Photo by Brandon Jones, TexAgs
Texas A&M Football Recruiting
Sumlin, Aggies address major needs in 2013 signing class
February 6, 2013
4,834
COLLEGE STATION — Top 10 football finishes are becoming quite common for Texas A&M.
The Aggies have had two in less than a month.
A&M followed up a No. 5 ranking in the final 2012 rankings last month with a National Signing Day recruiting class that scouting services ranked as high as No. 6.
The Aggies' 32-player class — with nine early enrollees that count toward last year’s class — was ranked in the top 10 by all major national recruiting services. However, the Aggies' class was also ranked fifth in the powerful Southeastern Conference.
“We’re still playing catch-up in the SEC,” Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin said at a Wednesday afternoon press conference. “ESPN ranked us 8th in the nation in recruiting. Then, I looked at the next page and we’re ranked fifth in our league. We’re getting there, but we still have a ways to go.”
Matt Sachs, TexAgs
Sumlin and the Aggies address several areas of need while adding talented players across the board.
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and the Aggies address several areas of need while adding talented
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This appears a class that could take the Aggies a long way.
Coming off of an 11-2 inaugural season in the SEC, which included a victory over national champion Alabama and quarterback Johnny Manziel’s Heisman Trophy campaign, the Aggies had to fill particular needs at receiver and the defensive line.
They did so in grand fashion.
Their group of receivers included Ricky Seals-Jones, Ja'Quay Williams, Sabastian LaRue, Kyrion Parker and Laquvionte Gonzalez, who were all ranked among the nation’s Top 50.
They appeared to be attracted to Texas A&M’s offense, which averaged more than 558 yards per game to rank third in the nation last season, and the opportunity to play with Manziel.
The Aggies needed to add a solid group of receivers to help replace departing seniors Ryan Swope, Uzoma Nwachukwu and Kenric McNeal.
“I think our style of play helped attract a lot of guys,” Sumlin said. “You go into this (the SEC) and people have doubts, not about what we’re going to do, but [whether it is] going to work. Now people have a better understanding of our offensive philosophy and how it works. That certainly helped.
“The guys we signed today are all different," Sumlin added. "Ricky Seals-Jones is one of the best players in the state. Sabastian LaRue was committed to USC and we were able to flip him back. He brings some speed along with Quiv (Gonzalez). We need that. We don’t have the depth we need at receiver.”
A&M’s receiver signees were indeed impressive, but its defensive line signees are even better. The Aggies brought in Isaiah Golden, Justin Manning and Hardreck Walker, who are all ranked among the nation’s top 18 defensive tackles.
They also flipped Daeshon Hall, a national top-15 defensive end, away from Washington.
“[Defensive line] was a real emphasis this year,” Sumlin said. "One year into the SEC, it was obvious to me this is a line of scrimmage league. For us to be the program and team we want to be, we need to increase our size and increase the profile of our team, and we need depth. You look at this list. We have six defensive linemen and six linebackers. That’s a quick way to do that. Some of those guys are going to need to play next year.”
Sumlin said this may have been the least stressful national signing day he’s experienced in 20 years of coaching because all of the players who were committed to the Aggies signed.
He said there were several reasons for that.
“The game day atmosphere [at Kyle Field] ... we had a lot of guys here for LSU,” Sumlin said. “It’s a combination of things. Everything matters. Moving to the SEC is part of it. But it’s not just being in the SEC, but being able to compete and win meaningful games. Finishing the way we did, playing in Dallas, beating Oklahoma and winning a bowl game. Winning some awards and being in New York (for the Heisman Trophy ceremony). All that stuff helps.”
A&M also signed quarterbacks Kenny Hill and Kohl Stewart, both of whom are ranked among the nation’s top 15 signal callers. That was even more impressive considering Manziel still has three years of eligibility.
“That says lot about the perception of our program to have a redshirt freshman [quarterback] that’s there and we still go out and get two of the best quarterbacks in the state,” Sumlin said. “It says where you are offensively and how we’ve developed quarterbacks in the past and where kids want to play.”
Stewart may not ever join the Aggies, though. He’s a heralded pitcher with a fastball nearing 100 miles per hour and figures to be an early selection in the Major League Baseball Draft in June.
Sumlin is okay with that. He compared Stewart to former Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden, who signed a baseball contract out of high school, but eventually returned to Stillwater and became a first round draft choice of the Cleveland Browns.
“We’d love to have [Stewart],” Sumlin said. “But there’s nothing wrong with him being Brandon Weeden. We told him if you want to play [baseball], go play. We’ll have a place for you when you’re 25.”
The Aggies have had two in less than a month.
A&M followed up a No. 5 ranking in the final 2012 rankings last month with a National Signing Day recruiting class that scouting services ranked as high as No. 6.
The Aggies' 32-player class — with nine early enrollees that count toward last year’s class — was ranked in the top 10 by all major national recruiting services. However, the Aggies' class was also ranked fifth in the powerful Southeastern Conference.
“We’re still playing catch-up in the SEC,” Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin said at a Wednesday afternoon press conference. “ESPN ranked us 8th in the nation in recruiting. Then, I looked at the next page and we’re ranked fifth in our league. We’re getting there, but we still have a ways to go.”
Matt Sachs, TexAgs
Sumlin and the Aggies address several areas of need while adding talented players across the board.
{"Module":"photo","Alignment":"right","Size":"large","Caption":"Sumlin
and the Aggies address several areas of need while adding talented
players across the board.","MediaItemID":27910}
Coming off of an 11-2 inaugural season in the SEC, which included a victory over national champion Alabama and quarterback Johnny Manziel’s Heisman Trophy campaign, the Aggies had to fill particular needs at receiver and the defensive line.
They did so in grand fashion.
Their group of receivers included Ricky Seals-Jones, Ja'Quay Williams, Sabastian LaRue, Kyrion Parker and Laquvionte Gonzalez, who were all ranked among the nation’s Top 50.
They appeared to be attracted to Texas A&M’s offense, which averaged more than 558 yards per game to rank third in the nation last season, and the opportunity to play with Manziel.
The Aggies needed to add a solid group of receivers to help replace departing seniors Ryan Swope, Uzoma Nwachukwu and Kenric McNeal.
“I think our style of play helped attract a lot of guys,” Sumlin said. “You go into this (the SEC) and people have doubts, not about what we’re going to do, but [whether it is] going to work. Now people have a better understanding of our offensive philosophy and how it works. That certainly helped.
“The guys we signed today are all different," Sumlin added. "Ricky Seals-Jones is one of the best players in the state. Sabastian LaRue was committed to USC and we were able to flip him back. He brings some speed along with Quiv (Gonzalez). We need that. We don’t have the depth we need at receiver.”
A&M’s receiver signees were indeed impressive, but its defensive line signees are even better. The Aggies brought in Isaiah Golden, Justin Manning and Hardreck Walker, who are all ranked among the nation’s top 18 defensive tackles.
They also flipped Daeshon Hall, a national top-15 defensive end, away from Washington.
“[Defensive line] was a real emphasis this year,” Sumlin said. "One year into the SEC, it was obvious to me this is a line of scrimmage league. For us to be the program and team we want to be, we need to increase our size and increase the profile of our team, and we need depth. You look at this list. We have six defensive linemen and six linebackers. That’s a quick way to do that. Some of those guys are going to need to play next year.”
Sumlin said this may have been the least stressful national signing day he’s experienced in 20 years of coaching because all of the players who were committed to the Aggies signed.
He said there were several reasons for that.
“The game day atmosphere [at Kyle Field] ... we had a lot of guys here for LSU,” Sumlin said. “It’s a combination of things. Everything matters. Moving to the SEC is part of it. But it’s not just being in the SEC, but being able to compete and win meaningful games. Finishing the way we did, playing in Dallas, beating Oklahoma and winning a bowl game. Winning some awards and being in New York (for the Heisman Trophy ceremony). All that stuff helps.”
That says lot about the perception of our program to have a redshirt freshman [quarterback] that’s there and we still go out and get two of the best quarterbacks in the state.
{"Module":"quote","Alignment":"left","Quote":"That says lot about the perception of our program to have a redshirt freshman [quarterback] that’s there and we still go out and get two of the best quarterbacks in the state.","Author":"Kevin Sumlin"}
However, Sumlin acknowledged that he would have liked to have signed one more offensive lineman. The Aggies signed three.A&M also signed quarterbacks Kenny Hill and Kohl Stewart, both of whom are ranked among the nation’s top 15 signal callers. That was even more impressive considering Manziel still has three years of eligibility.
“That says lot about the perception of our program to have a redshirt freshman [quarterback] that’s there and we still go out and get two of the best quarterbacks in the state,” Sumlin said. “It says where you are offensively and how we’ve developed quarterbacks in the past and where kids want to play.”
Stewart may not ever join the Aggies, though. He’s a heralded pitcher with a fastball nearing 100 miles per hour and figures to be an early selection in the Major League Baseball Draft in June.
Sumlin is okay with that. He compared Stewart to former Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden, who signed a baseball contract out of high school, but eventually returned to Stillwater and became a first round draft choice of the Cleveland Browns.
“We’d love to have [Stewart],” Sumlin said. “But there’s nothing wrong with him being Brandon Weeden. We told him if you want to play [baseball], go play. We’ll have a place for you when you’re 25.”
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