Monday Thoughts

The Aggies had Tennessee linebacker Kane Patterson in this weekend on an offical, and we're working on getting some info from him on the visit. I hate using the term "priority" for any player, but he's got to be up there with Christian Harris and Nakobe Dean when it comes to linebackers for the 2019 class.

As for Dean, he went to Tuscaloosa on an official, as he told Fletch he would. He's going to Auburn next, and it's probably a three-horse race between those two, Georgia and the Aggies. A&M commit DeMarvin Leal also went to visit Alabama, but I haven't heard anything to make me think they're a real threat. They also got a DE commit today, so they may be full.

A&M also had three guys in from Independence (Kan.) Community College, all on the defensive side of the ball. DEs Jermaine Johnson and Kailon Davis and LB Kuony Deng all made the trip in.

Johnson and Deng look like they're going to get pursued by A&M, and if the Aggies really want Deng, they could be positioned to get him. Johnson is going to be a tougher case, because he's being recruited by virtually everyone at this point. Still, getting him on campus is a start. If A&M offers Davis, they will be his best offer by far.

The Aggies also found out that they made the top 9 for Detroit Cass Tech RB Jaren Mangham, who has family in Houston and relatives that went to A&M. I don't think he's anywhere near committing and his offer may not even be one that's committable at this point, but it's probably a moot point. Odds are he's not going to choose A&M anyway.

Pearland DE Gilbert Ibeneme took an official visit to Texas Tech this weekend. Really, I'm beginning to wonder if A&M's just gonna go in another direction because they're tired of waiting around for him.

Blair Academy DE David Ojabo, who is well into taking his official visits, released his top 15 today. A&M (which already got an official) was in it. So was Penn. Not Penn State, Penn.

When Layden Robinson committed Sunday, he gave the Aggies a position sweep in terms of offensive linemen in the past two classes. Robinson is being recruited as a center; Kenyon Green, Blake Trainor and Adrian Medley all project as tackles. The last recruiting class had three interior linemen (Luke Matthews, Tank Jenkins, Barton Clement) and a tackle (Cole Blanton), so the rebuild up front is now very much underway. And it kind of has to be, with Keaton Sutherland and Connor Lanfear gone for sure after this season, Erik McCoy a possibility and then the likes of Colton Prater, Kellen Diesch and Ryan McCollum getting into the second half of their collegiate careers.

So, since they're in the middle of a behind-the-scenes rebuild, would they take another lineman in this class? Right now, the only remaining option appears to be Javonne Shepherd, and I'm going to flat out say they're done. Shepherd has Texas as his leader and blew off attempts by 2019 commits to stay in College Station Saturday to go to a pool party in Austin. In the meantime, Robinson was preparing to commit. That gives the Aggies four linemen in this class and really, Medley probably sank Shepherd's ship last weekend.

The Aggies have picked up eight offensive linemen in the past two years. They all look really good. With the Ags starting to get a little tight on space in this class, I've got no problem in letting them move on to other options if that's what they decide to do.

I've said this can go in a bunch of different directions, and it still can. But at the end of the day, guys on this list are probably the ones A&M is focusing on at the moment and will try to close with.

RB Isaiah Spiller

RB King Dorue

CB Erick Young

CB Bobby Wolfe

CB Scooby Carter

WR Dylan Wright

WR Tamauzia Brown

TE Jalen Wydermyer

TE/WR Nnamdi Adim-Madumere

DE Marcus Stripling

DE Adisa Isaac

DE Jermaine Johnson

DE David Ojabo

DE David Ugwoegbu

LB Zach Edwards

LB Kane Patterson

LB Christian Young

LB Nakobe Dean

LB Kuony Deng

DT Ishmael Sopsher

CB Ainias Smith

That's a lot of talent.

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