Tipton Auto Group in Brownsville is Aggie owned and operated, and they can help you with your new or used car needs anywhere in Texas. Check them out at TiptonFordBrownsville.com, or call (956)350-5600!
Here's this week's AggieYell Mailbag:
Q: Any word on how the D coaches are going to shake out with the latest addition?
Will Bateman's role change? (Tip despiser)
A: I think you’ll have Co-DCs who will largely be responsible for game planning, but Elko is going to have final say on scheme and play calling (as in, he’ll call the plays). Would that change Bateman’s role? Yeah, I think that it would. He’s going to have some additional eyes on the gameplan and scheme.
Q: I know we have gone over this before, but what is your latest theory on why we under performed on the defensive line and in stopping the run game. (Richard23)
A: I think it was part schematic and part a lack of discipline. They didn’t cut off the edges consistently, and the linebackers and safeties frequently ran themselves out of plays. And then the tackling was just terrible. Guys need to play assignment football and go back to the basics of tackling, because whatever that was last year did not work.
Q: We appear to be missing out on some top 2026 players, especially in need positions. Hero is the latest. Do you see this more tied to NIL, and should we assume everything is fluid until signing day? (Maddog83)
A: First, I disagree strongly. A&M has the second-ranked class in the nation right now for 2026 and have 10 commits already. They need to get more on both lines, but they haven’t missed on anyone. As I showed in the hot board (and if you’re not a subscriber, boo on you because you’re not gonna see it), not a single A&M offensive tackle target is committed and only one guard/center is.
Second, Kanu is a transfer, not a class of 2026 recruit.
I’d hold your fire on critiquing the ’26 class at this point. It’s off to a fantastic start.
Q: Can we get a “pipeline” for basketball? Seems like we lose a lot off this year’s team, wondering what we have coming back. And yes, I know Buzz works the portal hard, but most of this years starters have been long term guys who’ve bought in to Buzz’s style. (KatyAg)
A: That’s a great idea. Here you go:
Q: Do we need more Shemars or Solomons (hoops included)?
A: Absolutely. Can’t get enough. It’s like having a bunch of Joey Perots or Patrick Lewis-es (and it’s his birthday today!).
Of our departures, who will we miss most?
A: Even though he didn’t completely wreck shop, I’m going to go with Nic Scourton. For the first two-thirds of the season, he was dominant. And now that he’s pulled out of the Senior Bowl, I do wonder if he was banged up down the stretch.
Along with that which positions do we still need to fill without playing true fish? (6.William.Bs)
A: Defensive tackle, wideout and corner. But a couple of the freshmen (Kiotti Armstrong, Jerome Myles, Marco Jones, any one of the three corners or three defensive tackles) could be good enough to play anyway.
Q: In your opinion why does Obaseki not get more minutes late?
He has the most raw athletic ability of the entire team IMO. What do you think?
A: He’s not a great defender, and Buzz values stopping points being scored more than having another attacker on the court.
Did the team do extra work on FT or was this last game dumb luck? (Spar2cus)
A: Buzz said after the game that they brought in a guy to work on free throws and they may have to give him an extension now. I don’t know if he was kidding or not, but something was noticeably different.
Q: Have you decided on a Wednesday theme? (Travster23)
A: Not yet, but I’m starting to formulate an idea.
Q: Have you gotten the dates for spring practice and the spring game yet? (H273)
A: No, but hopefully we’ll get a clue here in the next couple of weeks.
Q: I remember hearing last year that Shedeur Sanders never even went on campus, much less attended class in person. It never occurred to me that would even happen but in this day and age I could see it being common. How do our high-profile student athletes go to school? Is Sanders’ experience unusual or the norm? Thank you. (Kneuse)
A: Sanders may be an exception case, but I know Johnny Manziel took most of his classes online after he became a pop culture icon in 2012. Most, if not all, of A&M’s students go to classes like regular students. And they are definitely expected to keep their grades up.
Q: What was up with the last question from the TU post game interview with Buzz and the question on why Manny didn’t play more the second half? The answer from Buzz was bizarre. (Zoo)
A: Yeah, I really don’t know what was up with that. It was a valid question, after Obaseki had 13 points in 11 minutes. If nothing else, his presence on the court would have made life easier for Zhuric Phelps and Wade Taylor.
Q: Was there a game story following the tu debacle on 1/25/25 - didn't see it. (mckd75)
A: There wasn’t one. I had some family stuff going on and that’s as far as I’d like to go with it. I don’t think that’ll occur again.
