After the first day of the early signing period, the Aggies rank third in the Rivals.com rankings for the 2019 class, trailing only the 2018 national championship game opponents, Alabama and Georgia. The Aggies signed 22 players Wednesday, and should add another, TE Jalen Wydermyer, Thursday. That will leave the Aggies with three more spots to fill between now and February, with commits Josh Ellison and Braedon Mowry expected to take two of them. With A&M signing the vast majority of their commits and adding DE Derick Hunter, Fisher enjoyed a day remarkably free of drama.

"Every signing day, there’s one or two disasters…but today was very smooth," he said. "I was smiling from ear to ear."

Fisher was still quite pleased Wednesday evening as he discussed the players who had already signed with the Aggies, a group he said filled many of the team's positions of concern.

"The thing I love about this class is the diversity of it. We hit needs, and not only needs, but got players we really wanted," he said.

One group that needed an injection of new talent is the secondary, and the Aggies excelled in recruiting both cornerbacks and safeties. Fisher mentioned his satisfaction with a haul that included 5-star CB Erick Young, top JUCO corner Elijah Bladed and Rivals 100 safeties Brian Williams and Demani Richardson.

"(Blades is) such a long guy … that runs under a 4.4. He’s a very dynamic player. And Erick is just a good football player. Every camp he went to, he just shined. And those two safeties, I wouldn’t trade them for anyone in America," he said.

The Aggies will lose three starters on the defensive line as Landis Durham, Daylon Mack and Kingsley Keke graduate. While A&M has replacements ready in Tyree Johnson, Jayden Peevy and Bobby Brown, Fisher pointed to 4-star DeMarvin Leal as a signee who could be a difference maker immediately.

"He’s such a versatile guy. He can play outside end, he can play inside rush. He’s a phenomenal player. He’s one heck of a football player," Fisher said of Leal. Tight end Baylor Cupp, who shot up the recruiting rankings into the Rivals 250 by season's end, was another player Fisher described as having a skill set that stands out.

"Nobody had heard of Baylor Cupp, then we got him and people started looking at him and said, 'He’s good.' Yeah (he is),” Fisher said. "Guys like that are tough matchups. The things he did athletically are amazing."

One player who brought a little bit of drama to signing day was QB Zach Calzada, who was pressed late by nearby Georgia to flip after it became clear 2018 5-star QB Justin FIelds intends to transfer. Calzada took a look at UGA over the weekend, but a final push from the Aggie coaching staff was enough to keep him in the fold.

"Zach is my guy. I’ve loved him from the get-go," FIsher said. "He’s tough. He’s competitive. He had a collapsed lung and broken rib this year. He could have sat out, and came back in two weeks to lead his team to the state semi-finals…He reminds me of someone who can take 10 guys off the street and win."

With a signing class that already includes 10 offensive players, 11 defensive players and a kicker -- a group that includes 15 4- or 5-stars -- Fisher said there was a lot to be happy about.

"We're really excited about the guys we've signed so far," he said. "It’s a great day for Texas A&M. A great day for Aggie football."