STRINGING CLASSES TOGETHER 2002 recruiting class key to pulling off possible triumvirate of quality hauls By Billy Liucci

Most of the national recruiting services, including Bobby Burton’s Rivals100.com or Tom Lemming’s site on ESPN.com, agree that Texas A&M is off to a very strong start in this year’s recruiting race. That’s good news, because this year’s recruiting class will be a very important one for the future of the A&M program.

I have a hard time quoting any recruiting service, because it should be obvious to all who follow the annual recruiting race that the rankings of "gurus" or "experts" really don’t mean a thing.

Sure, there are always a couple of "can’t-miss" prospects – guys like Ty Warren, Sammy Davis, and Roy Williams of Texas. But, for the most part, college coaches have proven to know a little more about how to evaluate talent than any recruiting service out there.

Terrence Murphy

Take, for example, this year’s class of Aggie freshmen. Jami Hightower was one of few A&M signees that fit into the "can’t-miss" mold.

But halfway through the 2001 season, it’s already clear that the Aggies’ Class of 2001 could be one of the most underrated groups in R.C. Slocum’s tenure.

Eight true freshmen are playing significant roles for the Aggies, including a pair of starters (Derek Farmer and Terrence Murphy). In addition, redshirts such as John Roberson, Jarvis Mays, Ron Jones, Dominique Steamer, Jason Carter, David Ross and Bryant Singleton all look very promising and will probably be playing key roles as early as next fall.

Last year’s class, as it turns out, is going to be a very good one. Looking ahead to next season, the Aggies –  who return almost every starter and play all but one of their big games at Kyle Field – should certainly be able to parlay a great season on the field into a top 10 recruiting class in 2003. That’s what makes the players who sign with A&M this coming February so important.

It’s been a while since the Aggies have signed two or three straight outstanding recruiting classes. The opportunity has presented itself and coach R.C. Slocum, with three key additions (Kevin Sumlin, Dino Babers, and Ken Rucker) to an already strong staff of recruiters, appears poised to get it done.

Another reason why this year’s signing class is so important for the Aggies is the fact that A&M has a couple of major need areas. Wide receivers and defensive backs highlighted last year’s A&M class.

This year, the Aggies will try to plug roster holes at linebacker, tight end and defensive line, while adding depth and continuing to upgrade the talent level on the offensive line and at wideout. Let’s take a look at the likely breakdown:

The Aggies have only two underclassmen – Dustin Long and Jason Carter – on campus so signing a blue-chip quarterback is a must. In fact, it seems to me that the A&M staff has decided that it will try to sign one highly-rated quarterback in each recruiting class.

Derek Farmer and Keith Joseph are a pair of very young and extremely talented tailbacks. However, as Aggie fans have learned in the past, injuries can quickly mount and you can never have too many ballcarriers.

Expect A&M to sign one true tailback. Unfortunately, the pickings are pretty slim in the Lone Star State at the position. Joe Weber will be a senior next year, so signing a blocking fullback – with an emphasis on blocking – is another priority.

After last year’s wide receiver haul, the Aggies are emphasizing a size upgrade at the position. A&M would like to sign three wideouts, and don’t be at all surprised if at least two are over 6-feet-tall and around 200 pounds.

Over the past few years, the Aggies have just missed on several blue-chip offensive linemen. Andre Gurode (Colorado), Leonard Davis (Texas), Eric Heitman (Stanford), Greg Barnum (Tennessee), and Ben Wilkerson (LSU) are some huge names that come to mind. Fortunately, the Aggies do have some talented youngsters on campus: Jami Hightower, Dominique Steamer, Geoff Hangartner and Andre Brooks, just to name a few.

Derek Farmer

Still, offensive line remains a priority for an Aggie team that is currently playing a true freshman (Hightower) on the O-line for the first time in five years. When all is said and done, expect the Aggies to sign three or four big uglies. A potential pitfall is the fact that offensive line is another position that is currently very thin in the state of Texas.

Signing three quality tight ends is an absolute necessity. Michael de la Torre will be a senior next season, and both Joey Perot and Fred Spiller are on the sidelines with season-ending injuries.

In Dino Babers’ offensive system, the Aggies will be looking for three big, physical tight ends in the 250-260 pound range. In addition, the prospects must possess enough athletic skill to become threats in the passing game. Don’t be surprised to see one of the three tight ends that the Aggies eventually sign have the ability to also play on the defensive line.

Speaking of defensive linemen, signing four more quality DL’s is another priority for the Aggies.

More specifically, A&M is looking to sign at least two 300-pound defensive tackles to stand in against the powerful Big 12 offenses. The Aggies signed a handful of defensive linemen last year, but most – if not all – of those true freshmen (each of whom is redshirting) will line up at end. Rocky Bernard and Evan Perroni are seniors, and, believe it or not, Ty Warren is already a junior. That’s why the A&M coaching staff knows that they must add a couple of instant-impact defensive tackle types to what is already a very talented mix.

This season, A&M’s top recruiting need is to sign about five blue-chip linebackers. For the first time in Slocum’s tenure, the Wrecking Crew’s glamour position is facing a serious numbers problem.

Harold Robertson, Amon Simon, and Christian Rodriguez are seniors this fall, and, when the recruits who sign this season arrive in the fall of ’02, Brian Gamble, Jarrod Penright and Jesse Hunnicutt will be spending their final season in Aggieland.

Perhaps the most encouraging – and surprising – members of this year’s group of Aggie freshmen are Brandon Johnson and Randall Webb, and both play outside linebacker.

To some extent, Webb and Johnson have probably eased the Aggies’ concerns. Nevertheless, signing at least four playmakers at the position is a must. Fortunately for the Aggies, this year’s crop of high school linebackers is one of the best in recent memory.

In order to keep up with the wide-open offenses that have become commonplace in the Big 12 South, Slocum and his staff have placed a huge emphasis on DB recruiting in each of A&M’s last three classes.

Sammy Davis, Terrence Kiel, Sean Weston, Adam Black, Jonte Buhl and four very promising true freshmen make up the deepest and most talented secondary in the Big 12 Conference.

In fact, talent level of the A&M defensive backfield is at a 10-year high, so the Aggies will look to add to their stable with one or two more difference-makers. Expect A&M to sign at least one prospect with the size/speed combination to play either safety or become a big corner to combat the Roy Williamses of the college football world.

And the final piece of the recruiting puzzle, as far as players go, will be landing a top-flight field goal kicker to help ease the load of Cody Scates.

During the past two seasons, the Aggies have added several coaches who are considered exceptional recruiters. If recruiting really is the lifeblood of a program, the Aggies’ future looks bright. As usual, the state of Texas is loaded with enough high school football talent to stack the rosters of several national powers.

With UT’s Mack Brown, LSU’s Nick Saban, and OU’s Bob Stoops joining the fight for the Texas’ elite talent, the battles for the state’s difference-makers are more fiercely contested than ever before. But there’s no doubt Slocum and the Aggies have come out swinging in 2001-02.