2013 Texas A&M Recruiting running thread

[navscanmaster]

Gotta keep up with PhilC on the Longhorn side, although it may be more of a weekly update as busy as I usually am right now.

As of A&M's second Junior day, February 18, 2012, the Aggies have verbals from 10 players, all in the State of Texas.

1. Christian Lacouture, DE 6'5" 260 - College Station A&M Consolidated
2. Jamar Gibson, WR 6'2" 190 - Baytown Goose Creek
3. Kohl Stewart, QB 6'3" 185 - Houston St. Pius X*
4. Isaiah Golden, DT 6'2" 295 - Elysian Fields*
5. Derrick Griffin, WR/TE 6'6" 215 - Rosenberg Terry*
6. Kerrick Huggins, DT 6'4" 283 - Dallas Skyline*
7. Ishmael Wilson, OT 6'5" 275 - Dallas Bishop Dunne*
8. Johnny Jefferson, RB 5'10" 195 - Killeen Shoemaker
9. Victor Davis, CB, 6'1" 178 - Rosenberg Terry
10. Joes Aguilar, OG, 6'5" 290 - Birdville

*denotes Rivals top 250

So far, another solid class is in the makings

[Old Tiger]

Is Griffin going to be able to get in? He is a grades risk, right?

[Phil C]

Very good navs. Please keep the updates coming.

[navscanmaster]

Is Griffin going to be able to get in? He is a grades risk, right?
The outlook is good. Never heard any of the grades risk stuff until he was committed. However, he is one of, if not the top, nation's best two sport athlete. Some sites have him listed at 6'7" already. Money B was that tall, so its not a huge problem, as 'tellus was a heck of a player, albeit underutilized. Having him in the fold kind of softens the blow of losing an Aggie legacy in Gary Oliver's boy, Jake. Jamar Gibson is a STUD at wideout, and hopefully his move to Goose Creek will have him catching passes this year. I actually don't think it is possible for UT or A&M to have anything less than great receiver classes this year with all the talent.

[navscanmaster]

To expand on the kids that aren't Rivals Top 250, since that is one of the most popular rankings out there, I will highlight a couple of players that are probably going to find their way in there by January. First, Jamar Gibson, as noted above, is one of the most athletic, sure-handed, high leaping receivers in the state. His commitment to A&M a while back was a major development. He was rumored to be soft on his verbal after the coaching change, but he recently reaffirmed his commitment to Coach Sumlin and the Ags. I have seen more than one evaluator compare him to Dez Bryant at the same age. I think his last year playing safety and only occasional offense kind of dropped his stock, but if he returns to wideout for Goose Creek, watch out.

Christian Lacouture was the Aggies' first 2013 commitment when he was a sophomore at Odessa Permian. He and his family moved to College Station before his junior year. He was a major part of the defense for the Tigers last year, with a heck of a motor on the line, primarily playing defensive tackle. This year, he thinks he will be playing strongside defensive end and showcasing his pass rush. He met with new defensive line coach Price at junior day and more or less solidified his commitment, which was in question after Terrell Williams took a job with the Oakland Raiders. He already holds offers from LSU, Michigan, Mizzou, Nebraska, Baylor, and Texas Tech, with more on the way. His stock should continue to rise. A year at DE on the Tiger defense and he will be a no doubter as a top 20 type in the state.

Also, look out for Joes Aguilar at tackle. I don't quite know how, but their is smoke that he will be getting a flood of attention from D1 schools very soon, if not already. I guess his tape just started making the rounds.

[1st and goal]

Thanks Navscan!

[Macarthur]

I saw something this weekend that, as of right now, OU, OSU, Ark & LSU all have a total of 1 commit from Texas. I know it's early and that will change, but I think it's a good sign that A&M and UT are dominating the state. I hope this trend continues.

[Phil C]

Hey navs isn't it strange how most recruiting web sites have players ranking increase if they wait till National Signing Day? It seems that the top ones that commit early go slightly down when they verbal early whereas the ones that wait till the last stay somehow move up to No. 1 or much higher.

[Phil C]

I just found out that the Aggies picked up a commitment from J.J. Gustafson, OL, from Dallas. This is another good pickup for the Aggies. He had an impressive list of offers that included Oklahoma, Aarkansas, Michigan, Nebraska, Stanford, etc.

[Macarthur]

Yeah, on another board, they were saying that one of OU's site is having a pretty decent meltdown about them being shutout in Texas so far.

[warpath]

Coach Sumlin was a big recruiter for OU in Texas once upon a time

[Old Tiger]

Yeah, on another board, they were saying that one of OU's site is having a pretty decent meltdown about them being shutout in Texas so far.there is strange stuff going on at ou...plus they have been going national more and not focusing just on Texas like they used to

[Phil C]

there is strange stuff going on at ou...plus they have been going national more and not focusing just on Texas like they used to

You got that right Old and read below. There may not be anything improper but it is strange that Oklahoma is involved even though maybe innocently.

http://www.sbnation.com/college-football-recruiting/2012/2/21/2814321/oklahoma-coach-jay-norvell-twitter-commits-recruit-violations-ncaa

[Macarthur]

there is strange stuff going on at ou...plus they have been going national more and not focusing just on Texas like they used to

Yeah, I've read there's some weird stuff going on up there as well.

[Phil C]

I have preferred out kids to stay in state. UT can't get them all but there some good ones that can play for A&M, TCU, TT, SMU, Houston, Rice, etc. I would prefer them to play in Texas than go to LSU, Oklahoma, Michigan, etc.

[navscanmaster]

I have preferred out kids to stay in state. UT can't get them all but there some good ones that can play for A&M, TCU, TT, SMU, Houston, Rice, etc. I would prefer them to play in Texas than go to LSU, Oklahoma, Michigan, etc.

I do as well, Phil. It will be interesting to see how Oklahoma and Okie Lite do in the coming years without a great selection of top Texas talent. Poor Okie Lite just can't win for winning, as their recruiting has yet to catch up to their program's recent success.

Anyhow, the Ags did pick up a few more commitments over the weekend and on Monday. As of Tuesday, February 21st, the Aggie have 13 total commitments.

1. Christian Lacouture, DE 6'5" 260 - College Station A&M Consolidated
2. Jamar Gibson, WR 6'2" 190 - Baytown Goose Creek
3. Kohl Stewart, QB 6'3" 185 - Houston St. Pius X*
4. Isaiah Golden, DT 6'2" 295 - Elysian Fields*
5. Derrick Griffin, WR/TE 6'6" 215 - Rosenberg Terry*
6. Kerrick Huggins, DT 6'4" 283 - Dallas Skyline*
7. Ishmael Wilson, OT 6'5" 275 - Dallas Bishop Dunne*
8. Johnny Jefferson, RB 5'10" 195 - Killeen Shoemaker
9. Victor Davis, CB, 6'1" 178 - Rosenberg Terry
10. Joes Aguilar, OG, 6'5" 290 - Birdville
11. James White, RB, 5'11" 190 - Pearland Dawson
12. Jonathan Wiggins, S, 6'3" 190 - Alief Taylor
13. J.J. Gustafson, OT, 6'6" 270 - Dallas Jesuit

*denotes Rivals top 250

Tidbits to note on the new commitments and open targets:
a.) J.J. Gustafson is maybe a half step behind Kent Perkins, another Aggie (and everybody else) target for best offensive tackle in the state. Known for playing with a mean streak, his protection has helped the Jesuit QB find Longhorn commit Jake Oliver for ridiculous yardage and touchdowns through the air. He, along with Perkins, was (and is) being heavily recruited by most of the national powers. Many insiders thought an offer from Mack was shortcoming to keep the high school teammates together.
b.) Justin Manning is thought to have Texas A&M currently leading his top three. It is pretty much twitter/facebook related, but if the Ags were to offer Brandon Hines, Manning's homeboy, which they might have done already, they would pick up both commitments. That would be absolutely huge for the Aggies to land three of the top five defensive tackles in the state, assuming Darius James plays offense.
c.) James White, the RB from Dawson, is a top five running back in the state. Some are saying this is a down year for running backs in Texas, but that is probably because the state's top runner, Keith Ford, has not really shown any interest in Texas or A&M. Dontre Wilson remains a top target on both program's board, but as a speed back. White and Ford bring more power to the running game. He is really a great pickup for the Aggies and is more of a replacement for Christine Michael, who will be a senior. With Trey Williams, Ben Malena, and Brandon Williams all being speedy, open space threats, there has to be at least one back that can push the pile in short yardage.

[SHSBulldog00]

Cedar Hill's LaQuivonte Gonzalez (ATH) and Quincy Adeboyejo (WR) have committed to A&M. A pair of nice gets.

[Phil C]

Cedar Hill's LaQuivonte Gonzalez (ATH) and Quincy Adeboyejo (WR) have committed to A&M. A pair of nice gets.

They are both a pair that should be able to help the Aggies in the future SHS.

[navscanmaster]

Yes, they did commit today and are great additions, LG being one of the top prospects in the country. Christian LaCouture did decommit this week, but the Aggies are still the team to beat. Nobody likes a decommit on their squad, but at least the kid is doing the right thing. If you intend on checking out other schools to make a final decision, then you are not truly committed. I still think he ends up at A&M, but we have some serious competition from LSU and Michigan among others.

[gatordaze]

I do as well, Phil. It will be interesting to see how Oklahoma and Okie Lite do in the coming years without a great selection of top Texas talent. Poor Okie Lite just can't win for winning, as their recruiting has yet to catch up to their program's recent success.

Anyhow, the Ags did pick up a few more commitments over the weekend and on Monday. As of Tuesday, February 21st, the Aggie have 13 total commitments.

1. Christian Lacouture, DE 6'5" 260 - College Station A&M Consolidated
2. Jamar Gibson, WR 6'2" 190 - Baytown Goose Creek
3. Kohl Stewart, QB 6'3" 185 - Houston St. Pius X*
4. Isaiah Golden, DT 6'2" 295 - Elysian Fields*
5. Derrick Griffin, WR/TE 6'6" 215 - Rosenberg Terry*
6. Kerrick Huggins, DT 6'4" 283 - Dallas Skyline*
7. Ishmael Wilson, OT 6'5" 275 - Dallas Bishop Dunne*
8. Johnny Jefferson, RB 5'10" 195 - Killeen Shoemaker
9. Victor Davis, CB, 6'1" 178 - Rosenberg Terry
10. Joes Aguilar, OG, 6'5" 290 - Birdville
11. James White, RB, 5'11" 190 - Pearland Dawson
12. Jonathan Wiggins, S, 6'3" 190 - Alief Taylor
13. J.J. Gustafson, OT, 6'6" 270 - Dallas Jesuit

*denotes Rivals top 250

Tidbits to note on the new commitments and open targets:
a.) J.J. Gustafson is maybe a half step behind Kent Perkins, another Aggie (and everybody else) target for best offensive tackle in the state. Known for playing with a mean streak, his protection has helped the Jesuit QB find Longhorn commit Jake Oliver for ridiculous yardage and touchdowns through the air. He, along with Perkins, was (and is) being heavily recruited by most of the national powers. Many insiders thought an offer from Mack was shortcoming to keep the high school teammates together.
b.) Justin Manning is thought to have Texas A&M currently leading his top three. It is pretty much twitter/facebook related, but if the Ags were to offer Brandon Hines, Manning's homeboy, which they might have done already, they would pick up both commitments. That would be absolutely huge for the Aggies to land three of the top five defensive tackles in the state, assuming Darius James plays offense.
c.) James White, the RB from Dawson, is a top five running back in the state. Some are saying this is a down year for running backs in Texas, but that is probably because the state's top runner, Keith Ford, has not really shown any interest in Texas or A&M. Dontre Wilson remains a top target on both program's board, but as a speed back. White and Ford bring more power to the running game. He is really a great pickup for the Aggies and is more of a replacement for Christine Michael, who will be a senior. With Trey Williams, Ben Malena, and Brandon Williams all being speedy, open space threats, there has to be at least one back that can push the pile in short yardage.

Not to pick but JJ is not the next best OT in the state. Little Gatordaze owns that spot by a long shot! b Throw out Tedxags and OB bias rankings and Jake is ranked 4.5 in the state all positions and JJ is ranked in the mid 30's in the state

Here's the aggregate ranking as of 2/15

Rank Average Rank Player LSR100 (OB) Fab55 (Local 247) Top 44 (TexAgs) Rivals 250

1 2.75 Kent Perkins 3 2 2 4
2 3.25 Derrick Griffin 4 3 3 3
3 4.00 Tyrone Swoopes 1 10 4 1
4 4.75 Ricky Seals-Jones 2 14 1 2
5 7.25 Darius James 8 5 5 11
6 7.25 A'shawn Robinson 6 7 8 8
7 7.50 Justin Manning 5 9 6 10
8 7.75 Jake Raulerson 7 4 15 5
9 9.00 Jake Oliver 11 8 11 6
10 9.50 Isaiah Golden 12 12 7 7
11 9.75 Keith Ford 16 1 10 12
12 14.50 Dontre Wilson 10 16 9 23
13 16.50 Ishmael Wilson 19 11 21 15
14 16.50 Kameron Miles 9 30 18 9
15 18.25 Cody Thomas 14 15 24 20
16 21.75 Laquvionte Gonzalez 22 36 13 16
17 22.50 Devin Lauderdale 15 28 22 25
18 22.50 J.T. Barrett 26 6 45 13
19 22.75 Kohl Stewart 40 18 12 21
20 23.75 Ra'Shaad Samples 18 37 16 24
21 26.00 Jacorey Warrick 31 21 19 33
22 27.00 Mike Mitchell 23 20 32 33
23 27.25 JJ Gustafson 20 42 14 33
24 27.50 James White 24 33 20 33
25 28.75 Marcell Ateman 25 31 45 14
26 29.50 Durham Smythe 35 24 26 33
27 29.75 Brett Wade 29 19 41 30
28 30.50 Antwuan Davis 13 53 37 19
29 30.75 Raaquan Davis 17 56 17 33
30 32.00 Kyle Hicks 45 22 28 33

[Z-RO]

Not to pick but JJ is not the next best OT in the state. Little Gatordaze owns that spot by a long shot! b Throw out Tedxags and OB bias rankings and Jake is ranked 4.5 in the state all positions and JJ is ranked in the mid 30's in the state

Here's the aggregate ranking as of 2/15

Rank Average Rank Player LSR100 (OB) Fab55 (Local 247) Top 44 (TexAgs) Rivals 250

1 2.75 Kent Perkins 3 2 2 4
2 3.25 Derrick Griffin 4 3 3 3
3 4.00 Tyrone Swoopes 1 10 4 1
4 4.75 Ricky Seals-Jones 2 14 1 2
5 7.25 Darius James 8 5 5 11
6 7.25 A'shawn Robinson 6 7 8 8
7 7.50 Justin Manning 5 9 6 10
8 7.75 Jake Raulerson 7 4 15 5
9 9.00 Jake Oliver 11 8 11 6
10 9.50 Isaiah Golden 12 12 7 7
11 9.75 Keith Ford 16 1 10 12
12 14.50 Dontre Wilson 10 16 9 23
13 16.50 Ishmael Wilson 19 11 21 15
14 16.50 Kameron Miles 9 30 18 9
15 18.25 Cody Thomas 14 15 24 20
16 21.75 Laquvionte Gonzalez 22 36 13 16
17 22.50 Devin Lauderdale 15 28 22 25
18 22.50 J.T. Barrett 26 6 45 13
19 22.75 Kohl Stewart 40 18 12 21
20 23.75 Ra'Shaad Samples 18 37 16 24
21 26.00 Jacorey Warrick 31 21 19 33
22 27.00 Mike Mitchell 23 20 32 33
23 27.25 JJ Gustafson 20 42 14 33
24 27.50 James White 24 33 20 33
25 28.75 Marcell Ateman 25 31 45 14
26 29.50 Durham Smythe 35 24 26 33
27 29.75 Brett Wade 29 19 41 30
28 30.50 Antwuan Davis 13 53 37 19
29 30.75 Raaquan Davis 17 56 17 33
30 32.00 Kyle Hicks 45 22 28 33



Shhhhhh you cant argue with Aggie logic :crazy:

[navscanmaster]

Shhhhhh you cant argue with Aggie logic :crazy:Shhhhhh you can't insinuate an Aggie recruit could ever be better than a longhorn recruit. If you think Mack doesn't want J.J. you are failing in the recruiting game. Had he not committed and actually attended the Longhorn JD, he would have come away with an offer and shot up fatty's rankings faster than Mack can trap door a defensive tackle that ate one too many burgers.

[navscanmaster]

Not to pick but JJ is not the next best OT in the state. Little Gatordaze owns that spot by a long shot! b Throw out Tedxags and OB bias rankings and Jake is ranked 4.5 in the state all positions and JJ is ranked in the mid 30's in the state
You are right, I did forget to mention Jake, probably because there are a lot of recruiting gurus that might as well be projecting Jake as an athlete. He could play any position on either side of the line of scrimmage and dominate. Where he ends up is questionable, but if Texas wants Darius James at center, that at least eliminates one position, lol. As far as the state rankings go, if Jake plays tackle, I would say:

1. Kent Perkins



2. Jake Raulerson
3. J.J. Gustafson
4. Ishmael Wilson
5. Joas Aguliar

I think Joas could jump Wilson and even J.J. with a good senior year. His film and praise from scouts is awesome. All of these guys should be four stars by NSD with Perkins having a fifth barring a meltdown.

[gatordaze]

Shhhhhh you can't insinuate an Aggie recruit could ever be better than a longhorn recruit. If you think Mack doesn't want J.J. you are failing in the recruiting game. Had he not committed and actually attended the Longhorn JD, he would have come away with an offer and shot up fatty's rankings faster than Mack can trap door a defensive tackle that ate one too many burgers.

Not sure that is completely accurate. IF Texas had missed on Perkins, James, Raulerson or Robinson then JJ might have been invited to JD2. Texas invited all of the players that they wanted to JD1 (Perkins could not find a ride) and all were offered. They targeted 4 OL and got them all. There is not room for another unless they would be ranked higher than these guys and JJ is not.

This class is small 15-18 and there are 4 outstanding offers out with 12 commits (Hughes will count against 2014). I think that the last 2 are reserved for OOS studs.

[navscanmaster]

Not sure that is completely accurate. IF Texas had missed on Perkins, James, Raulerson or Robinson then JJ might have been invited to JD2. Texas invited all of the players that they wanted to JD1 (Perkins could not find a ride) and all were offered. They targeted 4 OL and got them all. There is not room for another unless they would be ranked higher than these guys and JJ is not.

This class is small 15-18 and there are 4 outstanding offers out with 12 commits (Hughes will count against 2014). I think that the last 2 are reserved for OOS studs.

J.J. was invited. It has been noted on several recruiting services. Three of those guys you listed are possibles on the DL side as well, and J.J. was apparently ranked quite high in Mack's staff's opinion. Texas rarely actually offers guys in state without getting them to campus. It takes a top 20 national player to get a mail or phone offer from Mack. It is just the way he has always done things. It makes the Texas offer a prize in the minds of recruits, since even powers such as LSU and Bama make phone and mail offers to prospects.

[Z-RO]

J.J. was invited. It has been noted on several recruiting services. Three of those guys you listed are possibles on the DL side as well, and J.J. was apparently ranked quite high in Mack's staff's opinion. Texas rarely actually offers guys in state without getting them to campus. It takes a top 20 national player to get a mail or phone offer from Mack. It is just the way he has always done things. It makes the Texas offer a prize in the minds of recruits, since even powers such as LSU and Bama make phone and mail offers to prospects.

You literally don't know much about Texas recruiting, I knew I shouldn't have opened this thread...epic failure on my part. Back to the thread where Texas is stomping the entire country in recruiting thus far. Have fun with all of your hypothetical make believed assumptions :2thumbsup

[navscanmaster]

You literally don't know much about Texas recruiting, I knew I shouldn't have opened this thread...epic failure on my part. Back to the thread where Texas is stomping the entire country in recruiting thus far. Have fun with all of your hypothetical make believed assumptions :2thumbsup
Sounds like I know more about it than you. Of course, we only know what we are told by those we follow. Maybe you have some inside information I, or several recruiting sites, don't. If you simply do a little looking around, you will see that of the current Aggie commits, Isaiah Golden, J.J. Gustafson, Ishmael Wilson, and James White were all invited before they committed to Texas A&M. But if you want to bury your head in the sand and think that Texas is so mighty that Mack is only interested in 15-20 kids in the entire country and will sign only them, be my guest. I and everyone else knows that Texas is killing it in recruiting lately, so the condescending BS is not necessary.

[Z-RO]

How many of those kids left without offers? :)

[Old Tiger]

I know lamps

[navscanmaster]

How many of those kids left without offers? :)IIRC, none of them attended despite the invite. Some because of their commitment to A&M, some because of transportation. Like I said, if you think Mack has no interest in Gustafson, I. Wilson, and Golden in particular, I don't know what will help you. Is there some kind of complex that horn fans (not all, I know) have that they just can't admit that A&M could possibly have a guy they want? Do you honestly think, "official" offers and the spin that goes with that aside, that there is never a single player on the A&M roster that Mack wants or wanted?

And they call us delusional.....

[navscanmaster]

I know lamps?????

[Old Tiger]

IIRC, none of them attended despite the invite. Some because of their commitment to A&M, some because of transportation. Like I said, if you think Mack has no interest in Gustafson, I. Wilson, and Golden in particular, I don't know what will help you. Is there some kind of complex that horn fans (not all, I know) have that they just can't admit that A&M could possibly have a guy they want? Do you honestly think, "official" offers and the spin that goes with that aside, that there is never a single player on the A&M roster that Mack wants or wanted?

And they call us delusional.....They probably did at first but after landing the 4 they offered first I think the interest kinda disappeared.