Darius Hale

During Wednesday's edition of TexAgs Radio, TexAgs recruiting analyst Ryan Bruaninger joined to share his thoughts on the latest recruiting news and notes as the Aggies shift their attention to the class of 2021.

- While a lot of attention will be rightfully given to the in-state O-Line haul in 2021, I have been able to pick up a few notes on some out of state targets that A&M looks to be in good shape with early on. I'll start in the desert with Scottsdale (AZ) native Bram Walden. While the early favorite is Oregon, Jimbo Fisher and Josh Henson have been quietly forming a solid foundation with the 6-4, 285 pounder. It also helps that Walden plays a Saguaro HS - home of Aggie great Christian Kirk. I haven't yet heard of a definitive visit being set, but it absolutely wouldn't surprise me to see Walden make his way to campus at some point this spring. - Another highly touted big man that I think will find his way to College Station in the coming months is Fairfax (VA) OL Tristan Leigh. I don't know that any prospect on the east coast has seen their stock rise more since the end of the football season than Leigh. While it will be really tough to pry him away from somewhere like Clemson or even Alabama, I was told that Tristan and his family have a huge affinity for the state of Texas. Leigh's favorite team has always been the Dallas Cowboys, and I heard the family looks forward to getting to the Lone Star State any time they can for vacation or football. Leigh and Josh Henson have been talking more and more on the phone in recent weeks. - Don't be surprised to see Oklahoma State be a real player for North Shore OL Jaeden Roberts. If you'll remember, Roberts and his family moved to Houston from Kansas about a year ago, and one of his best friends from his time up there (Joe Michalski) looks like he may be able to grab a starting role next year from what I was told by a source familiar with the Okie St program. Roberts stays in pretty regular communication with A&M still though, and the Aggies will continue to recruit him as an interior OL prospect. - I spoke with Miami (FL) S Kamren Kinchens via text over the weekend. The Northwestern HS product told me he is in the process of scheduling a trip to Texas A&M. While he was unsure of the date and what type of visit it would be (official or unofficial), he was positive that he wanted to see what Aggieland had to offer. With the state of Texas being thin at safety in 2021 and A&M's growing presence in south Florida, Kinchens is a kid that could have some staying power on the Aggie radar this cycle. - I had a chance to catch up with 2022 DB offer Bobby Taylor who was one of the few rising juniors to be invited to last weekend's Super Bowl party. The Aggies offered Taylor back in October, and he's starting to grow rather familiar with the coaching staff and College Station, in general. Here's what he had to say about his latest visit..."I really enjoyed the defensive meetings with the coaching staff. That was my favorite part of the day, hands down. I love football. It's natural for me. So, when given the opportunity to down and talk about the game, it gives me chills. Talking with Coach Elko and Coach Rushing was fantastic. It doesn't get any better than those two guys.""I learned a lot about the Aggie Network...about the Fortune 500 companies that Aggies are involved in. Football won't last forever, and when it's over, you have to have something to fall back on. It's so easy to build those connections, too. It can be something as simple as taking a picture or shaking a hand to get the whole thing started.""The coaching staff at A&M is just full of real, genuine guys. They're grounded and keep it real. Of course, when you play football you want to win, and those guys can make that happen. They complimented me on my press and man coverage skills. I love playing man. It just doesn't get any better than that. Me and the coaching staff agreed though that I know to work on my weaknesses which is playing off man. So, this spring I plan on working hard and perfecting it."...pretty well-spoken 16 year old. - An interesting RB name to keep an eye on in 2021 is Darius Hale from Pearland. Darrell Dickey made a couple of stops through there in his voyages through south Houston since the end of the season, and Hale is a kid that has caught the eye of a lot of college coaches. While his offer list isn't super lengthy just yet (Baylor, Houston, Utah State), he's intriguing because of his advanced strength and projectability as a power back. At 5-10, 215 pounds, Hale's low center of gravity and lower body mass make him a handful for tacklers. He was also in College Station last weekend for the Junior Day event. "Coach Fisher and Coach Dickey said they liked what they saw on film. They told me they intend to continue to recruit and evaluate me heavily going forward. Coach Dickey is a great dude. We have an outstanding relationship," Hale told me following the visit. "I got to really see how important the running back is to their offense and how big of a role it plays into what they want to do."

With the dead period coming to a close, the A&M staff (like most others around the country) hit the road on this Friday to check in on some top 2021 in state targets. Here's what I've been able to gather from across the state so far. If I get more returns on who some other coaches went to see, I'll post it later in the thread.With no CB or TE coach hired, defensive assistant Ish Aristide is able to go on the road. His prowess on the recruiting trail was well documented with the 2020 class, and he's in DFW today checking in on a pair of the Aggies premier targets in the secondary - Denton Guyer CB Deuce Harmon and Dallas Kimball CB Ishmael Ibraheem. Jason will be all over those two recruitments, but like Billy mentioned in his Q&A, it feels like there's some real momentum with Harmon at the moment. It's good to hear Terry Price is back on the road. TP was sidelined for a little chunk of the final 2020 push as he recovered from the leg issue that hampered him throughout the season. The long time defensive ends coach headed down to southeast Texas to check in with Port Arthur Memorial DE Jordon Thomas who remains at the top of the A&M wishlist as well as 2022 CB offer Jaylon Guilbeau. Guilbeau has been a monster on the camp circuit early on this offseason. From there, TP is expected to make the long trek up to see the Texarkana Pleasant Grove duo of Marcus Burris and Landon Jackson.I was told A&M defensive coordinator Mike Elko stayed semi local today. I've gotten reports from a few northwest Houston schools where he's made stops - most notably at CyFair to see stud RB LJ Johnson Jr, CyRanch to see Baylor DB commit Romario Noel and TE Ben Postma. He also went by CyFalls and Bridgeland. I continue to hear good things about Bridgeland's 2022 Conner Weigman. He's got great tape and has certainly caught the attention of the A&M staff. Lastly, I've been told Elko will make a trip out to Blue Bell country to close the day by seeing 2022 Brenham ATH Eric Hemphill III. The Cypress/northwest Houston area is technically Elko's territory so don't be alarmed that he's seeing offensive players at these schools. Darrell Dickey is back in his stomping grounds of south Houston today. He's stopped by Shadow Creek to see their loaded roster of D1 prospects. A&M remains interested in the Sharks' 2021 QB Kyron Drones as well as a host of their 2022's. 2021 Shadow Creek LB Terrence Cooks has seen some big time offers come his way in recent months, and he's expected to be in College Station this weekend at the 7 on 7 tournament taking place at Veteran's Park. Dickey also made stops in Ft Bend ISD as well as Pearland to see their talented pair of junior RB's - Darius Hale and Brandon Campbell.Reminder: I do expect some noteworthy kids to swing by campus this weekend that are playing in the aforementioned 7 on 7 tournament.