Welcome To Texas A&M's SEC: Aggies Inch Closer To Consensus No. 1 Class
COLLEGE STATION -- For the past 11 years, two names have garnered top attention in terms of recruiting: Alabama and Georgia. It'll fluctuate every year or so, but the Crimson Tide and Bulldogs have reversed roles as No. 1 recruiting class since 2011.
The SEC has always been a powerhouse when it comes to securing top talent. Texas A&M has wanted to catapult itself into the driver's seat, not just as a top school on the field, but also in terms of recruiting.
The challenge was accepted. A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said in November that the Aggies had a chance to finish No. 1 in recruiting. They're close as of early Wednesday evening.
A&M currently sits as the No. 2 class on SI's rankings. Now comes the fun part of developing that talent.
"It's like a young hunting dog," Fisher said. "They're all great and have a great pedigree, but can they hunt? We got to go find out and see them hunt."
The Aggies signed 11 total recruits from SI99's list, four from the top 20. From the second defensive lineman, Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy (SI99's No. 10) signed his name to kick off the day, names kept piling up.
Next came quarterback Conner Weigman (No. 32), followed by tight ends Jake Johnson (No. 68) and Donovan Green (No. 69). Wide receiver Chris Marshall (No. 96) wasn't far behind.
Safety Bryce Anderson (No. 75), defensive end Malick Sylla (No. 51) and defensive lineman Anthony Lucas (No. 20) fortified the defensive depth. Offensive lineman Kam Dewberry (No. 78) is now the highest-rated interior lineman in the Aggies' class.
"Every time they come here, the players get to see what A&M can be," Fisher said. "They feel the love of the people and how they're going to be treated and what they can see of themselves, not only as an athlete, but also with life after ball."
The Aggies gained national attention when SI99's No. 2 player Walter Nolen committed in November. A&M's class was on path to guarantee a top-five finish in 2022. The addition of the 6-foot-4 defensive tackle from Powell (Tenn.) bumped the Aggies up on the medal stand.
"That's the skinniest 355-pound guy I know," Fisher said. "Guy's thin and built like an athlete. It's scary."
First place? That would be a new high for A&M under Fisher, who arrived in 2018. Slowly, the Aggies had been trending that direction since finishing with a top-five class back in 2019.
A&M isn't done either. Both defensive lineman Shemar Stewart of Opa Locka, Fla. (No. 7) and Cypress-Park linebacker Harold Perkins (No. 37), could strengthen the class if they sign in February. There's also Louisiana safety Jacoby Matthews (No. 66), who will announce where he intends to play at the Under Armour game next month.
In the coming days, Houston North Shore cornerback Denver Harris (No.6) is expected to decide between A&M and in-state rival Texas. Either way, another talent remains close to home and away from the likes of Nick Saban and Kirby Smart.
"We still have five or six guys left we're waiting to announce that we can't talk about yet," Fisher said. "The class is coming together. We hit a lot of needs."
Fisher continues to move up the ranks in the SEC, not just in terms on-field success, but also tenure. He now is the fourth-most senior coach, trailing only Saban, Smart and Kentucky's Mark Stoops.
That could have changed. When LSU fired Ed Orgeron, Tigers athletic director Scott Woodward called Fisher and offered him a new contract. A contract that would pay him $13 million a season over the next eight years.
Back in October, Fisher said he was committed to the program. He went to work for A&M, building a class with the intent of seeing them graduate under his watch.
Think that scored some brownie points with mom and dad after the wild coaching carousel offseason?
"We were able to keep guys in-tact and where we went," Fisher said. "I think it's a strong tribute to what we're doing and where we're going and how people see the future."
In 2020, the Aggies looked ready to the next step. A 9-1 season, followed by a No. 4 finish in the Associated Press rankings gave high expectations for fans in 2021. The team regressed, largely due to lack of experience on the offensive line and quarterback, leading to an 8-4 finish.
Even if junior Kenyon Green leaves for the NFL Draft, A&M will return three starters on the o-line, all of whom are sophomores. The quarterback position will be a battle between Weigman, Haynes King and likely a transfer.
The word is that now that tight end Jake Johnson is in, his older brother could be following in his path. Funny how life works. The last pass thrown by Max Johnson at LSU was 28-yard touchdown pass to Jaray Jenkins to upset Texas A&M 27-24.
Fisher did not say that Max Johnson was signed yet, but the Aggies were going to add a name via the transfer portal following the departure of 2021 starter Zach Calzada.
"That's a position you just can't stick anybody in," Fisher said. "It'll be important for us to try and fulfill that need."
A&M's uneven season may lower the fans' hopes next season. It won't lower Fisher's, who became the first former Saban assistant to beat the Alabama coach.
The Aggies also made headlines after beating another Alabama school, Auburn, in November. That afternoon, two top 10 players committed to the program and Fisher told reporters to "just watch" how wins such as these can affect recruiting.
The world watched. It waited. In spit-swapping style, the Aggies prevailed, winning in more than just a football game against the giants of the big, bad SEC.
Some would consider this a huge deal. Fisher and A&M now consider it a standard.
"At the end of the day, they're on paper," Fisher said his 22 new players and counting. "We have to go play and do what we got to do to."
The No. 25 Aggies close out the 2021 season on Dec. 31 against Wake Forest (10-3) in the Gator Bowl.
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