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Texas A&M has had hits and misses with its five-star recruits
By Corey Long
Published:
Texas A&M has made a serious mark with five-star prospects over the past few seasons with top prospects on both sides of the ball. Some have worked out extremely well and appear to be on track for successful college careers. Others have been embroiled in controversy on and off the field and have left the program.
2011
None (Mike Evans and Johnny Manziel were three-star prospects. Which reminds us again that this isn’t an exact science).
2012
Trey Williams, ATH: Williams was a big part of the spread offense in Aggieland and proved to be a versatile piece as a runner, receiver and returner. He had 1,343 yards rushing and 18 touchdowns along with 330 yards receiving during his three years with Texas A&M. Williams declared for the NFL Draft after three seasons and was signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent.
Thomas Johnson, WR: Johnson had a decent freshman year with 30 catches for 339 yards and a touchdown, but the situation surrounding his departure was…strange at best. He left the program without answering any questions and was basically forgotten until he allegedly attacked a jogger with a machete in Dallas County. He is awaiting trial for murder.
2013
Ricky Seals-Jones, WR: After taking a redshirt as a true freshman to have knee surgery, Seals-Jones has had two productive seasons with 45+ catches in each year. For his two-year career, Seals-Jones has 1,109 yards and nine touchdowns. He decided to return to Texas A&M as a junior and will try to boost those numbers in 2016 under a more stable QB situation.
2014
Myles Garrett, DE: Garrett has established himself as one of the top defensive ends in the nation and a likely first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. In two seasons, Garrett has 32.5 tackles for loss and 23 sacks — among the nation’s best in both categories. His 11.5 sacks in 2014 was a conference record as a freshman. He was a Freshman All-American in 2014 and a first-team All-SEC performer in 2015.
Speedy Noil, WR: Top wide receiver prospect out of New Orleans spurned the in-state LSU Tigers for A&M. As a freshman, Noil was headed for big things after grabbing 46 passes for 583 yards and five touchdowns. He took a step back as a sophomore, and his numbers were cut in half across the board. He was suspended for the bowl game and will likely miss the season opener, too, so Noil will need to get things back on track quickly.
Kyle Allen, QB: Allen took over the starting QB spot midway through his freshman year when Kenny Hill began to struggle. He threw for 1,322 yards with 16 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He began 2015 as a starter, but after winning the first five games he ran into Alabama and struggled. Allen would lose the starting spot to Kyler Murray soon after. Even though Allen would regain the spot, issues with both Allen and Murray began to surface, and Allen announced he would transfer after the season and would eventually end up at Houston.
2015
Daylon Mack, DT: My buddy calls me during the 2015 Under Armour Game and goes, “I would never authorize paying a kid to play for me…but Daylon Mack might make me re-think that.” Talk about a bulldozer in the middle of the defensive line. Mack had 30 tackles with 8.5 tackles for loss and proved to be the ultimate defense against the zone read.
Christian Kirk, WR: If there was a better freshman receiver in the nation, I didn’t see him. Kirk, on a team loaded at the wide receiver position, had 80 catches for 1,009 yards and seven touchdowns. Kirk was on the AP and coaches All-SEC Freshman team and was named a Freshman All-American by nearly every service that wanted to maintain a level of respectability.
Kyler Murray, QB: Where do we start with this one? Well Murray, son of former Texas A&M quarterback Kevin Murray, had three starts as a true freshman and his numbers on the season were a little underwhelming with 686 passing yards and five touchdowns with seven interceptions. Murray’s best game was against South Carolina as he threw for 223 yards and rushed for 156 yards. But there were all kinds of issues with Murray and the Texas A&M coaching staff leaking out, and Murray missed the final two games of the season and joined Allen in transferring. He decided to transfer to Oklahoma and will play for the Sooners in 2017.
Corey Long is a freelance writer for SaturdayDownSouth.com. Follow Corey on Twitter @CoreyLong.
