Recruiting is a frustrating thing to cover. You’re dealing with the most fickle of creatures — a teenaged make — and not all of them are going to be honest with you. Predicting where they’re going to commit to can be a complete exercise in futility, as we saw this weekend when Chris Thompson picked Auburn when nearly everyone thought he was a slam dunk to Texas.

With all that said, I’m going to try to break down A&M’s recruiting situation at the moment. No interviews, please.

Refresher: A&M has 17 commits, leaving eight spots.

Recruits who have said A&M is their leader:

Ones we think have A&M as their leader:

Ones where A&M could be their leader:

Ones where it’s tough to tell, but A&M seems to be very much in it:

Ones that seem like longer shots at the moment:

A little explanation on Eaton and Smith. Eaton left no doubt with me in June that A&M was easily his leader. But Texas is putting on the press, so I’m hedging my bets some. EJ seems to like A&M, but I don’t know if they lead for him. They probably do for his folks, though.

So let’s say A&M gets Harris, Manning and Morris. And wow, what a way to get to 20. So then what do you do? Do you take Ngata and eliminate Smith and wait on Evans? Take Ngata and Smith and cut Evans loose (this option is not happening for several reasons)?

Here’s my take on each guy:

Harris really likes A&M. My only concern is he’s 16 and he hasn’t taken other visits. But you’d rather be A&M than the other guys right now.

Morris either lied to my face and to other guys or he’s coming to A&M. Considering I’m not sure how much other schools are now recruiting him because he’s told them the deal, this may just be a matter of time.

Manning dropped OU and hasn’t visited anywhere else. I think that bodes well for A&M.

Ngata isn’t talking. He was a big A&M lean, and maybe still is, but could their flirtation with other backs lead him elsewhere?

Johnson now likely has A&M and everyone else. The sooner he moves, the better it is for the Aggies.

If I’m Achane, I move fast if I really want to go to A&M.

Eaton is waffling. A&M needs to get him on campus one more time and close the deal, or just move on.

I know Jimbo wants EJ, Evans and Ngata (and why not?) but it won’t happen. So will the Aggies slow-play Smith or see if he’ll commit first and dump Ngata? Or does Donte Jackson get the cold shoulder? There are no perfect options here.

Umanmeilen definitely liked his visit two weekends ago. I don’t think he fits a 3-4 like Texas runs. So that leaves A&M and OU. I think.

Nobody knows what Hayes is thinking.

Evans is probably down to A&M, LSU and Alabama. I don’t know who leads, but keep hearing the staff thinks it’s 50/50 or better for him.

Sewell has two officials set: A&M and Georgia. So you’d have to put those two in the mix with Oregon at this point.

Smalls will be in for the Alabama game. I’d be pushing hard to get in his ear, because he’s another rare talent. He could be a SAM and a standup pass rusher like Harris. Combined, A&M could have a devastating pass rush. But I think Alabama leads for him.

Collins strikes me as a fallback at this point, and a Texas lean at that.

Harris is an Arizona guy who is on the radar and will be in for Alabama. He could be an option if Umanmeilen goes elsewhere or if the recruiting board goes a bit sideways.

In my opinion, there are two players you hold a spot for: Evans and Sewell -- unless Small gets real interested real fast. Otherwise, the parts are all movable. It would be my preference to get the top 3, then Eaton and Johnson and then let the chips fall where they will. Achane is starting to feel like Ainais Smith in that they like him, but things need to work out right if he doesn’t hustle and take a spot.

I also suspect A&M will get after some more linebackers for the sheer sake of numbers. So the fun is far from over.

I was a little surprised to see Caleb Chapman running with the 2s opening day, and he has every day since. But I kind of got any idea why he’s out there on Saturday. The kid can fly. I knew he could jump and had good hands, but he really gets down the field. He could be the Quartney Davis of 2019.

Another interesting story is Riley Anderson’s. He’s seen time at guard with the 1s and has been the right tackle with the 2s every day. Maybe he’s there because Cole Blanton isn’t practicing, but then why wouldn’t they plug Blake Trainor in there? That makes me think Anderson has shown something and they want to see just what he’s capable of.

Keldrick Carper has gotten a lot of first team playing time at safety. I don’t think he’s a threat to Leon O’Neal, but he seems to have Mike Elko’s faith. And the Aggies need three solid safeties any way you cut it.

The tight ends may be young, but they’ve got real ability and allow the offense to be a lot more versatile.

Not surprised Isaiah Spiller was with Jashaun Corbin and the first team yesterday (and now, today). I still think he’s a more complete back than the other backup guys.

The sample size is very limited, but I like what I’m seeing from Connor Blumrick.

Kenyon Green never played left tackle in high school. He’s playing it now in college. That tells you two things: he’s got ridiculous athleticism and Jimbo and Josh Henson believe he’s up to the challenge.

I would suggest opposing teams not try to run up the middle on A&M.

Buddy is the MIKE, Hines is the SAM. And Hines is much, much faster than I recall.

Elijah Blades is just so smooth. Incredibly fluid.

I’m going to bet that if we don’t see any movement by the start of next week, the offensive line we see now is going to start Aug. 29. And we have seen the same 5 each day, save one day when Jared Hocker was out.

Jhamon Ausbon just seems like a different guy this fall. Faster, cuts harder and quicker. I've been quite impressed.

I asked Jimbo today specifically about Jalen Preston and he said Preston is doing “MUCH better” this camp as opposed to last year, and even the spring. If he’s really piecing things together along with Chapman, then A&M has a pretty solid two-deep without any of the freshmen even being in it.

No doubt Jimbo has faith in Jashaun Corbin. “There’s nothing he can’t do on a football field,” Jimbo said today.

Devin Morris is fighting a hamstring injury, but is running with the second team at cornerback opposite Charles Oliver. That’s a big surprise.

I like Cam Horry back at tight end. He’s not going to play at DE and he could at least be a solid blocker. And they really need depth.

We’ve now seen five practices, and only parts of them at that. But I’m starting to feel pretty good about the linebackers. Like I said in Monday practice notes, Tarian Lee got hurt today and I wouldn’t be surprised if he misses significant time, but I still think they’ve got enough to be successful this year.

The first two reasons are the veterans, Anthony Hines and Buddy Johnson. Buddy is taking over at MIKE for Otaro Alaka and Hines is the SAM in the place of Tyrel Dodson. I would have had those flipped, as I would have last year, but Hines has shown why he’s a fit on the outside. He’s not quick, he’s flat-out fast. He has zipped through drills faster than any Aggie linebacker I’ve seen in a half-decade at least. Johnson isn’t exactly slow himself.

We know they’re the starters, but what about the backups? I think they’re still being determined, but it seems like the staff is comfortable with three guys in particular -- Braden White, Andre White and Ikenna Okeke. Braden White isn’t a big guy, and he could be the 12th Man this year -- but he’s smart, tenacious and tackles. Andre White IS a big guy; he lists at 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds. He is a true freshman, but he’s got the benefit of an entire spring behind him. And, like his “brother”, he is a tackler. Okeke brings more speed to the party; I’m just trying to figure out exactly how they’re going to use him, either as a Rover or one of the full-time linebackers. But I suspect he’ll be in the two-deep somewhere.

So you’ll notice I didn’t mention Aaron Hansford, Ke’Shun Brown or Chris Russell. Hansford looks like a beast out there, and hopefully he can make some headway. Brown, especially, looks the part at 6-foot-1, 230. Russell is aggression personified, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he makes an impact earlier as opposed to later.

The best thing about this bunch is they could all be back next year. Then the group becomes both talented and experienced, and that could be vitally important to a national championship run.

I saw the thread on bringing back one player from years past and putting them on this year’s team, and started going through a lot of guys on defense: Myles Garrett, Von Miller and Dat all came to mind.

And then I realized, there can be only one answer.

And that one is Johnny Manziel.

Do the Aggies have a very good offense in 2019? Sure looks like it. And Kellen Mond looks pretty darned good. But he’s not Superman. Manziel was.

With Johnny Football at the helm, the Aggies were a threat to score points on every single posession. Don’t think he’d fit in Jimbo’s offense? I disagree. Shoot, he basically called the offense in 2013.

Manziel had the incredible ability to find open receivers, but he was also uncanny when it came to taking off. The thread he would cause with his feet would make defenders a little slower to react because they wouldn’t know what he’d do. Heck, you guys already know that. And when you have a chance to add one of the five best players of all time to your lineup, you do it. You put 2012-13 Johnny Manziel on this team and they may well go undefeated.

Virginia Tech. My family all went there and I’d love to see Blacksburg in the fall.

Washington. It’s supposed to be one of the most beautiful places to watch a game in all of football.

Arizona. You know why.

Colorado. I guess this one is happening, isn’t it?

Notre Dame. I’d like to go up and see one of the most historic places in the game.

UNC. A chance to stick it to Mack and shut up an obnoxious in-law? Yes please.

Michigan. Bet it would be chilly in September up at the Big House. Let’s find out.

Ohio State. I don’t like them in the very least, but it would be fascinating to go to the Horseshoe.

Arizona State. The women? How much for them?

Oregon. A chance to stick it to Nike in their house.

I was listening to something on the screwups of the Soviet space program driving home tonight and apparently Yuri Gagarin was not the first man in space. Vladimir Ilyushin was, but the Soviets covered it up. Ilyushin lived, but the mission was totally screwed up and was capped off by seriously injured Ilyushin landing in Mao’s China. Stories about the supposed flight got out, and Moscow responded by saying Ilyushin couldn’t have possibly have taken a flight in April 1961, because he was in a car crash the previous September and was in a coma. Problem: the Soviets had released a picture of him getting a medal in December of the previous year.

Guess I was on a spree of listening to the screwups of the communist superstate, because I also heard about a plane made in the early years of Stalin’s regime. The propeller was too long after a few modifications, so the adjustment made by the designer WAS TO SAW FOUR INCHES OFF EACH PROPELLER BLADE. Odds are homeboy was shot.

The same night Aaron Sanchez threw his combined no-hitter for the Astros, Derek Fisher took a fly ball off the face in the Blue Jays game against the Orioles. Toronto fans must have been apopleptic.

Verlander/Grinke/Cole may not be around very long, but it has the potential to be in the discssion with Maddux/Glavine/Smoltz and Palmer/Cuellar/McNally as the best trio of starters on the same team. Ever.

We taught Cody how to swim over the weekend in about 15 minutes. I figure if it was that easy, she taught herself. Now, if she’d like to teach herself how to read…

4,000 British Scouts went to the Orioles-Blue Jays game Sunday and sat in the left field stands. The result was epic.

10 places I’d like to visit: Jerusalem, Lake Tahoe, Montana, Iceland, Scotland, Prague, Berlin, Argentina, Rome (been there once, but on a Sunday), Hawaii.

My interest in the NFL may be at an all-time low.

Never get a kitten and a puppy at the same time. Your legs will just be scratching posts.

Like I said on the board, if we can get 25 new annual subscribers in the Adidas promo going on now, I’ll host AY Happy Hours in Houston, D/FW, College Station and Austin. Get it to 50 and I’ll add one on the west side of Houston and I’ll find a way to make time to get to San Antonio. So tell your friends to give us a shot, then get ready to take a few.

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