Alabama, which is on the way to having one of the best recruiting classes off all time, has damaged A&M twice in the past 10 days by picking off LB Christian Harris and CB Scooby Carter. Then JUCO CB Dreshun Miller flipped from LSU to West Virginia without the Aggies even lifting a finger. But unlike during the Sumlin years, it doesn't seem like anyone at the Bright Building is hitting the panic button.

So what's up? Your guess is as good as any. But here's a few things we do know: A&M still intends to make a run at a top 2 class and thinks they can do it. How is the big question.

Here's the players we know A&M is still in on: WR Ainias Smith; DEs David Ugwoegbu, Marcus Stripling, Adisa Isaac and Derick Hunter; LBs Ke'Shun Brown and Nakobe Dean; DT Ishmael Sophser and CB Marcus Banks. They have 22 commits, so they have a maximum of six spots left.

So here's my take on each guy:

Smith likes A&M. His mother places a premium on education, so that's why Duke and Vandy are in the hunt for him. I don't think he's going to sign early, and that may mean he goes elsewhere. But I still have a sense he end up at A&M.

Ugwoegbu is the top DE on the board for A&M right now. I think that's pretty apparent. And I think they're going to get him before early signing begins.

Stripling is a guy who has slipped in the eyes of the Aggies. They're still after him, but he seems like more of a fallback option now. One reason Ugwoegbu has passed him up: athleticism and style of play. Stripling is a pure, hand in the ground DE. Ugwoegbu can stand up and rush you, playing almost a Joker-like position. Anyway, back to Stripling -- I think he's going to end up at OU.

Hunter seems to be second on the DE list behind Ugwoegbu. A&M is definitely pushing for him, but so's FSU, Miami and Florida. He seems like the kind of guy who is willing to tell each coach what they want to hear, so there's no telling where he's going.

Brown is down to A&M and Tennessee and will visit this weekend. I think A&M will get him if they really want him (and why wouldn't they?).

Banks is one of the nation's fastest risers after an excellent senior year. He went from a 3-star to #179 in the nation, and adding another big, fast corner to go with Erick Young would be a big deal for the Aggies. He's going to announce Jan. 5, but if A&M remains on the sideline when it comes to finding a replacement for Carter, then that's a sign they're in good shape with Banks and they know it (even though I think they should be after someone else anyway, just to add some more depth at corner).

Sopsher and Dean are long shots. Dean seems hung up on Georgia and Sopsher has always been an LSU lean, in no small part because they offered his brother. Nobody else is biting on that (though I suppose A&M could now).

Isaac has A&M in his final four, but I'm just not buying it. I think the Aggies re-established lines of communication just to be sure, but I don't think they're pushing hard and I think he's pretty much set on Penn State anyway.

So if I'm right, that's 3 commits, or 25 total. That makes me think they're in on someone else, or a lot more confident than I am about some folks. But that's my opinion at this point.

Now, watch it be totally wrong.

Would I like more corners and linebackers in this class? Without a doubt. But right now, A&M has 22 commits and 16 of them are 4- or 5-stars. That's a heck of a haul, and all the guys I mentioned above (save two) are 4- or 5-stars. A few interesting things, at least to me: they projected extremely well and hit on players where they have needs.

In this latest update, DT Adarious Jones and C Layden Robinson both became 4-stars. DeMarvin Leal and Baylor Cupp shot up the charts, with Leal moving from 122nd at the start of the season to 38th overall this time around. Cupp made another huge move, going from unranked when his senior year began to 214th to 128th now.

So here are the areas where I'm most impressed with what A&M has at this point.

Safety: Brian Williams and Demani Richardson are ranked 3rd and 7th in the nation at safety, respectively. But they're as good a duo as anyone in the country has, and they've been rock solid now or 10 months.

Offensive line: Kenyon Green is the obvious difference maker here, but Robinson could be a guy who alters the look of the line in 2020. Blake Trainor could end up being a solid left tackle in a couple of seasons. He's got the size, frame and strength for it.

Wide receiver: Everyone is hung up on Dylan Wright (and with good reason), but Kam Brown is a playmaker in his own right. We hardly talk about Kenyon Jackson, but he and Caleb Chapman bring tremendous size on the outside. Chase Lane, the longest-tenured commit, had a fantastic season at Pius X and may be the most polished receiver of the bunch.

Defensive end: this is doing a little bit of projecting, but I'm feeling good about the idea of them getting at least one more defensive end. But just having Leal and Braedon Mowry is enough to be pleased. Leal is a monster and Mowry has shown that he can get to the quarterback.

Tight end: You got Cupp and Jalen Wydermyer, and they could argue that they're the best duo of commitments at their position in America.

For the first time since 2013, the Aggies have three All-Americans: Jace Sternberger, Braden Mann and Trayveon Williams. Almost nobody would have predicted that before the season (I got some really weird looks when I put Sternberger down as my pre-season first team All-SEC tight end). Mann may have been fantastic under any coach, but there's no question the other two benefitted from the change to Jimbo Fisher.

In the case of Sternberger, it's obvious: he wouldn't be at A&M if Kevin Sumlin hadn't been fired. He wouldn't really have had a position. But he came to A&M, immediately developed a rapport with Kellen Mond (and Nick Starkel, truth be told) and became a top target. He gave the Aggies a mismatch with his size and speed and carried the passing game at times this year.

Williams wouldn't have gotten enough carries under Sumlin to put up the numbers he did. Jacob Kibodi and Deneric Prince (remember, Jashaun Corbin came over after Fisher's arrival) would have cut into his workload. But Fisher quickly recognized Williams was able to be his workhorse and kept running him out there. Both men were rewarded for that decision.