The Aggies landed the No. 5 recruiting class in the country in ’14, entering the post-Johnny Manziel era with a nice influx of talent.

But how much did that class contribute to a 2014 team in transition that finished the season 8-5?

Player Position Starts Games Played
Myles Garrett DE 8 12
Speedy Noil WR 5 12
Kyle Allen QB 5 9
Nick Harvey CB 1 13
Frank Iheanacho WR 0 7
Qualen Cunningham DE 0 12
Otaro Alaka LB 5 12
Armani Watts S 7 13
Zaycoven Henderson DT 1 11
Josh Walker LB 4 10
Jarrett Johnson DE 0 11
Jamal Jeffery WR 0 2
Josh Reynolds* WR 11 13
Darrell Jackson DE 0 4
Donovan Wilson S 0 10

*Junior college transfer

Overall, 15 of the 21 enrollees played at least one game. Those 15 players participated in a combined 151 games, starting 47.

Texas A&M fans should be thrilled about the future in large part due to what already is a tremendous ’14 class.

All three five-star players started at least five games and figure to be a huge part of the ’15 team. DE Myles Garrett broke the SEC freshman sack record. QB Kyle Allen took over about midway through the season. WR Speedy Noil made some spectacular catches and flashed as a kick returner.

In addition to those three high-profile members of the class, 6-foot-4 junior college transfer Josh Reynolds led the team with 842 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns, giving the team a certifiable No. 1 option in ’15. Two other receivers played in multiple games as well, adding to the team’s abundance of pass-catching wealth.

New defensive coordinator John Chavis has plenty of raw clay to mold from the ’14 class other than Garrett. Otaro Alaka and Josh Walker are the team’s future at linebacker, and they could help shore up the team’s weakest position. Nick Harvey will be at least a bit player at cornerback.

But the key player from the group this fall may be safety Armani Watts, a talented four-star signee who started seven games. He’s fast and already has developed pretty good coverage skills, but tended to shy away from physical contact and didn’t show up against the run. If Chavis can ingrain in him a tough football mindset, he has the potential to be a standout player before he leaves College Station.

Junior college transfers Avery Gennesy and Jermaine Eluemunor, both of whom redshirted in ’14, should compete for one of the starting offensive tackle spots this spring as well.

DeShawn Washington, the highest-rated member of the class that didn’t play, has added about 25 pounds since arriving on campus and could crack the rotation at defensive tackle.

Cedric Collins, a cornerback who suffered a career-ending injury, is on campus and on scholarship as a medical exemption, remaining involved with the football program.

This class had talent exiting high school, and the ’14 season confirmed as much. How well Kevin Sumlin and his many new staff members are able to develop that talent will determine how fast A&M will emerge from a fringe bowl and Top 25 team into a true contender. If the Aggies compete for an SEC West title in the next two years, it’ll be because of the wonderful recruiting the team did prior to National Signing Day in 2014.