to Dallas would all rate high on my list.

Besides LJ Johnson, what other running backs is A&M pursuing? Any chance for A&M getting Wheaton?

There's a shot at Wheaton because of his familiarity with Tommie Robinson, but he could land anywhere. I'd still say the Ags are trailing the likes of LSU, OU and Texas, but he's a long way from deciding. It's clear that Jimbo loves Amari Daniels out of Miami, and the Ags are also very high on Corey Kiner out of Cincinnati. Between Johnson, Kiner, Wheaton and Daniels, I like the Ags' chances of landing one, but this is a year that I still think they're going to want to sign two.

Does this break hurt programs on the rise like A&M or places like tu where the coach is thought to be on the hot seat more than normal?

I think it hurts the programs on the rise more. Really there's no way to tell because it actually helps the more veteran teams and stable coaching situations like Jimbo has at A&M right now, so who really knows. This type of time off is unprecedented, so there's no formula or history to see who stands to benefit or be hurt most.

I'll try to be more specific... TE... How do you see our TE situation currently including Baylor's reconditioning, Max's move, and Coley's impact?

Coley is an outstanding addition, first of all. Baylor is going to be fully recovered and ready to go when practices finally resume. He would have been limited this spring but just out of extra degrees of precaution. Max Wright is the one who has to get healthy, and if he's able to do that and stay healthy, he could contribute in a variety of ways much like Renick did this year but as a high four-star type of athlete doing it. And don't get me wrong, Renick is good and is going to be counted on this year, as is Glenn Beal as a blocker. It's a loaded position with a proven stud returning in Wydermyer and one who could emerge this year in Cupp. Loaded.

How do you see our TE recruiting going and any changes or focuses with Coley's addition?

I think you'll see the Ags end up signing someone who could be very dynamic in the passing game in this year's class. Personally, I want to see them ink recent offer Landen King and Dametrious Crownover, but they're also in on a handful of OOS studs and I love Coley's odds of nabbing a prized target in addition to Crownover.

Thanks Looch! Always appreciated even though I usually don't get to ask questions while "at work". 🙂

Haha, I appreciate you for working around the 'work' constraints and finally getting a question in!

On a scale of 1-10, how annoying is it to see a post with the headline "Any Update On _______?"

It only bothers me if there's just no real information to give after we've updated things on the recruit the last time anything changed. Of course, it's a 10 if there's been an update in the last day or two and someone asks because another outlet gives a similar update a day or two later with the slightest change in information or making a big deal of something that really isn't accurate. It's the usual suspects.

That being said, it has made me curious on when you guys receive information from a source, what are the normal channels you take as a staff before it makes its way on the board?

Kind of asking to give away tradecraft, so I can't really answer that one. Just know we'll always do everything possible to do what's right by the prospect and his family and also make every effort to not inadvertently sabotage A&M's efforts. As I always say, it's not our job to help the Aggies recruit, but hurting their ongoing efforts is also not on our to-do list.

Thanks again for all y'all do. This is the best staff I've seen on the site and makes it incredibly enjoyable for the subscriber.

Appreciate that so much. The team is pretty badass these days, and we only plan on adding more firepower over time.

Outside the box...what is the biggest change you will see to sports after we get back from Coronavirus madness?

I think, outside of the obvious (the juggled timelines for seasons to begin and end), it will be an even greater connection between players, teams and their fans at the college level and the players, teams and cities at the pro level. Unfortunately, I also think fans will have to 'ease' back into entering stadiums in the short-term once they're allowed to do so and we resume play. Just hard right now to imagine standing next to stranger for 2-4 hours and exchanging high fives and conversation like we used to. It'll eventually return to normal, but it will take a while.

Let's say the quarantine gets lifted by summer. Does the NCAA give teams a chance to make up those lost practices from the spring, and if so, would they interfere with summer strength and conditioning?

Totally depends on when it resumes. If it's around mid-June, then I could see them doing it. If it's the start of July or so, I'd have a hard time imagining they'd be able to do anything outside of maybe starting camp a week early. Even then, the kids are going to need at the very least a bare minimum amount of time in an actual S&C program before being ready to take the field, practice in August and to make it through an entire season. Maybe give the coaches and players more time together in the way of meetings, on-field sessions without pads, etc. Maybe that would be a band-aid type of solution.

This was tee'd up to be a BIG momentum year in terms of a possible ten-win season, which looked to be able to support another top-five class. Let's say the football season doesn't happen and kids aren't able to take official visits and instead they are forced to commit based on less information (phone calls and gut feels). Does this help or hurt the Ags?

I think the shutdown is going to hurt the Ags' efforts because of how much momentum they had going out of state, how many guys were going to visit in the spring and early summer and how there isn't a ton of top-end defensive talent in-state this year. Not something the Ags won't be able to overcome, but I'd be lying if I said this didn't hurt in that regard. Of course, it might play in A&M's favor on the field, so they can make up for it with a big season, which is why I think they'd be helped A LOT if there's no early signing period.

Let me add that it obviously hurts us, but it hurts everyone. So the question is meant for you to incorporate who we compete against. If it hurts XYZ program more than the Ags, then it will help us.

So the net effect, does the above scenario help or hurt the Ags or do we end up with another top-five class?

I think this class ends up a top-ten class, and then the '22 and '23 classes are both in serious contention for top-five and will probably be there following tremendous seasons on the field in '20 and '21.

Looch, how much do you hate Suddenlink?

With the fire of a thousand suns. It's just unbelievable the lack of an honest answer to what's going on. That's really all I want to know and haven't had many issues prior (not like the other people I see complaining over the years).

If we could guarantee a football national championship and a men's basketball national championship in the next 10 years, but you had to only use Suddenlink for the rest of your life, would you take that deal?

Find me an Aggie who would turn down that deal, and we can talk. Hell, I'd unfollow everyone and everything on all social media platforms EXCEPT Brauny and watch him scream for attention every day for a decade if it meant the Ags winning those titles.

Top five series (TV, Netflix, Disney+, etc) that we should watch.

Well I've obviously been catching up but I'd go with these five:
Sopranos
Narcos
Ozark
Breaking Bad
24

As for comedies, I love the ones like The Office, Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Parks and Rec, 30 Rock and more recently Schitt's Creek.

And then I have my 'guilty pleasure' shows that really aren't that good. The CW type programs.

What is the best/worst meal you have eaten since Covid19 started?

They're all about the same. I can cook okay enough, but I'm ready to resume my restaurant eating. I was doing really good at eating healthy before all of this, and I'm still trying, but it's a lot tougher in some ways.

We've seen an uptick in visibility since Marshall Malchow's arrival on social media. Most recently with Coach Dickey taking over the Instagram for a day. Do you think Jimbo will lift his rule that assistants or other football staffers cannot talk to the media during this extended period of downtime?

I'd love to see it, but it's not something he's done (at FSU or A&M), and I think Jimbo is pretty damn great with his time and accommodating with the media, so I can't really complain about a thing on that front. Though Elko would certainly be a blast to talk to and interview.

I think the increase in social media is an improvement, but I think TexAgs (which is free labor to the program) would take it to the next level with unprecedented access with folks like Elko and Malchow.

I totally agree with you, and I think we'd do a great job right now with trusted, veteran players like Kellen and Jhamon. I'd love to sit down with those two for a podcast. You guys would absolutely love it, and no matter what anyone thinks, they wouldn't do a more relaxed interview better with anyone than they would with me. It's the one thing I wish we'd see a little more of — the players outside of the simple media gaggle (really, all I'm talking about is during the long off-season because I get those dudes not being spread thin during the season and with school requirements, etc.) and outside of being interviewed by 'in house' entities only.

Who are some candidates to replace Larry McDonald?

I'm sure Marshall has a nice list of candidates, but that's not a loss that they need to rush into filling. There's time to get that done and find someone who will bring a lot to the table. I think, long-term, Larry Mac wants to get into the administrative side of things and out of recruiting, so Baylor was the right path for him.

You've brushed shoulders with a ton of celebs. Who was one of the coolest, and who had you the most star-struck?

Most star-struck? Doesn't happen a lot, but definitely Anthony Kiedis from the Chili Peppers. The coolest and most down to earth were the guys from Metallica. Got to have dinner with Sophie's parents (Mark and Abbie) and Robert Trujillo, and by the time I was at my second concert in three nights, we were greeting each other like old buddies. He's the man and getting to sit in the tuning room with him before a show and just talk football (he's a big fan), music, family and everything else was badass. All thanks to Soph and her awesome parents who could just as easily been my aunt and uncle from New York. They're the best.

Some of others are Carlos Correa and JJ Watt. JJ stayed at the house with Lechler for that Ole Miss game, and we've been friends since. He's as down to earth as they come. I've been over there a couple times when several members of the team come over to watch UFC or play pool and enjoy dinner, and I wouldn't say I was starstruck by Altuve at all, just amazed when you meet him how a guy that size can be such an incredible pro athlete.

Meeting a lot of the WWE stars through Torrie was pretty cool too, though I didn't get to know them outside of drinks and a random dinner in Dallas before Wrestlemania a couple of years ago.

Want a random one? Dinner with Lil Jon in Dallas at Uchi one night (the same place we ate with the Reiter's and the Metallica crew). He's a pretty damn sharp dude and much lower-key than you'd ever think.

How many ranked opponents do we beat this season?

I'll go with two. Either two of the big three (Auburn, LSU, Bama) or one of those three plus a team that happens to sneak into the rankings in a week or two before the Ags play them (maybe Miss State or Ole Miss).

Do you think Jimbo will have to keep the playbook a little simpler considering what we are going through?

Maybe to some degree, but the good news is that with a veteran OL, a returning starter at tailback and tight end, two senior WRs and a senior QB, it probably won't be necessary to hold back much. Ainias showed during bowl practices that he's a quick learner, so I don't think he's going to have a hard time with anything they throw at him in camp, either. What hurts the offense, IMO, is less time for Demas and Achane to get acclimated and guys like Morris and Moose missing what could have been breakout springs. It also hurts at receiver more than anywhere else because they could have really used the practices to help the coaches get an idea as to which guys appeared ready to compete to start or make depth chart moves.

You and your crew are doing a great job keeping things interesting and informative.

Thank you! We're going to keep adding stuff as we go, as well. The cool thing is once we get into the routine of it, a lot of the new ideas will carry over. I'm planning to really continue to up the podcast game, as well, so there will be more of the ones like you heard with Jimbo, Von, Jerrod and Armani.

What are the plans, if any, regarding the Kickoff luncheon?

I think we're going to put that on hold for now and try to scramble and whip something together a couple of weeks before the season in August if the picture becomes clearer by early or mid-summer.

After watching his High School highlights, I was really surprised we offered RJ Orebo‍. He has been on campus a couple of years now and really we have not heard anything about him or seen him in the game. Is this a make a break year for him with respect to being on the team in 2021, what are you hearing about his progression?

He's actually only been on campus for one season. They knew going in that he was a down-the-road prospect because of his frame and the fact he was a later bloomer in football after being so good on the hardwood. Give this kid another year, and let's see where he's at because he's going to be about 6-7 and 275 pounds at that point with three years of eligibility left.

Considering some of our redshirt and incoming freshmen olineman coming in and the subpar play of the line last year especially in pass protection do you see a situation similar to 2010 when Joeckel and Mathews were freshman and they ended up starting and being a very good line by mid to late year? Who would occupy those spots in your mind for that scenario to unfold?

If that scenario were to unfold then I'd say Chris Morris has by far the best shot. Josh Bankhead being an early enrollee would be in the mix in your scenario. I think Akinola Ogunbiyi is the most underrated player in this year's class. He has a chance to be special, and what a coup to rip him back from Georgia considering the level they're recruiting at. Unfortunately, he's probably going to be getting off to a later start than expected due to the shutdown. But Morris and Aki plus Kenyon, I think those are three of your five starters in 2021, and I think if the Ags ink Bryce Foster, he'd be the fourth out of five starters that year.

Any truth to the rumors out of Arkansas that we went after their OLine coach? If so, is Fisher looking to jettison Henson?

That's amateur hour from Slick ‘n’ Slimy Sam Pittman. That's a dude who has never been a head coach and just doesn't get it or understand the game. There was a time I actually thought Henson might be Gundy's choice to take over the OSU offense, so maybe the Ags thought so as well and were out gauging interest in case? I honestly don't even know if that's the case but I am just using common sense. I said from the get-go if you guys remember that Jimbo wasn't making a change from Henson, and I never wavered on that. He and Jimbo are very much on the same page, and I think the head man is excited about what Josh is going to be able to do on the recruiting front now that he's got some actual relationships established with the Class of '21. It's an important year for the Ags when it comes to recruiting '21 OL, that's for sure.

 

 

[Leanderman 2360]

At least with the virus lockdown the gomers will not be raising eyebrows when a kid commits after never visiting the school.

[Thiefery 5108]

So Sam Pittman is Slimey but not any of the coaches at aggy huh?

[Mdhorn 6166]

1 hour ago, Thiefery said:

So Sam Pittman is Slimey but not any of the coaches at aggy huh?

Are you using logic to back up an argument against aggy?  Recruits that commit without visiting screams payoff but doesn't raise an eyebrow with their base.  What's crazy is that even blatant cheating can't get them close to playing in their conference championship, playoff consideration, or a bowl that matters.  They're a chugging culture and right now, they sell the SEC rather than what they've won.  

[HtownHorn 15230]

3 hours ago, SydneyCarton said:

Family pressure is an advantage. If you don't think so, I don't know what else to tell you. Ask Eric Winston how that works, or anyone with an Uncle. 

So when did Winston play for aggy?

[SydneyCarton 49477]

4 minutes ago, HtownHorn said:

So when did Winston play for aggy?

Are you so fucking dense that I need to recount the story of Eric Winston to you, a story that has been recounted here about 10 times in the last several yeas alone? Because, I mean, I will do it. Additionally, I'm not sure if you know how a fucking illustration, or a comparison works, but Eric Winston or anyone else has never had to actually attend aTm for it to be an example of familiar pressure influencing where a kid plays. Sort of like I never had to be a complete idiot personally to painstakingly but accurately illustrate what dipshit you are, sir. 

Or are re you trying to say Aggie Family pressure doesn't count here? Because that alone would be another laughable effort by your ass. 

Edited April 7, 2020 by SydneyCarton

[SwanderedTalent 5761]

3 hours ago, Lobwedgephil said:

If we could guarantee a football national championship and a men's basketball national championship in the next 10 years, but

what do you mean "if", you two-percenter??????!

[IDIOTsavant 8686]

5 hours ago, Spawn of Cthulhu said:

"Dryfit Lincoln"? Wow, Liucci's really coming with the heat.

Consider the source. From his view, dry fit doesn't work worth a damn.

[Neonmoon 38130]

5 hours ago, Lobwedgephil said:

When things get better, and people start going back to their (new) normal lives, where is the one place that you want to go first, or the one thing that you want to do first, that you can't or won't do now?

There's a list that I'm sure most can relate to. Home to see the family in Sugar Land, any live sporting event (I'm assuming an Astros game), my usual restaurants around town for lunch and dinner with friends, sitting in an actual movie while devouring a pizza/pounding a coke float and a nice day trip up to Dallas would all rate high on my list.

[texifornia 59012]

1 minute ago, Neonmoon said:

Yeah wait he's eating movie theater pizza while the show is playing? He must glisten with grease.

[Lobwedgephil 1146]

All aboard!!!!

Spoiler

Liucci

In reply to hoosierAG •  10:12a 

Staff

AG

hoosierAG said:

Yeah, was a little disappointed to here that as well. Guessing the impact of recruiting oos kids in this climate like he alluded will have a significant enough impact to keep us out of top 5.

I wouldn't dwell on it too much. I basically meant I think the class will land in a very similar spot to where it did lat year. Maybe just outside of the top-5. Give this particular staff a full recruiting cycle (which no one is getting this year so it kind of hurts when you have five new coaches) and what should be 9, 10 or more win seasons to recruit off of and you're about to see the Ags living in the top-5 under Jimbo in December and Februarys moving forward. 

Think of it like this:

2019: 3
2020: 6
2021: 6-8
2022: Top-5 coming off of the 2020 season
2023: Top-5 coming off of the 2021 season (and a four-class, LOADED roster)
2024: Top-5 (coming off of the 2022 season with your starting QB now in year two and a four-class, LOADED roster)

Does that look like an annual SEC title and playoff contender to you?

 

 

[Elmer_Fudd 22984]

I love that Looch just can't accept that in the 2019 class it was Texas #3 and aggy #4.

[Scholz 12305]

I here that Billy is a fucking dumbshit

[victory88 5763]

1 hour ago, Elmer_Fudd said:

I love that Looch just can't accept that in the 2019 class it was Texas #3 and aggy #4.

That's because you are looking at the biased sip composite ranking.  The only ranking that matters is the unbiased LUIGI TOP 44 and them texum aggy's is #3! 

[fattyflattie 4640]

Campus glory holes being shut down has to have him upset, for sure.  

[lemonandaturd 4289]

1 hour ago, fattyflattie said:

Campus glory holes being shut down has to have him upset, for sure.  

He is pretty resourceful .  He will find a work around.  Or maybe JFF will give him a reach around like in the glory days.    

[Johnny Sack 8397]

Billy,

Your high dollar coach has not fielded a competent O-line in like a decade.  And the recruiting has been awful in terms of ratings and fit (fat short and short armed 3 stars aren't going to be good).  And he actually recruited quality OL at FSU.

[Revolution512 1517]

Billy finds it harder to eat healthy at home instead of restaurant eating? How the fuck is that possible?

[SHOOTER12 8886]

5 hours ago, Scholz said:

I here that Billy is a fucking dumbshit

You herd right.

[Ricky's one-hitter 9622]

10 hours ago, Revolution512 said:

Billy finds it harder to eat healthy at home instead of restaurant eating? How the fuck is that possible?

My first thought as well. That dude hasn't seen a vegetable since the last bonfire

[GRHorn 105]

Ok help me out. What's with Dryfit Lincoln?

[SydneyCarton 49477]

17 minutes ago, GRHorn said:

Ok help me out. What's with Dryfit Lincoln?

You're asking a group of UT people to successfully identify why Billy Liucci's pea brain came up with a nickname? Ask me how to be a Sooner Fan next. 

In all seriousness, if I had to guess, and I'm absolutely guessing and probably giving Liucci too much credit, I'm guessing it's due to the dry fit undershirt Riley has to wear to prevent his sunshine belly-tat from showing when he sweats through his polos on game day. 

[Hiphopopotamos 21189]

That roller coaster is on its way,  up up up up...

 

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/why-texas-a-m-is-a-darkhorse-team-ready-to-break-through-as-a-contender-in-the-2020-season/

Will the 2020 season be the year

 Texas A&M finally breaks through and becomes a contender on a national scale? Texas A&M is a program with a lot of tradition, a lengthy history, an amazing gameday atmosphere and one of the most passionate fanbases in the country. It's also a program that doesn't have nearly as much success as you might expect.

Yes, the Aggies have claimed three national titles in their history, but the last was earned in 1939. It's a program that has won 18 conference titles but only one of them has come since 1993 -- that was in 1998 when the Aggies won the Big 12. It's the lone conference title since the Southwest Conference disbanded and the Aggies helped form the Big 12. A&M joined the SEC in 2012 and made one hell of an entrance, going 11-2 overall, 6-2 in the conference, defeating No. 1 Alabama and boasting quarterback Johnny Manziel as the first freshman to win the Heisman. Life hasn't been as fun since. In the past seven seasons, A&M has gone 57-33 overall and 28-28 in conference play. 

There are reasons to believe that the Aggies can break through in 2020, however. A lot of things are in their favor right now, and if they can take advantage, this is a team that could find itself competing for an SEC title and a possible College Football Playoff berth.

That's why the Aggies are one of the teams included in my 2020 Dark Horse Series this spring. Last year, I wrote about another school in Texas I felt was on the precipice of a big season: Baylor. The Bears went from 7-6 in 2018 to playing for a conference title and finishing the season 11-3 in 2019, proving once and for all that I'm a genius. Or, at least, that I can pick up on teams with a chance to take a step forward. 

Allow me now to break down why I believe A&M fits the bill to rise up as a contender in the 2020 season. 

1. The SEC West has a lot of question marks: Look at the SEC West entering the 2020 season. As has been the case so often in recent decades, it's the home of the reigning national champion after LSU put together one of the greatest seasons in college football history last year. Well, nearly every key piece associated with that team is gone, and I don't just mean Joe Burrow and fellow star players. I mean the Tigers have also lost both defensive coordinator Joe Aranda as well as passing-game coordinator Joe Brady, who received so much of the credit for reinventing the LSU offense last season. While LSU could win the division again, it's more likely the Tigers will take at least a slight step backward in 2020. 

The favorite in the division is Alabama, but even the Tide enter 2020 with concerns. Tua Tagovailoa, arguably the most talented QB in program history, is gone, as are all of his favorite targets and other key players on both offense and defense. According to returning production ratings of ESPN.com's Bill Connelly, Alabama ranks 88th nationally. Of course, there's no program better equipped to reload both on the field and the sidelines than Alabama, as it's done so seemingly every season. Still, Nick Saban has never had to replace a Tua Tagovailoa before.

Elsewhere, you have three programs with new head coaches in Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Arkansas. Three programs with new head coaches who lost a lot of practice time this spring due to the coronavirus. While it's impossible to predict what the impact of COVID-19 will be on college football heading into the season, it's common sense to believe that programs with new coaching staffs will be affected by this shutdown a little more severely than others. Then there's Auburn, which has Bo Nix coming back at QB as well as most of its coaching staff but also loses 13 starters off last season's team.

The Aggies, meanwhile, bring back their senior QB with 36 career games under his belt, leading rusher in Isaiah Spiller and leading receiver Jhamon Ausbon. The defense sees eight starters returning, though the loss of Justin Madubuike, who led the team in sacks and tackles for loss, can't be overlooked, nor can Charles Oliver's departure (15 passes defended in 2019). Still, the team's four-leading tacklers all return.

Simply put, the Aggies enter the 2020 season as the team with the least amount of question marks and the most experience at critical spots. This doesn't hurt their chances at overtaking the SEC West.

2. A kinder schedule: Last offseason, I projected schedule strength for every FBS program in the country. That passionate A&M fanbase I mentioned at the top of the story didn't take kindly to my projections because Texas A&M's schedule ranked third in the SEC and 24th nationally. As Aggies fans pointed out, they had to play not only the required SEC West schedule but also drew Georgia from the East as well as a road game against Clemson. They were playing three of the four playoff teams from the 2018 season. What they didn't understand, however, was that my projections didn't just include the toughest games but also nonconference games against doormats like Texas State, UTSA and Lamar. That dragged things down (For what it's worth, the Aggies SOS finished 28th nationally and 5th in the SEC in my internal ratings last year, proving again that I'm a genius).

That schedule resulted in A&M going 0-5 against the teams it played that finished the year ranked in the top 15 and 8-0 against everybody else. This year, the Aggies schedule looks to contain three top-15 programs, at most, in Alabama, Auburn and LSU. Alabama and Auburn are on the road, and the regular season finishes with the Tide and LSU in consecutive weeks. That won't be easy, but no SEC West schedule ever is. Taking the glass-half-full approach, the rest of the schedule is much more manageable. It's hard to see a loss in nonconference with four home dates against Abilene Christian, Colorado, Fresno State and North Texas, and Georgia has been swapped out for Vanderbilt. That's like dropping AP Calculus for Beginner's Algebra.

So if the Aggies lose five games again in 2020, they won't be able to point to the schedule as the reason.

3. A talent infusion: When it comes to recruiting and the level of talent on a team, context is often overlooked, particularly in the SEC. When you break down how talented an SEC roster is, you can't just say, "they've had three straight top-20 classes, so they should be a top-20 team." It's not that simple. 

To prove that point, you don't have to look further than the Kevin Sumlin era. In Sumlin's six seasons as coach, A&M never had a recruiting class ranked lower than 18th nationally in 247Sports' Composite Rankings. That's a great thing on the surface, and you see those rankings and realize A&M underachieved under Sumlin based on the talent level. The problem is that while A&M's classes under Sumlin featured two top-10 groups and an average overall ranking of No. 12 nationally, it's average ranking within the SEC was the No. 5.8 class. Even in 2013 and 2014, when the Aggies were riding the momentum of that 2012 season and finished No. 9 and No. 5 nationally, their classes were the fifth and third-best in the SEC those seasons.

This has changed slightly under Fisher. A&M's three classes under this regime have had an average finish of No. 9 nationally and No. 3.25 within the SEC. In other words, while it's still behind Alabama, Georgia and LSU in the recruiting world, it's passed everybody else up. Plus, A&M's 2018 class finished at No. 17 nationally. In the last two years, the Aggies have finished No. 4 and No. 6. Combine the returning production from last year's team with the talent infusion from the last couple of seasons for depth, and you have the ingredients needed for a team to take a step forward.

This is Fisher's third season in College Station, and that's typically when you start to see the progress made. 

4. Senior experience at quarterback: Of course, while everything I've written about is good for A&M, the truth is none of it will matter much if Kellen Mond doesn't play well. He's the wild card in this situation. Mond enters the 2020 season as the unquestioned starter, but while he's improved under Fisher, he's been maddeningly inconsistent. As you'd expect, he's struggled against the better teams. Last season against non-ranked opponents (A&M's eight wins), Mond completed over 67 percent of his passes for 7.9 yards per attempt with 1.75 touchdowns and 0.63 INT per game. Against ranked teams (all five losses), Mond completed only 55.6 percent of his passes for 5.9 yards per attempt with 1.2 TD and 0.8 INT per game. 

Those numbers can be a little misleading, however. Mond spent a lot of the time under pressure when dropping back to pass last season. Some of this was on Mond and his inability to find the receiver and make a decision, but still, the offensive line played its part as well. A&M's OL doesn't stand out in any particular area of Football Outsiders' line metrics, and it ranked 90th overall in sack rate including 102nd in sack rate on passing downs. Mond was let down by his receivers at times, too. There were 56 FBS QBs who threw at least 350 passes last season, and Mond's completion rate of 61.6 percent ranked 35th amongst them. His on-target rate of 74.5 percent, however, ranked 23rd. Still not elite, but it indicates Mond was more accurate than the traditional numbers suggest. 

You always hope to see your senior QB improve in his final season, particularly when they have as much experience as Mond. In his third and final season under Fisher, Mond doesn't have to prove to be an elite player or the best QB in the SEC, but if he continues to improve like he has the last couple of years, it would help the chances of Texas A&M taking a big step forward considerably.

 

Edited April 8, 2020 by Hiphopopotamos

[T-shirt Sip 2206]

On 4/7/2020 at 9:38 AM, Lobwedgephil said:

  Hide contents

That being said, it has made me curious on when you guys receive information from a source, what are the normal channels you take as a staff before it makes its way on the board?

Kind of asking to give away tradecraft, so I can't really answer that one. Just know we'll always do everything possible to do what's right by the prospect and his family and also make every effort to not inadvertently sabotage A&M's efforts. As I always say, it's not our job to help the Aggies recruit, but hurting their ongoing efforts is also not on our to-do list.

 

Ha trade secrets. I guess he doesn’t want to come right out and say they make up most of the shit they make money off of these idiots.