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Texas A&M’s biggest recruiting miss since 2010: Losing 2 QBs this winter
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Every school has its share of misses in recruiting. It’s not an exact science. There’s really no way to tell how an 18- or 19-year-old kid is going to react to college life. There’s more to it than just playing football.
Every high-profile school gets its four- and five-star recruits, but not every one of them pans out. It’s just the nature of the beast.
Since 2010, Texas A&M, much like every other school, has done the best it can toward recruiting the best talent. With improved facilities, an expanded stadium and the move to the SEC, that task has been made a little easier.
Regardless of the circumstances when it comes to recruiting, all teams are going to swing and miss on occasion. Some more than others.
When the Aggies signed Heisman Trophy-winning QB Johnny Manziel out of high school, he was a three-star recruit and dozens of quarterbacks had higher grades. All he did at A&M was become one of the most exciting players in college football history.
But then there’s the other end of the spectrum as well.
This year the Aggies lost two five-star quarterback recruits at the end of the season. Kyle Allen came to College Station in 2014 class generally regarded as the top quarterback in the nation.
A year later, the Aggies reeled in another five-star quarterback. Kyler Murray had never lost a game in high school. The highly-touted quarterback was supposed to challenge Allen for the starting spot.
But keeping two superstars happy at the same position proved to be too tall a task.
Allen transferred to Houston after two seasons at Texas A&M, where he put up some impressive numbers. Allen threw for 3,532 yards and 33 touchdowns, completing 278 of 475 passes (58.5 percent) with a 138.0 QB rating.
But Allen began constantly looking over his shoulder as Murray stepped up and began taking snaps as a starter in 2015. Murray played in eight games this past season, throwing for 686 yards and five touchdowns. He completed 72 of 121 passes (59.5 percent) but tossed seven interceptions and Allen was reinstated as the starter by season’s end.
Neither was too thrilled over the roller-coaster ride and Murray followed Allen out the door, transferring to Oklahoma.
It’s just an example of what can happen and the many factors that go into recruiting. Just when you think you have the market cornered, you have neither. Such is the game of college recruiting.
Glenn Sattell is an award-winning freelance writer for Saturday Down South.
