Top SEC target: Kendall Sheffield still playing the field
By all accounts, Kendall Sheffield seems like a coach’s dream. The 6-foot cornerback from Missouri City, Tex. has size, speed and smarts to make him a star at the college level, and with several SEC teams chasing him he could be on SEC fans’ radar for the next several years.
247sports and ESPN both project the two-sport star will land at Texas A&M. The Aggies are located about an hour and a half northwest of Sheffield’s hometown, just outside of Houston. Over the weekend, Sheffield took his official visit to Texas A&M’s campus. While he was there, he also met with Aggies track and field coach Pat Henry.
#ESPN300 5-star CB Kendall Sheffield on Texas A&M OV with track Coach Henry. #Gigem pic.twitter.com/iKSrqDZPLi
— Gerry Hamilton (@HamiltonESPN) December 14, 2014
The five-star prospect plans to run track as well as play football in college. He’s won Texas state titles in the 110 meter hurdles and the 300 meter hurdles. Sheffield is the No. 18 prospect in the country, per 247sports’ composite national rankings, and the No. 3 cornerback in the country.
Sheffield would be a big addition to the Aggies’ recruiting class. Still looking for a defensive coordinator, Texas A&M already has a defense-heavy 2015 class. Four of five top-rated players in the class are defensive players, with several other five-star recruits still in the mix.
The Aggies have heavy competition for Sheffield, despite being considered the cornerback’s top choice.
Sheffield has visited Alabama at least twice during this recruiting cycle, including a visit during the Crimson Tide’s Iron Bowl win over Auburn. Sheffield spent time with Alabama freshman cornerback Tony Brown who, like Sheffield, also runs track.
Alabama is already stacked at defensive back. On top of Brown, they brought in five-star cornerback Marlon Humphrey in 2014, another track star who didn’t earn playing time on the gridiron this season. Alabama didn’t have any seniors playing significant time in the defensive backfield, although there are a few candidates to leave early for the NFL draft from the secondary.
Sheffield has checked out several other campuses around the country. This fall, he visited Ohio State, Southern Cal and Florida State. Texas and Baylor are also both in the running as schools where Sheffield might enroll. Southern Cal coach Steve Sarkisian is apparently very high on Sheffield, bringing Marcus Allen’s Heisman Trophy to his in-home visit.
BTW, it’s Marcus Allen’s Heisman Trophy #USC HC Steve Sarkisian toted to Kendall Sheffield in-home tonight pic.twitter.com/2l4nDic4qp — Gerry Hamilton (@HamiltonESPN) December 12, 2014
Sheffield isn’t expected to announce his decision until the Under Armour All-America game on Jan. 2. Until then, the Aggies will have to keep up the full-court press with other big-time programs chasing him.