Texas A&M’s move to the SEC has paid dividends on the recruiting trail more than anyone could have possibly foreseen a couple of years ago. The Aggies are putting together another strong class for 2014, headlined by 22 commits set to sign on National Signing Day.
Texas A&M football recruiting 2014: Aggies likely to deliver top-5 class
The Aggies’ 2014 class isn’t likely to add too many more names, but as long as nobody leaves for another school, it could rank as the SEC’s second-best.
Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports
The Aggies’ class, which ranks No. 3 nationally at the moment, includes 12 four-stars and three five-star talents. LSU or Florida State could make a late push and jump A&M behind Alabama and Ohio State, but the Aggies are in very good shape regardless. And they still have a shot at adding another player or two, such as four-star guard Braden Smith, who announces on Signing Day.
Of those players committed, six prospects signed as early enrollees last month, including top-rated quarterback Kyle Allen and top-rated wideout Speedy Noil. Also joining Allen and Noil were four-star offensive linemen Jermaine Eluemunor and Avery Gennesy, defensive tackle Zaycoven Henderson and JuCo receiver Joshua Reynolds.
More from our team sites
More from our team sites
The best of the unsigned commitments for Texas A&M is Myles Garrett, a five-star defensive end recruit out of James Martin High School in Arlington, Texas. Garrett chose A&M in October over offers from Alabama, Florida State, LSU, Oklahoma and others. He is arguably the best defensive prospect in the country after putting together a monster season, with 247Sports’ composite rankings listing him No. 2 overall. Here is a snippet from SB Nation’s in-depth scouting report:
Garrett already has the mass to play the weakside position and not give up much against the run, though he will have to work on his leverage and won’t be able to get away with playing as high as he does, especially when working laterally down the line of scrimmage combating the zone running game.
As a pass rusher, Garrett could consistently get better jumps and isn’t an elite rusher in terms of pure speed, but is one of the top handful of prospects in the state of Texas because he’s strong enough to bulrush opponents, but can also flash a little rip move to take the edge, while making some motor plays as well.
Nick Harvey, a cornerback, is another elite prospect set to sign with the Aggies. One of the nation’s top defensive back recruits, Harvey, who played at Travis High School in Richmond, Texas, is ranked as the 57th-best prospect in the country. He is also listed as the seventh-best cornerback. Harvey was one of the very first players from the 2014 class to commit to Texas A&M, giving his pledge in December 2012. Check out SB Nation’s scouting report on Harvey here.
Frank Iheanacho is another consensus top-100 recruit ready to put pen to paper. A four-star wide receiver out of Westside High School in Houston, Iheanacho chose the Aggies over Arkansas, LSU, Oregon and a handful of others in early January.
As a whole, Texas A&M's class is rock solid from top to bottom. It should fill major voids left in the offense from Johnny Manziel and Mike Evans turning pro with the additions of Allen, Noil and Iheanacho, and the defense should only continue getting better with the influx of quite a few top-250 talents. In what will be a loaded SEC West the next few years, the Aggies should feel confident about their chances thanks to all of the hard work the coaching staff has done on the recruiting trail.
