TJ Finley

I'll just start by saying Elite 11 has not been very action packed, but here's a few thoughts.- Elite 11 wrapped up today. Haynes King was again very impressive. I had one seasoned observer tell me Haynes was without a doubt the top guy in attendance. This is a guy I trust and who has no Texas A&M, Tennessee, or Longview/Haynes King tint. Overall the reviews have been positive with his athleticism and decision making drawing the highest marks. https://twitter.com/jason_howell/status/1145355521505075202https://twitter.com/jason_howell/status/1145356616587468802https://twitter.com/jason_howell/status/1145357220198178816https://twitter.com/jason_howell/status/1145359756552544256https://twitter.com/jason_howell/status/1145370349426618374-LSU commit TJ Finley ripped one of the best balls I saw all the last two days during 7on7 drills. He put it on a line right over the shoulder of the defender and into the hands of his WR for a TD. I didn't see everything but liked what I saw from him the last two days. Big arm and he was pretty accurate.- Arkansas commit Chandler Morris struggled a little bit during 7on7. He threw two picks to start his 7on7 drill. He did bounce back nicely with a couple of TDsThe Opening Finals begin tomorrow and we will be out there in full force. The Aggies have four commitments who will be in action. WR Demond Demas, WR Troy Omeire, OL Akinola Ogunbiyi, and CB Jaylon Jones will be there.Key targets include RB Zach Evans, RB Sam Adams, DL Vernon Broughton, DL Princely Umanmielen, LB Noah Sewell, LB Kourt Williams II, and CB Ryan Watts. The Aggies are also in on TE Arik Gilbert and DT McKinnley Jackson.2021 OL Donovan Jackson and DT Maason Smith are two of the few 2021s expected to be on hand. The Aggies are very much involved with both.

- there's really not much new to report on the Haynes King recruitment. He was planning to commit this week but pushed things back when he decided it was too close to call. That said I expect this to be over sooner rather than later with Texas A&M and Tennessee being the major players.- King delivered the goods during the competition. He threw with touch and precision. He fit the ball in tight spaces and put it where he was asked. Overall I thought he was one of the top two or three performers. He won the contest in the morning and he had one of the best pro day simulations in the evening. https://twitter.com/jason_howell/status/1145129157933842433- LSU commit TJ Finley is one physically imposing dude. His arm definitely stood out. His accuracy and consistency is the big issue but he had some nice moments. He finished 2nd in the morning competition to King.-Two West coast QBs took the headlines this evening. CJ Stroud closed the night with the most impressive showing in the pro day simulation and USC commit Bryce Young was right there with him.Tomorrow things begin at 10 and we will be back out here to gather more highlights.

- Let's start with the biggest piece of upcoming news for the Maroon and White recruiting efforts which would be the Saturday announcement of New Jersey DE Fadil Diggs. One of the top defenders on the entire east coast, Diggs looks set to choose essentially between Texas A&M, Florida, and Penn State this weekend. I do know that he spoke at length with Terry Price today, and Mike Elko was in town to see him yesterday. Strong Aggie vibes continue to emanate from this one. - Diggs' good friend and fellow DL offer Isaiah Raikes could be viewed in the same light as Fadil in terms of momentum. However, I don't think he'll be coming to a final decision as soon as Diggs. From talking to a source today, last week the feeling was that wherever Diggs chose on Saturday, Raikes would be soon to follow. However, it now looks like the 6-1, 320 pound space eater will take probably two more visits before making a final decision. I'd still call the Aggies more than a major player here. - Keep an eye on a pair of June weekends - the 7th-9th and the 21st-23rd. Those weekends look like they'll be chalk full of visitors. I know commit Josh Bankhead will be in town for his official visit (the only OV he's taking) on the 21st. That first weekend in June looks like it'll be Seth McGowan and Vito Tisdale if he's not off the board to Kentucky at that time. - A&M has offered a pair of DB's recently - one from east Texas and one more JUCO guy. I mentioned Tyler John Tyler product Kitan Crawford about a month ago as a player that had started drawing heavy interest from the coaching staff. The Ags offered yesterday, and Crawford told me tonight that he's working on a getting a visit date set. Crawford recently released a group of top schools that included Texas, Baylor, and Tennessee. The Longhorns are pretty much everyone's pick to land him at the moment. A&M will likely need to act quickly in order to keep him on the board. The other offer went out today to Hutchinson CC DB Art Green. He's a 6-2, 200 pound corner prospect with 18 offers from around the country - Arkansas, Georgia, Nebraska, Louisville, Tennessee, and South Carolina just to name a few. He's originally from Chesterfield, Missouri.- Lastly, the Aggies did indeed move in Longview QB Haynes King. Widely regarded as one of, if not the top signal callers in the class, King is a great fit for Jimbo Fisher's pro style scheme. He was fantastic in the Lobos' state title run last year and was the offensive MVP in the championship game. I've also heard he might be the fastest kid at Longview which speaks volumes to his athleticism. His dad is the head coach for the Lobos. After speaking to a couple of sources in east Texas, it's good that A&M finally jumped in the boat. Arkansas is a big threat here with Jeff Traylor's east Texas roots, but the Hogs will likely take Chandler Morris out of Highland Park. He's Chad Morris' son. King has family ties to Louisiana so LSU is a real threat, but the Tigers would have to cut ties with either TJ Finley or Max Johnson who are both committed to Ed O and company. I'm working to figure out if/when King will visit College Station.