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Q: What the remaining process for the Football Class of 2026 high school commits to formally join the Aggie Football program? (Raraeo)

A: Stay committed, be accepted into the university (normally not a problem) and sign your paperwork in the early signing period or on signing day. That’s it.

Q: Majority of the 26 class is from out of state. Is there anything there? Or just this specific class is just coming together like this and not a big deal? (Gmalone)

A: I’ve seen a number of questions about this and there seems like a genuine worry about A&M only having seven commits from Texas out of 21. My response would be simple: “Why are you upset about this?”

This is what you have to do in this day and age if you want to win big — recruit nationally. Less than half of Ohio State’s current class is from Ohio. Only two of 10 of Alabama’s commits are from Alabama. Two of Oregon’s 10 commits are from Oregon. Twelve of Georgia’s 20 commits are from Georgia, but that still means eight of them aren’t.

Mike Elko laid out his recruiting approach right off that bat: you operate from inside out. He has seven Texas commits, more than any other state. He’ll get more. But this is also a great national class for corners, wideouts and defensive linemen. So he went national and had great success (so far). I personally think this is a great thing and bodes well for the future. But, for people who only want Texans representing Texas A&M (I’m not saying that’s your mindset, just in general), I can get the frustration.

Q: 1. NFR, you get to pick any kind of movie to just sit back and enjoy. What kind do you prefer? Action? Drama? Westerns?, War Flicks?, Sci-Fi, or??

A: Probably an action move or a comedy. I’m not one of those who looks for the “art” in a movie, I’m watching to have my brain relax for a while.

2. Do you think the coaches "know" who the final 4 commits (assuming 25's the #) are??

I think it’s more than four and yes, I think they have a pretty good idea.

3. What do you think of OB going independent?

Could not possibly care less. They have been irrelevant to me during our time under the same umbrella and will remain so.

4. IF healthy all year, do you see our offense averaging over 30 pts a game? (Tsip Despiser)

They averaged 30.4 a game last year, so yeah, I think they should top that pretty easily if healthy.

Q: Coaching continuity is good (provided the coaches are too). How does our current staff look, I.e. - do we have many who are looking to move up, or are more of them position type guys who may stick around for a while. (TAMU-83)

A: I may be in the minority here, but I want assistants with ambition to move up. That tends to bring out the best in them, and you benefit from it. I don’t think guys like Collin Klein are in a hurry to leave, but a good season from the offense and he might get a look at some top jobs. On the other hand, you may have other guys who are tired of moving around and want to be somewhere for a while, and that may constitute a lot of the rest of the assistants. Continuity is good, but so is ambition. The trick is finding the right mix.

Q: What is the differentiator for football recruiting right now? We are on a great trajectory, is it based on money alone or are there other factors? (BC93)

A: It’s not just money. Elko went out and hired some of the nation’s best recruiters and they’re doing what they’re supposed to. Receivers coach Holmon Wiggins, running backs coach Trooper Taylor and defensive ends coach Sean Spencer were all known for their recruiting chops, and younger guys like Jordan Peterson have really shown they’re elite too. Peterson had strong West Coast ties from his time at Kansas, and that’s paid off in a big way since he’s returned to A&M.

I said all that to say this — these coaches now how to connect with people. Derek Mason is an excellent recruiting GM and Elko has a plan that he can easily lay out to recruits and their families.

Money is a factor — a big factor — but it’s not the only one. These coaches have done a great job establishing personal relationships, and those have made a massive difference.

Q: On Facebook Aggie Discussion, do you know Ferdinand Chew? If so, is his info reliable? (FbFan222)

A: I don’t know anything about him personally, but he seems to be far, far better than most stuff on Facebook. As a whole, Facebook is an absolute cesspool filled with inaccurate information or outright lies. I would not take much of anything on there as gospel.

Q: can you provide what positions they are still recruiting for, how many spots they are looking to fill for those positions and which recruits are still being considered for those spots? (Aggie 90)

A: Wide receiver — Boobie Feaster, Tristen Keys, Jase Mathews and maybe Legend Bey

Offensive line — John Turntine III, but I think they’ll have to look for some other guys.

Defensive end — Tank Jones, Bryce Perry-Wright and Jaquez Wilkes

Defensive tackle — Lamar Brown and, after that, I don’t know.

Nickel — Bralan Womack

Safety — Tamarian Watkins and Tylan Wilson

Linebacker — Tank King and DaQuives Beck

Q: Who is the 2027 QB that our coaches most desire for football? (Superag1000)

A: The two names I’ve heard most are Jayce Johnson and Peyton Houston. Johnson has A&M in his leaders and has a commitment date set for Aug. 3, so they may have their man sooner rather than later.

Q: Remaining HS OL, specifically OT, targets? Any potential flips being targeted for a big-time OT or just fill in any gaps thru the portal after the season shakes out? (Mozilla)

A: After having four targets come off the board in two days — two to A&M — Turntine is about all that’s left at this point and I think he’s going elsewhere. I’ve been banging the drum about the need for experience, so maybe they’re going to focus on the portal from here on out.

Q: Going into the season this fall, what one area is needing improvement the most to provide an opportunity of having a 10 win season?

It may not be the area needing the most improvement, but the area that some measurable improvement is needed in order to make everything else click. (Reckless75)

A: Easy, improved play on both lines of scrimmage. The offensive line was better than the disasters of 2022 and 2023, but still wasn’t where it needed to be last year. With a very experienced group back this year, there aren’t any excuses. Last year’s defensive front was the biggest disappointment in my time covering the team, as it was supposed to be dominant and ended up being very average. If they can improve against the run and mount a consistent pass rush, then the defense as a whole is in good shape.

Q: Did you see Elko and crew having this type of success in recruiting and if so, what do you contribute it to? I honestly had some doubts. (PilotAg)

A: I expected them to be good. Almost all of them came to A&M with the reputation as quality recruiters and they have added some other guys who aren’t on the field who are also accomplished. I don’t know if I expected them to be potentially number one good, but I did expect top five or so. A&M has a staff of excellent recruiters, excellent facilities, money and they’re in the SEC. All the pieces to the puzzle are there except for winning big.

Q: Update on baseball stadium renovations? Maybe they have started I just have not been there in a while, but if they have not started, is the administration serious about these renovations? (Maroon1)

A: No updates and no, I don’t think they’ve started anything yet. We’ll have to wait and see how that goes.

Q: Do you think Trev made the right decision with Earley and do you see improvement next year? (H273)

A: I honestly don’t know. I would have made a move, personally, but I’m not the AD. Earley’s going to have a pretty stout lineup at least — that much seems certain. He’s already added another starter and three relievers, an left fielder and the best shortstop in the portal (maybe the best player, period).

Jake Duer hit .428 last year at Florida Atlantic — he’s the left fielder — and Chris Hacopian, the shortstop, hit .375 with 14 homers at Maryland. These guys hit for average and get on base. They don’t strike out a lot, which was a major problem for A&M last year.

The Aggies can build around a lineup with Duer in left, Terrence Kiel II in center and Caden Sorrell in right. Gavin Grahovac moves back in at third, Hacopian’s at short and Bear Harrison is behind the plate. That’s some good OBP (on-base percentage) and pop up and down the order, though they’re still probably looking for a DH, a second baseman and a first baseman.

The bullpen has been a big source of attention, and MJ Bollinger from FAU and Juan Vargas of Tennessee Tech look like they could move in and help Clayton Freshcorn and Josh Stewart right off the bat. Bollinger and Vargas are both late inning/closer types, so they’re definitely looking for arms who can shut things down for the final nine or so outs. Carson Bailey would move into the rotation with (I presume) Weston Moss and someone else — they’ve got a few options. But we won’t know how good the team is until after the draft, and then maybe not even then. Still, I’m expecting at least a postseason berth, or it’s another cataclysmic disaster.

Q: What is the plan for OL? Are we good with 3 commits or are we going to go heavy to get a 4th or even 5th?

A: I don’t know who those fourth and fifth guys would be at this point, and personally I would start evaluating my own guys to see how important the portal will be for me this winter.

I’ve always evaluated coaches on whether their team improves as the season goes along. After last year, the tide is out on Elko for me. We seemed to regress late in season. What can you tell me about the coaching staff that will help put last year in better perspective and having me drinking the koolaid again? (BeefmanAg)

How about this: you had massive turnover as a lot of Jimbo guys either headed for the door or were pushed. While A&M had a good-sized number of transfers this year, most were —to use a crass term — dead weight and weren’t going to play. This is more of an Elko team that has a year in his system, a year in the offensive scheme and now, closer attention on defense to make sure it fits with what Elko wants.

Lyle Hemphill knows what he’s doing; he proved that at James Madison. Adam Cushing is an excellent offensive line coach. Jay Bateman is a really good linebackers coach. Collin Klein has an offense more to his liking this year.

A&M has a veteran team with experience in the system now. They’ve adapted to Elko’s demands. I think folks who were pissed at the end of last year didn’t realize how thin they were at some key positions and they just flat out wore down. This year, I don’t think they have that excuse.

Q: Every class has some "loose in the head" types in it. My impression is that our chance of getting too much of that is much better compared to 3-4 years ago. Has there ever been a year where you thought the entire class was, if not choir boys, at least full of kids you thought could make it through college without a mug shot being taken? How many kids in the '22 class were you pretty sure would have some sort of embarrassment that showed up on social media or the Crime Report page of The Eagle? Half? Is the 2026 class average compared to your expectations of classes over the last 15 years? Is "average" for an entire class 3 mug shots over the 5 years of their eligibility? (Boone8466)

A: Have I ever thought a class would make it through without a mugshot being taken? No. Never. You’ve got, on average, 25 guys coming in and a roster (now) of 105. There’s no way on earth you’re going to get them all through three or four years without someone screwing up, or someone being a screwup.

As for the 2026 class, I don’t know enough about them to say. But I will say this — I seriously doubt they’ll come anywhere close to the idiocy that was the 2022 class.