Texas A&M and head coach Kevin Sumlin need a good recruiting class to facilitate some positive momentum with the Aggies program, following another so-so year and some offseason attrition.

With that, here are some key questions about Texas A&M, which currently has the No. 17 class in the country, with a week to go until signing day.

What are your general impressions of Texas A&M recruiting this class?

It hasn’t been a cycle with the fireworks that some of the recent Aggies classes have had, but there are still some very good football players committed to A&M this cycle.

Defensive ends Justin Madubuike (McKinney, Texas/North) and Mark Jackson Jr. (Cibolo, Texas/Steele) are both highly-skilled, U.S. Army All-Americans from great talent-producing Texas high school programs. I think that wide receiver Clyde Chriss (New Orleans, La./Warren Easton) can surprise some people given his skill set and cornerback Charles Oliver (Fairfield, Texas) gives them a cornerback prospect that is nearly 6-foot-3 and he too was an Army All-American.

This class may not finish in the top 10, but don’t feel sorry for the Aggies from a talent-acquisition standpoint.

Do you think the departure of Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray has hurt A&M on the recruiting trail?

Well, it hurts perception-wise because first and foremost, it’s unprecedented.

There’s nothing out of the ordinary when one five-star quarterback transfers when there is another on campus. When two walk out within weeks of each other, it gives rival recruiters a red flag to point to, so it’s definitely something that can facilitate a challenge Kevin Sumlin and his staff will have to overcome.

It may not have ruined this class, but I don’t think it helps from a momentum standpoint, which is important in recruiting and I also think that the potential for negative impact is greater with the 2017 class than this particular cycle.

Who can the Aggies close with?

I think it’s important for Texas A&M to top in-state rival Texas for elite safety Brandon Jones. Here’s a kid that can step in and help the secondary, who has offers from everyone in the country and who the Aggies have been in good shape for for nearly the entire cycle. I mentioned that perception thing earlier — landing Jones would go a long way toward starting to reverse the negative perception of the program.