TexAgs Spring Football Tour: Langham Creek & CyCreek
Week three of my tour wraps up in northwest Houston with the Langham Creek Lobos and CyCreek Cougars. I just finished my visit at Langham Creek, just missing A&M DE coach Terry Price by a day. The Lobos were in positional meetings for much of the period, but I was able to visit with the coaching staff for quite a while as well as talk to Quartney Davis and Toneil Carter.Quartney was repping his A&M gear and said the days were moving by too slow. He'll move into his apartment with roommate Nick Starkel in two weeks. He said he's been working out daily to come in and make an impact for the Ags in the 2016 season. He also spent some talking about his decision to major in Business Administration. Quartney said he's maintained contact with the A&M coaches and has helped them in their recruiting efforts. Quartney mentioned Starkel, Clyde Chriss, Clifford Chattman, and Tyrel Dodson as guys he stays in consistent contact with. He's also been in the ear of teammate and friend Toneil Carter...Perfect segue. Carter had a lot of positive things to say about the Aggies and his relationship with the coaching staff. He said the A&M staff has made him feel like a priority, and he echoed what Q said about being in his ear in favor of the Aggies. Toneil said he will graduate early and, because he's doing so, he'll be taking advanced math courses this summer to prepare himself to be an early enrollee. Therefore, his summer schedule is a bit fuzzy, but there should be a Toneil sighting in Aggieland at some point. He confirmed A&M will be getting one of his official visits. He then called Clarence McKinney a "father figure on the college level." Update: Toneil says he's planning to make an announcement on October 3rd, his birthday. After considering all factors involved, I'm comfortable saying the Ags are sitting pretty here for perhaps the state's top 2017 running back. Stay tuned for my update a little later from CyCreek.
A few morning notes and quotes (CeeDee Lamb and 2018 NOLA offer)
----I caught up with key Texas A&M receiver target CeeDee Lamb of Richmond (Texas) Foster. The standout receiver was in College Station over the weekend. "They definitely opened up my eyes, and like I said, I'm open to see what schools had to offer me and A&M actually stood out," Lamb said. "I just went on Saturday and I like their facilities too. I like the people around. I like the people that help. They're all a family there." In regards to Aaron Moorehead and the tweets, Lamb's interest was not impacted, and Lamb has a built a solid relationship with the Texas A&M wide receivers coach. "I like him as a person considering he knows where we're trying to be and he's experienced it," Lamb said. "The work ethic and the stuff we have to do to get to where we want to be." He is keeping his options open right now with more and more schools showing interest, but he did mention Texas A&M as a standout program alongside programs like LSU, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, and Baylor. If I had to project where he ends up playing college ball, I would say LSU definitely seems like one to watch. "I would be able to play in front of family I haven't been able to play in front of in a while and bond with people I haven't bonded with in a while. LSU, it's just always been my dream school." He has lived in the Houston-area since the third grade, but he is originally from New Orleans and he has family in Louisiana. He may plan trips to LSU, Auburn, and Florida soon but does not have anything scheduled. He did mention a possible return to College Station in June. Yesterday was a busy one, Lamb visited Baylor and he also added offers from Alabama and Tennessee. ----Texas A&M offered New Orleans McDonogh 35 2018 safety Joseph Foucha on Thursday along with Foucha's teammate Lawrence Keys . The recruiting process is in the beginning stages for Foucha, and he is trying to figure everything out right now. The 6-0, 190-pound defender is intrigued by the Texas A&M offer. "I've kind of been watching them you know since Speedy (Noil) went up there," Foucha said. "I'm going to try and go up there after spring. I would like to go up there after spring because I've never been to a Texas school and I've kind of been wanting to go there and see how everything is looking. I know everything is big. I know everything is huge out there." He has not yet talked to McDonogh 35 defensive backfield-mate and Texas A&M signee Clifford Chattman, but he plans to soon. In addition to Texas A&M, Foucha has been offered by Auburn, Mississippi St, Memphis, SMU, Nebraska, UTSA, and Cincinnati, and the Arizona Wildcats are coming by today.
Monday night notes on some Louisiana prospects
Been talking to quite a few kids and sources from the bayou state throughout the day and decided to compile all the info in one update. Let's start with guys with offers...-2017 John Ehret CB Terrell Bailey has long been considered an Aggie lean. There was even murmurs that he would shut his recruitment down in favor of the Maroon & White while on campus for Friday Night Lights. After cross checking some stuff, I found that, typically, kids from John Ehret don't make commitments while on visits. Their head coach likes to sit down with the kid and family before making a decision. This was part of the reason last cycle's Michael Divinity saga was a little hectic. Anyway, all that being said, my south Louisiana connection still says the Ags are the team to beat here. Bailey is a big fan of John Chavis and Terry Joseph, and I was told he felt really comfortable on campus. The ever growing New Orleans presence on the A&M roster should be a big help down the road...as will hosting satellite camps in the Big Easy. -A pair of Neville products - Jaiden Cole and Phidarian Mathis - are two guys with Aggie offers that you could see on campus this summer. It'll be interesting to see how the A&M staff pursues Cole from a positional standpoint. Sources in Louisiana maintain he's an electric slot/kick returner type that would fit well into a spread style attack. A&M has a guy like that committed already in Roshauud Paul. The Aggies probably have a better shot with Cole than they do with his teammate, Mathis. Phidarian received that LSU offer that so many kids over there covet this week and, while he may trip to Aggieland with Cole, the safe money is on the Tigers right now. -I was able to speak briefly with recent 2018 WR offer Lawrence Keys from McDonogh 35. (For the record, I don't know why the map on his profile page says the school is located in Central Europe, but it shows you the same image when you google the high school, too. Weird.). Anyway, Keys was very excited about the offer. He says former 35 teammate and Aggie signee Clifford Chattman "talks a lot about Texas A&M. It sounds great." Expect Keys' stock to continue to soar. I'd also be willing to bet he makes an appearance at an A&M camp. -Lastly, Evangel Christian WR Johnathan Jones doesn't have an A&M offer yet, but he may be on the cusp. He called A&M his "dream school" tonight and says he talks to Aaron Moorehead and Jeff Banks daily. He's especially fond of Moorehead. Jones says he'd like to commit this summer and definitely has plans to revisit Aggieland soon. If A&M decides to move on Jones, I'd put him on #YESSIR alert rather quickly.
New signees on their way to campus
In addition to the 2017 & 2018 recruits that will be tripping to Aggieland this weekend, a large contingent from the recently signed 2016 class will be here as well. Some names you can expect to see around Kyle Field tomorrow are:Tyrel Dodson Austin Anderson Riley Anderson Quartney Davis Aaron Hansford Nick Starkel Clifford Chattman (maybe)Clyde Chriss (maybe)
Scattershooting the Class: Final musings on Texas A&M's 2016 haul
The ink is dry, putting to bed a 2016 recruiting class that was as eventful as any. Texas A&M brought in 21 new players, many versatile and several highly ranked. Yet, did the class accomplish what Kevin Sumlin set out to do?