Texas A&M Football
Closed Borders: A&M, the SEC & recruiting in Texas
The day after celebrated quarterback prospect Kyler Murray announced his commitment to play football at Texas A&M, equally celebrated defensive tackle prospect Daylon Mack posted a photo of himself on Twitter.
He was wearing a maroon T-shirt featuring a Texas A&M “Gig ‘em” thumb and the initials “WRTS.”
Translated, that means: We Run This State … or perhaps something not quite as G-rated. Conventional wisdom would suggest that message is directed toward A&M’s former Big 12 rivals.
Indeed, Coach Kevin Sumlin’s last two recruiting classes were the highest-ranked by a significant margin among programs in the state of Texas. His 2015 class, which includes Mack and Murray, is currently ranked among the nation’s top five.
Andrew Kilzer, TexAgs
A&M's presence in the conference ideally would have opened the state's borders for other SEC teams to compete for top recruits.
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No Big 12 program is rated higher than 15th.
However, that message may also be a not-so-subtle reminder to A&M’s Southeastern Conference brethren.
When Commissioner Mike Slive extended an invitation for Texas A&M to join the SEC, the reasons were obvious. First, the Texas televisions that A&M provided would dramatically increase the SEC’s viewership and make the league’s TV deals even more lucrative. Second, the addition of A&M would open the door for all SEC football teams to more successfully recruit our talent-rich state.
Making biennial forays across the Sabine would greatly enhance the presence in Texas for several SEC teams.
At least, that was the theory.
Yet surprisingly, SEC teams have actually signed fewer Texans since adding Texas A&M.
A&M’s SEC rivals combined to sign just 46 high school prospects from the state of Texas in the 2012, 13 and 14 recruiting classes. That’s a significant drop from the 70 Texas high school prospects SEC teams signed in the three previous years (2009-11).
Much of the reduction can be attributed to Missouri, which as a Big 12 member relied heavily on Texas. Coach Gary Pinkel signed 25 Texas high school prospects from 2009-2011, but when Missouri joined the SEC Pinkel opted to recruit more in traditional SEC hotbeds Georgia and Florida. Consequently, Missouri’s signings of Texas high school players have steadily decreased from six in 2012, to four in 2013 and two in 2014.
In fact, the only SEC teams to have signed more Texans in the last three years than in the previous three-year stretch are Alabama and Ole Miss. Both programs signed one more Texas high school prospect in that stretch.
That’s not to say they haven’t been successful.
Indeed, Alabama coach Nick Saban has been able to cherry pick some top talent. In 2013 he signed A’Shawn Robinson, a five-star rated defensive tackle prospect from Fort Worth, and Maurice Smith, a four-star rated defensive back from Sugar Land.
Then, last year he landed five-star rated cornerback Tony Brown from Beaumont.
Still, Alabama hasn’t made an overall major impact in Texas. Neither has Auburn, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina or Tennessee. Those programs have combined to sign exactly one Texas high school prospect in the last three years (Tennessee signed Dallas defensive back LaDarrell McNeil in 2012).
Lindsay Crouch, TexAgs
The success and recruiting prowess of Sumlin and his staff have ensured Texas' very best are likely to ultimately sign with A&M.
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Even LSU, which has enjoyed recruiting success in Texas for years, hasn’t broadened its reach. Les Miles signed 10 Texas high school players from 2009-2011. He’s signed nine in the last three classes combined. He currently has two commitments from Texas prospects for 2015.
This all raises the obvious question: Why haven’t SEC teams had more recruiting success in the state of Texas since adding Texas A&M?
Perhaps SEC coaches are apprehensive to vie too frequently with Sumlin on his home turf.
Sumlin has won major out-of-state recruiting battles for players in Louisiana (Speedy Noil) and Arizona (Kyle Allen and Qualen Cunningham) and he’s even tougher to beat in his home state.
Just ask Charlie Strong.
Ask several SEC coaches, too. Alabama wanted Mack. Auburn wanted Murray. Florida wanted recent commitment Kingsley Keke. Everybody wanted defensive end Myles Garrett.
Of course, there may be another explanation.
SEC teams have traditionally relied heavily on recruiting Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and even North Carolina. Maybe SEC coaches don’t feel the need to recruit Texas heavily.
That would be OK with Sumlin, who has obviously taken advantage of A&M’s move to the SEC to land highly-rated in-state talent. The Aggies are dominating recruiting in the state of Texas; if that continues, then the initials on Mack’s T-shirt may soon have another meaning.
Something like: “We Rule The SEC.”
Alabama (4): CB Tony Brown, QB Alec Morris, DT A’Shawn Robinson, DB Maurice Smith
Arkansas (11): CB D.J. Dean, RB Denzell Evans, DB Melvin Hartfield, WR Eric Hawkins, K Cole Hedlund, DB Will Hines, RB Nathan Holmes, DE Taiwan Johnson, OL Jovan Pruitt, RB Jonathan Williams, DE Deatrich Wise
Auburn (0)
Tyler Hosea, TexAgs
LSU beat A&M for Jamal Adams in the 2014 class but otherwise hasn't seen any jump in its recruiting of top Texas prospects.
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Florida (0)
Georgia (0)
Kentucky (1): WR T.V. Williams
LSU (9): DB Jamal Adams, K Cameron Gamble, DE Danielle Hunter, DT Trey Lealaimatafao, DB Jalen Mills, DB Edward Paris, DE Sione Teuhema, DB Corey Thompson, WR Tony Upchurch
Mississippi (4): WR Quincy Adeboyejo, DE Victor Evans, QB DeVante Kincade, TE Christian Morgan
Mississippi State (1): WR Fred Ross
Missouri (12): DB Torey Boozer, DB Chaston Cuffee, ATH Keyon Dilosa, DB John Gibson, RB Russell Hansbrough, DE Rickey Hatley, DE Marcus Loud, WR J’Mon Moore, OL Jordan Williams, LB Roderick Winters
South Carolina (0)
Tennessee (1): DB LaDarrell McNeil
Vanderbilt (3): OL Adam Butler, DE Sekou Clark, ATH Ronald Moore
He was wearing a maroon T-shirt featuring a Texas A&M “Gig ‘em” thumb and the initials “WRTS.”
Translated, that means: We Run This State … or perhaps something not quite as G-rated. Conventional wisdom would suggest that message is directed toward A&M’s former Big 12 rivals.
Indeed, Coach Kevin Sumlin’s last two recruiting classes were the highest-ranked by a significant margin among programs in the state of Texas. His 2015 class, which includes Mack and Murray, is currently ranked among the nation’s top five.
Andrew Kilzer, TexAgs
A&M's presence in the conference ideally would have opened the state's borders for other SEC teams to compete for top recruits.
{"Module":"photo","Alignment":"right","Size":"large","Caption":"A\u0026M\u0027s presence in the conference ideally would have opened the state\u0027s borders for other SEC teams to compete for top recruits.","MediaItemID":21605}
However, that message may also be a not-so-subtle reminder to A&M’s Southeastern Conference brethren.
When Commissioner Mike Slive extended an invitation for Texas A&M to join the SEC, the reasons were obvious. First, the Texas televisions that A&M provided would dramatically increase the SEC’s viewership and make the league’s TV deals even more lucrative. Second, the addition of A&M would open the door for all SEC football teams to more successfully recruit our talent-rich state.
Making biennial forays across the Sabine would greatly enhance the presence in Texas for several SEC teams.
At least, that was the theory.
Yet surprisingly, SEC teams have actually signed fewer Texans since adding Texas A&M.
A&M’s SEC rivals combined to sign just 46 high school prospects from the state of Texas in the 2012, 13 and 14 recruiting classes. That’s a significant drop from the 70 Texas high school prospects SEC teams signed in the three previous years (2009-11).
Much of the reduction can be attributed to Missouri, which as a Big 12 member relied heavily on Texas. Coach Gary Pinkel signed 25 Texas high school prospects from 2009-2011, but when Missouri joined the SEC Pinkel opted to recruit more in traditional SEC hotbeds Georgia and Florida. Consequently, Missouri’s signings of Texas high school players have steadily decreased from six in 2012, to four in 2013 and two in 2014.
In fact, the only SEC teams to have signed more Texans in the last three years than in the previous three-year stretch are Alabama and Ole Miss. Both programs signed one more Texas high school prospect in that stretch.
That’s not to say they haven’t been successful.
Indeed, Alabama coach Nick Saban has been able to cherry pick some top talent. In 2013 he signed A’Shawn Robinson, a five-star rated defensive tackle prospect from Fort Worth, and Maurice Smith, a four-star rated defensive back from Sugar Land.
Then, last year he landed five-star rated cornerback Tony Brown from Beaumont.
Still, Alabama hasn’t made an overall major impact in Texas. Neither has Auburn, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina or Tennessee. Those programs have combined to sign exactly one Texas high school prospect in the last three years (Tennessee signed Dallas defensive back LaDarrell McNeil in 2012).
Lindsay Crouch, TexAgs
The success and recruiting prowess of Sumlin and his staff have ensured Texas' very best are likely to ultimately sign with A&M.
{"Module":"photo","Alignment":"left","Size":"large","Caption":"The success and recruiting prowess of Sumlin and his staff have ensured Texas\u0027 very best are likely to ultimately sign with A\u0026M.","MediaItemID":42343}
This all raises the obvious question: Why haven’t SEC teams had more recruiting success in the state of Texas since adding Texas A&M?
Perhaps SEC coaches are apprehensive to vie too frequently with Sumlin on his home turf.
Sumlin has won major out-of-state recruiting battles for players in Louisiana (Speedy Noil) and Arizona (Kyle Allen and Qualen Cunningham) and he’s even tougher to beat in his home state.
Just ask Charlie Strong.
Ask several SEC coaches, too. Alabama wanted Mack. Auburn wanted Murray. Florida wanted recent commitment Kingsley Keke. Everybody wanted defensive end Myles Garrett.
Of course, there may be another explanation.
SEC teams have traditionally relied heavily on recruiting Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and even North Carolina. Maybe SEC coaches don’t feel the need to recruit Texas heavily.
That would be OK with Sumlin, who has obviously taken advantage of A&M’s move to the SEC to land highly-rated in-state talent. The Aggies are dominating recruiting in the state of Texas; if that continues, then the initials on Mack’s T-shirt may soon have another meaning.
Something like: “We Rule The SEC.”
Texas imports
Here’s a list of Texas high school prospects that Southeastern Conference football teams (excluding Texas A&M) have signed in the three most recent recruiting classes.Alabama (4): CB Tony Brown, QB Alec Morris, DT A’Shawn Robinson, DB Maurice Smith
Arkansas (11): CB D.J. Dean, RB Denzell Evans, DB Melvin Hartfield, WR Eric Hawkins, K Cole Hedlund, DB Will Hines, RB Nathan Holmes, DE Taiwan Johnson, OL Jovan Pruitt, RB Jonathan Williams, DE Deatrich Wise
Auburn (0)
Tyler Hosea, TexAgs
LSU beat A&M for Jamal Adams in the 2014 class but otherwise hasn't seen any jump in its recruiting of top Texas prospects.
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beat A\u0026M for Jamal Adams in the 2014 class but otherwise
hasn\u0027t seen any jump in its recruiting of top Texas
prospects.","MediaItemID":20075}
Georgia (0)
Kentucky (1): WR T.V. Williams
LSU (9): DB Jamal Adams, K Cameron Gamble, DE Danielle Hunter, DT Trey Lealaimatafao, DB Jalen Mills, DB Edward Paris, DE Sione Teuhema, DB Corey Thompson, WR Tony Upchurch
Mississippi (4): WR Quincy Adeboyejo, DE Victor Evans, QB DeVante Kincade, TE Christian Morgan
Mississippi State (1): WR Fred Ross
Missouri (12): DB Torey Boozer, DB Chaston Cuffee, ATH Keyon Dilosa, DB John Gibson, RB Russell Hansbrough, DE Rickey Hatley, DE Marcus Loud, WR J’Mon Moore, OL Jordan Williams, LB Roderick Winters
South Carolina (0)
Tennessee (1): DB LaDarrell McNeil
Vanderbilt (3): OL Adam Butler, DE Sekou Clark, ATH Ronald Moore
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