Monday Thoughts

The Aggies have had pretty good success getting everyone on campus when they need to be. It looks like this year's a little different, and that could be a potential problem.

We were told over the weekend that two of the 2017 signees are not on campus yet: Keynel McZeal and Tyree Johnson. McZeal apparently has grade issues, but nobody's really sure what is up with Johnson. I did, however, talk to him this morning and he said he's going to be ready to go. He was also very interested in 2018 commit Max Wright of Katy, asking if he is "a savage."

If Johnson doesn't get to campus, in spite of his assurances he will, then the need for a 3-4 set becomes all the more critical. Without him, it's tough to really assemble a two-deep at both DE positions.

As for no McZeal, that would leave issues in the slot. Aaron Hansford would get a whole lot more playing time, and I wouldn't be surprised if he starts anyway.

Nothing like a little bit of offseason drama.

Last year, the Aggies got one commit on the day of the YESSIR BBQ-- S Keldrick Carper. Some folks felt disappointment, but things were just getting rolling. Camron Horry committed two days later, Santino Marchiol nine days later and Kellen Mond 15 days later. All were in attendance at the barbecue.

So for those of you expecting more, wait. This probably isn't over yet.

Note: These are all positive things.

So Josh Moore committed to Nebraska yesterday. That leaves A&M with just one wideout, Montrel Parker, committed.

And that doesn't really mean much.

Here's what I'm getting at.

The Aggies may have missed out on Moore, but long-term that may not be a big deal. There are a number of absolutely outstanding wideouts that they Aggies are very much in play for that would negate the sting.

First off is Manvel's Jalen Preston, who is my real can't-miss prospect from Texas in this class. At 6'3" and 220 lbs., he's already a monster. He could come in and fight for a starting job like Jhamon Ausbon is this year right off the bat.

Another is Louisiana 5-star Terrace Marshall, who was in town this weekend (see above). It's never easy to pull a stud out of Louisiana when LSU is after them, but it has been done before (Speedy Noil). He seems to be giving A&M some very serious thought. Houston Episcopal's Jaylen Waddle is another Rivals100-caliber guy who the Aggies have real interest in. They're in the running for him as well, and the sudden need for slot receivers could have them really showing the love.

The wildcard here is Shertz Clemens WR Tommy Bush, who is a 4-star in his own right and is moving up the charts. Bush is another guy A&M has made progress with, and they may go after him with more urgency now that Moore is off the board.

The Aggies won't get all these guys, and they don't have the numbers to take them all if they did. But a couple of them would be find and leave Moore without a landing spot if he decided to flip later.

The Aggies had one of the greatest offensive line hauls in history in 2010, when they landed Luke Joeckel, Jake Matthews, Cedric Ogbuehi and Jarvis Harrison. This year's class won't be as big or as impressive, but it's still going to be really good.

With Barton Clement joining Luke Matthews and Cole Blanton, the Aggies have three of the top four offensive line prospects in the state, including the two best guards. The interior line has been an issue for several years, with injuries and transfers sapping depth. With the three very good guards A&M landed last year already on campus and Clement and Matthews on the way, the Aggies are on the verge of having a three-deep of excellent players at both guard spots. They still need a real backup center, but they can work on that. But if you're looking to compete in the SEC with some smashmouth line play, A&M's on their way.

At the moment, the Aggies are sitting with the nation's #12 class with only 12 commits. That's pretty good. Ten of the 12 are from the Houston area, one place where the Aggies absolutely must have success to thrive. It's been a long time since A&M has really just taken who they've wanted in Houston (and they're not getting everyone this year, to be sure), but the addition of Jeff Banks to work with Clarence McKinney in the area has certainly helped. Add in that two of the more vocal members of the class -- Leon O'Neal and Cole Blaton -- are from the area and A&M has a lot of things working in its favor. Now, it needs to continue to succeed there and get back to where they were in Dallas before David Beaty left.