Scates might be the biggest star out of the bunch.

Marcus Jasmin ain't bad either.

but overall?

Yes,overall,Marcus Jasmin will prove to be the best of our 2000 recruiting class.

That's a subjective statement. How bad were they? They were a lot better than you so what does that make you?

Let's not try to say our players are bad they are not they were just held back by less than great coaching IMHO.

Eric Crutchfield (backup)
Adam Black (injury)
Brian Thompson (injury)
Robert Ferguson (one year)
Jonte Buhl (injury)
Ricky Cardoza (left team)
Geoff Hangartner (starter)
Joey Perot (injury)
Mathis Gil (never made it to CS)
Dawon Gentry (injury)
Keith Joseph (starter)
Kasey Chesire (backup)
Chris Simms (injury)
LaBrandon Shephard (left team)
Cody Scates (starter)
Dustin Long (starter)
Eddie Brown (never made it to CS)
Kevin Mangum (backup)
Keeland Jackson (backup)
Mike Pinesette (not sure what happened to him)
Marcus Jasmine (starter)
Linnis Smith (starter)

2000 OFFENSIVE SIGNEES


QUARTERBACK (1)
This is difficult to evaluate because A&M missed out on their first two targets they really coveted in Chance Mock (Texas) and Carlyle Holiday (Nebraska). Losing Mock to Texas was one of the more painful losses in recruiting history for the Aggies simply because he grew up an Aggie fan and was all but committed heading to his visit to Austin. Everyone knows the rest. Holiday is the best option QB in Texas and wanted to go to a pure option school like Nebraska. But take heart, Dustin was the best pure passer in Texas this year and may actually end up being the top QB when we look back several years from now. He reminds me of Purdue star Drew Brees, who we passed on, so hopefully we got that star this time.

Dustin Long Port Neches Groves 6-3 180 4.7
Dustin was the best pure passer in the state of Texas this year. Has a good arm with great accuracy and can read defenses well. Passed for 3,150 yards and 29 TDs. He was named the Houston Chronicle Offensive Player of the Year. He has a chance to be a very good QB in the future. He reminds me of Drew Brees several years ago that we passed on. Maybe this time we got the big one.
All-American: Rivals100, Max Emfinger


RUNNINGBACK (2)
FB was the only real need this year and was filled by Gill, but A&M got another great All-American RB in Keith Joseph. Joseph is a star in the making, so watch out for him. I think a lot of schools missed out on him. Losing Geremy Woods to Texas Tech was disappointing, but we still addressed our FB need anyway.

Mathus Gill Brenham 5-11 230 4.6
Mathus earned All-State honors while rushing for 1,300 yards as a senior. He will be a FB at A&M and should be a talented one.
All-American: Max Emfinger

Keith Joseph Houston Lamar 6-3 220 4.5
Joseph rushed for 1,438 yards and 23 TDs on his way to being the Houston Touchdown Club Offensive Player of the Year. Keith has a chance to be very good and was overlooked by many top schools because of a fully recovered ACL injury. I'm excited to see him play.
All-American: Rivals100, PrepStar, Max Emfinger


WIDE RECEIVER (2)
This probably should be a higher grade, but I don't think there is any way around the fact that WR was a top priority this year and we simply didn't get it done. Yes, Ferguson is an All-American and will be a star, but we needed to sign at least 3-4 WR and were turned down by most of the top WR in Texas. Losing all of the Big 3 to Texas was tough to watch; I really thought we'd get one of them. This means we have signed 2 WRs in the last two years of recruiting, so obviously WR is the No.1 priority next year without question. However, I think R.C.'s recent hirings of Shawn Slocum and especially Larry Kirksey should help reel in some top WRs in Texas next year, especially since Texas (Longhorns) is now loaded with talent. But keep an eye on Eric Crutchfield, he could really blossom into another Chris Taylor or Chris Cole type of player.

Eric Crutchfield Galena Park N. Shore 6-0 195 4.4
Played QB in high school but will be moved to either DB or WR at A&M. Exceptional athlete that committed to A&M early last year. Has excellent speed and should play WR at A&M. He is a playmaker in the mold of Chris Taylor.

Robert Ferguson Tyler JUCO 6-2 210 4.5
Ever since he put on a show at the High School All-Star game in Houston two years ago, A&M has been excited about Robert. He failed to qualify the first time around, but now has come back to A&M to finish his college career. He has a chance to be a star alongside Bethel Johnson and Chris Taylor next year. Probably the most exciting player A&M signed this year.
All-American: Consensus JC All-American


OFFENSIVE LINE (2)
These 2 guys are very good. We probably would have liked to have signed 3 OL, but we're in good shape at this position. Both guys will be good players for A&M in the future. Losing Ray Willis to FSU and Lionel Garr to Texas was tough though. But overall a good group.

Kasey Cheshier Duncanville 6-5 285 5.3
One of the best OL in Texas. Great blocker and has good speed for an OL. Won a state championship at Duncanville as a junior.
All-American: Rivals100, PrepStar, Max Emfinger

Geoff Hangartner New Braunfels 6-6 280 5.0
The best center in Texas this year. Should anchore the OL at A&M for years to come. Great blocker and deep snapper. Also a National Honor Society member.
All-American: Rivals100, SuperPrep, Max Emfinger


TIGHT END (1)
Joey is the steal of the class. He is probably the best blocking TE in the South and is very underrated. Even Florida St tried to lure him away from A&M by offering him late. His blocking will help the running game immensely in the future. However, as good as Joey is, losing Brock Edwards to Texas can't be ignored. Edwards was one of the top TEs in the nation and had many ties to A&M, but wanted to play in a more pass-oriented offense at Texas. But as I said before, Joey is a great pickup.

Joey Perot Petal, MS 6-4 255 4.8
An absolute steal. The best pure blocking TE in the South this year. A lot of other top schools were on to him late in the recruiting year, but too late to get him away from A&M. Has been in A&M camps and the coaches are very excited to have him at A&M. His dad played 10 years in the NFL. Had 216 yards receiving and 4 TDs this year at Petal High in Mississippi.

DEFENSIVE LINE (4)
It got a little scary towards the end, but this group turned out to be one of the classes' strengths. Jasmin, Smith, and Brown are All-Americans and Cardoza is very underrated. We needed some big strong DL to come in and get some early playing time because a year from now they will be competing for starting jobs. Couple this group with last year's group and the DL could return to the early-90s type of lines. The future definitely looks bright for the DL.

Eddie Brown Aldine Eisenhower 6-3 285 5.3
Big, strong, and quick. Can play nose guard and can stuff the run. Will make an impact on the DL soon. His choices came down to A&M and Michigan, so another good pickup for A&M ala Jarrod Penright last year.
All-American: Rivals100, PrepStar, Max Emfinger

Ricky Cardoza Mission 6-5 230 4.7
An underrated recruit that can play at DL or LB. Had 94 tackles, 7 TFLs, and 3 forced fumbles from DE this year. He has a chance to be the surprise of the class. Was originally committed to Baylor before switching to A&M.
All-American: Max Emfinger

Marcus Jasmine New Orleans, LA 6-5 270 5.0
Close race came down to A&M and Georgia Tech. Was the swing recruit that pushed A&M into the top 20 nationally this year as he committed last. Good size and speed off the corner and can also stop the run. Is also a good basketball player.
All-American: Rivals100, PrepStar, Max Emfinger

Linnis Smith Tyler John Tyler 6-5 260 4.8
Kept Aggie fans on their toes until the end when he picked A&M over Tulane in a very tough decision. He wanted to play closer to home, so he picked A&M on signing day. He was an absolute must for A&M at DE and can rush the passer very well. Had 5 sacks as a senior. He could become a dominating rush end for the Aggies.
All-American: Rivals100, Max Emfinger


LINEBACKER (2)
To say the least, A&M is loaded at LB. That's why this was not a need area this year after last year's No.1 LB class in school history. But landing Brian Thompson, rated as high as the No.2 LB in the country by one service because of his athleticism, was huge. Sheppard was a steady player in high school and will be a good player in the future. Folks, the LB core at A&M is flat out awesome. However, we did lose out on Devaughn Darling (FSU) and Robert Peace (Tennessee) who we really wanted, and that's why the grade is not higher.

LeBrandon Sheppard Lufkin 6-1 210 4.5
Was the district Player of the Year at Lufkin. Had 107 tackles, 12 TFLs, and 4 INTs. This LB should push some of the other stars on the A&M roster in the future.

Brian Thompson Tyler Lee 6-2 220 4.4
A super athlete. Has great speed, strenth, and had 159 tackles, 17 TFLs, and 2 sacks this year. Was rated the No.2 LB in the country by SuperPrep. A very versatile player that could play a couple of positions. He will be a big-time player at A&M in the future.
All-American: Rivals100, SuperPrep, Max Emfinger


DEFENSIVE BACKS (6)
This was the biggest need area this year and did R.C. deliver. Without question, this is a top 5 DB class that will help turn the Wrecking Crew loose on QBs as they lock up on the WRs. 5 of the 6 signees are CBs, so we now have immediate depth. Black is a consensus All-American, Buhl is also an All-American and is probably underrated (if you can imagine that), and Gentry could also be a star. Mangum and Jackson are not well-known, but could definitely turn out to be great players in the future. Pinesette is a JC transfer and will get a look at safety in the Fall. Once again, if you couple this group with last year's group, all you can say is it's going to be really tough on opposing QBs in the future.

Adam Black Cypress Falls 6-0 180 4.4
The jewel of the A&M class, Black was instrumental in getting other recruits to consider and sign with A&M. Black is in the mold of past A&M legends Kevin Smith and Aaron Glenn. Will push for playing time early next year and may even be starting by mid-season. Amazing quickness and speed with 6 INTs and 38 pass break ups this year. Has only played football for two years. A consensus All-American.
All-American: Rivals100, SuperPrep, PrepStar, Max Emfinger

Jonte Buhl Pflugerville Connally 5-9 170 4.4
Played both offense and defense in high school, but will play cover corner for A&M. Also a great track athlete for Connally High. Had 60 tackles and 5 INTs this year. Is even better than most people think, he will team with Black to form a great corner duo in the future.
All-American: Rivals100, SuperPrep, Max Emfinger

Dawon Gentry Denison 6-0 180 4.5
Was the district Offensive Player of the Year after rushing for 1,830 yards. Will play corner at A&M though, and is one of the top return men around.
All-American: Rivals100, PrepStar, Max Emfinger

Keeland Jackson Garland 6-1 195 4.5
Another late comer but talented corner who was an All-District performer at Garland High. Had 97 tackles and 5 INTs this year. Should be a solid player in the future.

Kevin Mangum La Marque 6-0 165 4.3
All District player who had 35 tackles and 1 INT this year. Good athlete who the coaches really like.

Mike Pinesette Blinn JUCO 5-11 180 4.5
All-conference performer at Blinn JC with 42 tackles and 3 INTs. Will have a chance to start at safety next year for A&M. His high school teammates were Roylin Bradley and Dwain Goynes.


SPECIALISTS (1)
After losing Shane Lechler, R.C. wanted to make sure we had a good punter next year. Cody Scates is a Parade All-American and could be another great one for A&M. After the kicking problems this past year, Sims has been signed to correct those problems. He has a chance to start next year. This is one of the better kicking duos in the country this year.

Cody Scates Tyler Lee 6-2 180 4.7
One of the top punters in the nation. Averaged 44.8 yards per kick this year. Should push for the starting job next year.
All-American: Parade Magazine, Max Emfinger

Chris Sims Garland 6-0 170 4.7
Made 19-21 FG and 64-65 PATs with a long of 51. One of the top kickers around, R.C. wanted to shore up the place-kicking duties for next year.
All-American: Max Emfinger

Carlysle Holiday went to Notre Dame, not Nebraska.

Using the word "bad" indicates that the class as individuals aren't good players. I don't think that is the case. On the other hand, while I understand what you mean, I would much rather look at that group as the best class we were able to get that year, realizing that the caliber is not necessarily up to a BigXII championship level, which is of course requested and desired at TAMU. Whether or not that class (or any other) brings a championship to TAMU will be determined down the road, but on an individual basis, they all can play football and be good at it...

"It takes a man to be a father....."

Brian Thompson and Adam Black were the guys I was most excited about. Thompson had all of the tools, just could not shake the injury bug.

If the OU game was any indication, look out for Keelan Jackson this year. He was real impressive.

Jasmine and Smith are solid on the DL.

Scates is a STUD!

Solid but not spectacular. This class had quite a few studs who were decimated by injuries.

Mike P. was with some guys that stole a credit card and used it, RC released him from the team. It was a shame, I saw him play at Blinn and he was a freak.

quote:

---

If the OU game was any indication, look out for Keelan Jackson this year. He was real impressive.

---

That's my pick for breakthrough performer in '03.

Wow. It is painful to look over the Ags 2000 class. Really only 5 or 6 players that are going to start or seriously contribute during their careers.

2000 is where the divergence with UT & OU in recruiting began. UT got Vasher, the big 3 WR's, and others. The Ags getting skunked by PSU in the Alamo Bowl really hurt.

Fortunately help is on the way.

Well W, if you read the above posts you'd realize the biggest setback for this class is injuries, not lacking of talent. But hey, don't let facts influence you.

I second the motion PJ. I was very impressed with the performance of Jackson in the OU game. I believe that he and Flood will be two newcomers to watch next season. As far as 00', we recruited one of if not the top DB class in the country. Black, Gentry, and Buhl were on every list. I believe Black was a Parade AA. Gentry was my favorite recruit and the competition to sign him out of Denison was hotly contested. I believe Buhl, when all said and done will finish out on par with such corners as Mickens, or Webster. The problem was a lack of balance and RC lost the battle for all 3 big time WR recruits.