Texas A&M has three spots left in its 2020 recruiting class. It has a lot more than three options still left on the board. AY takes a closer look at who's still out there, and who's most likely to join #GigEmGang20.
Primary targets
Evans, of course, is the headliner. He's also the hardest one to figure out. Not just among this group, but of any recruit in the 2020 class anywhere. The Aggies are in the mix and the coaching staff is confident. But LSU and now Georgia are in play. We may find out where he's going Jan. 2. Maybe.
Jackson won't sign until February and could well be the hottest commodity among signees for the original signing period. The majority of the SEC West and Georgia are after him. With Ole Miss shooting themselves in the foot here by firing Matt Luke (who is the reason UGA is now a factor), A&M has positioned themselves well coming down the stretch.
Cooper de-committed from Oklahoma, took a very good official visit to A&M the weekend before the early signing period and then didn't sign at all. He's still exploring his options, which could include both the Aggies and Utah. He could be option number four on a three-man list, but if something changes, A&M will likely jump on him.
Shepherd seems like he's very likely to join the class as a transfer. The former Texas commit never really looked anywhere else, and would fill a glaring need for an offensive tackle.
Other, less likely, possibilities
Some new names and old ones are on this list. George may depend on Evans, but the fact that he didn't sign with Alabama is interesting. The Aggies can certainly use a tackle, so he bears watching.
The same goes for Crawford. He was expected to sign with LSU and did not. If his grade situation is acceptable, the Aggies may decide to get back in on him.
The same goes for Ngata. If the Aggies find out Evans is going elsewhere, they could go back and try to make a serious push for him. At the moment, he looks like he's headed to Arizona State, but the Aggies have six weeks to change that if they so desire.
Gibbs is a new one, but he's a high-caliber back who has not signed. LSU and Alabama have both shown interest in the past and the Tigers could be after him if they lose out on Evans. A&M certainly knows about him from their work over in Georgia to get Deondre Jackson, so he's not out of the realm of possibility.
The relationship between Hornsby and A&M has been a wild one. He was a commit, then he wasn't, then he wasn't even on the radar, then he was back and taking an official visit. The Aggies wouldn't want him necessarily as a quarterback -- they filled that need with Haynes King. But with his size and speed, he could be a very capable athlete.
