Isaac Taylor-Stuart

With the nearly month long Dead Period coming to a close this week, I thought it may be a good exercise to lay out what we think will happen this week in terms of recruiting. I'll leave the floor open for Jason and/or Looch to add whatever they expect as well...-There's no question that this has been a bit of a rough patch for the Aggies. Since the coaching change, the Aggies have lost commitments from Dominic Livingston (LSU), Bobby Brown (Bama), Leon O'Neal (undecided) and DaShaun White (Oklahoma). They've also had multiple schools target guys like Tyree Wilson, Jalen Preston, and Grant Gunnell (2019). It's been six years since the A&M program has undergone a regime change so it's a good reminder that these things are pretty common. Is it tough to deal with? Absolutely. However, when it comes down to it, it's the nature of the beast. Even with the defections, I don't think any Aggie fans would argue that the A&M football program is on firmer ground than it was 6-7 weeks ago, and that should be encouraging. -Let's go back and look at the decommitments and what determined the changes of heart...Dominic Livingston - Dom backed away from A&M with Kevin Sumlin still in charge. His reasoning was that he didn't want to feel like he was going behind anyone's back or betraying any verbal agreement with A&M while taking other visits. Enter Jimbo Fisher. While Livingston wanted to give the Ags' new head man a chance to win him back, he never felt like he was prioritized. Whether that was true or not, he took his official to LSU shortly thereafter and wound up inking with the Tigers in the early signing period. Leon O'Neal - While Livingston's recommitment came somewhat out of nowhere, it was made pretty clear that Leon would look around in the event of a coaching change...which is exactly what he need. Leon didn't know what kind of priority he'd be to Jimbo Fisher after failing to get a Florida St offer. The new A&M head man quickly calmed those seas though - making Leon one of his primary points of contact once he arrived in Aggieland. While O'Neal has other visits in the works (Clemson, Georgia), the CySprings safety is still a good bet to return to the fold as things stand today. Bobby Brown - this one had more twists and turns over a 2-3 day span than any recruitment I've witnessed. Brown was pretty straightforward about his intentions to remain an Aggie should Terry Price be retained. Then, seemingly out of the blue, he decommits and a couple of days later makes a pledge to Alabama. It'll be interesting to see where this one goes for A&M (if anywhere at all) after the Dead Period. DaShaun White - for all intents and purposes, White hadn't felt like a commit in a while. To his credit, he had been pretty open about how a coaching change would affect his recruitment. However, he did technically stick around longer than many would have thought, but the talk behind closed doors had long been that White was Norman bound in just a matter of time. He made it public on Saturday. So, what happens next? Well, here are some things I think you'll see take place once the coaches get the green light to get back on the road...-I think you'll see Jimbo Fisher and Darrell Dickey prioritize locking down Jalen Preston. The talented Manvel WR has been getting the full sale from Arkansas, Florida, and Texas to some degree. After doing some digging, it sounds like those programs are telling JP that there will be a lack of wideouts on the field in Fisher's system, and that the offense won't allow him to use his skill set like a wide open, true spread type of attack would. Preston has official set up for the weekend of the 19th. An ideal post-visit situation would see Preston completely shut down the idea of visits elsewhere. Make no mistake, there are members of the A&M class worried about JP.-I think you'll see these guys get early attention/visits from members of the A&M staff: Jalen Preston, Joseph Ossai, Moro Ojomo, Jaylen Waddle, Keondre Coburn, Isaac Taylor-Stuart, Leon O'Neal, Tyree Wilson, and Grant Gunnell-Speaking of Wilson, the longtime Aggie commit out of east Texas has set up an official visit to Arkansas along with grabbing offers from Florida and Texas. I've been told some members of his HS coaching staff have close ties to the Razorbacks. -I think the new staff being entirely in place will (obviously) mean a few new names will emerge at positions like linebacker and tight end. Keep an eye on Louisiana TE Glenn Beal. The Aggies would like to get him on campus, but he's flirted publicly with making a commitment soon. -I wonder what the vibe is going to be like from Boling's Vernon Jackson, Yoakum's Joshua Moore, and San Bernardino's (CA) Jeremiah Martin. Jackson remains committed to Bama, but his skill set is something Jimbo Fisher and Darrell Dickey covet. Josh Moore's brother, Jordan Moore, has signed with the Aggies already, and he's now expressed interest in playing on either side of the ball. You'd think the Aggies would have a great shot at landing him should they make a push. Out west, Martin has been pretty straightforward about the Aggies and Sooners being 1, 2 on his list. Could he find his way to town unofficially? I'd keep an eye on it. -I believe you'll see A&M push to get JUCO DE Dorian Gerald in for an official visit. According to a source close to the situation, the communication between Gerald and the Aggies has been encouraging, but the talented edge man remains in regular, positive contact with a lot of SEC programs vying for his services. -You got different views on Jaylen Waddle after the Army bowl depending on who you talked to. After sifting through everything the best I could from multiple sources, I still believe the Aggies and Crimson Tide are the odds on favorites. At least two well connected Houston folks that I speak to regularly say Texas A&M holds the edge here in early January. -After the entire staff is in place, I believe we'll begin to see new offers fly out. I mean, offensively, they'll probably start happening as soon as early this week since the entire coaching group on that side of the ball has been officially announced. -I got a good report on Florida RB Charles Strong while in San Antonio this week. A southeast source told me that Ole Miss currently stands out as the primary contender - something first reported by Jason a week or so ago. ...I know that's a lot, but I'm sure I left something out. I'll make sure that Jason and/or Looch chime in with anything they feel needs to be added.