The 2010 class is in the books (we think). The Ags ended up with the #15 ranked class according to ESPN. A nice haul for Sherman and co. coming off a 6-7 season. We are progressing well in our path to becoming an elite program again. Step number one for this year was to qualify for a bowl game and get an extra month of practice for our young team. Step number two was to add talent across the lines in the incoming recruiting class. The Ags are taking the steps that need to be taken. IMO this is the best haul of offensive and defensive linemen that A&M has had since I began to follow recruiting (20 years ago). The Ags were able to add three legit LT prospects after struggling for years to land one. After basically being shut out on DL in state this year, Sherman went to Louisiana and grabbed three great DL prospects. It may not be happening as quickly as some would like, but A&M is beginning to put the pieces together to get back to where we need to be. This class is a big piece of that puzzle.

A lot will be said about the two that got away. It does hurt to lose athletes the likes of Jarrett Fobbs and Corey Nelson. It never hurts to have more speed in your program. Those two guys would have added a lot of speed. I prefer to celebrate the players that decided to become Aggies, than get upset over the ones who decided to go elsewhere. It is disappointing that these two waited till the last minute to change their mind, because the Ags could have offered those spots to recruits who really wanted to come to Aggieland. That is the way the game is played though. Hopefully there are some recruits out there that the Ags have been keeping their eyes on that will now get a shot at filling those two spots.

I did not get to see as many of these recruits in person this year as I normally do. I have seen video of a lot of these kids. IMO we landed a great class and I think all Ags should be in a very good mood today. I think last years class will go down as one of the most important in A&M history. This years class will add the beef along the lines to make our program elite again.

Jameil Showers QB Killeen Shoemaker 6'1 205

Passed for 2100 yds and rushed for 500 yds as a junior. Was probably the top run/pass prospect in the state. Missed his senior year after a collarbone injury in the preseason. Is on campus right now. Will compete with Matt Joeckel for the 3rd QB spot. Is definitely one to watch during the spring game. Is a very smooth player who sometimes makes the game look effortless. I expect him to reshirt as he strengthens his collarbone and adds some weight.

Clay Honeycutt QB Dickinson 6'2 190

Passed for 1500 yds as a senior. May be the odd man out at QB. Will likely end up at WR or in the secondary. Would not be surprised if Deruyter ends up turning him into an OLB. Spent his sophomore and junior year in HS at WR, only to move to QB when the starter was injured.

Matt Joeckel QB Arlington 6'4 220

Maybe the best pure dropback passer in the state. Classic tall gunslinger that you want to run a WC offense. Is currently on campus working with the team. Passed for 3100 yds and rushed for 700 yds as a senior. Threw for 40 TDs with only 6 interceptions. Took his Arlington High team four rounds deep in the playoffs. Will compete to be the Ags starting QB in 2011. Is very adept at reading defenses already. IMO one of the top five gets for Sherman in this class. 

Ben Malena RB Cedar Hill 5'9 200

Rushed for 700 yds and 11 TDs during an injury plagued senior campaign. As a junior rushed for 2200 yds and 35 TDs. IMO does not have true breakaway speed. Is not going to go off tackle for 80 yds but he will go 5-15 yds consistently and score a TD from 30 yds out. Will break tackles and knows how to make people miss in space. A very powerful runner who can move the pile. A workhorse who you can build your offense around. Could redshirt because of the depth in the A&M backfield, but is good enough to compete for the 3rd RB spot right away.

Mister Jones RB Littleton, CO 6'2 200

Physical RB who the Ags were able to lure away from a CU commitment. Averaged 8 yds per carry as a senior. Will redshirt this year as he learns how to block. Would not be surprised to see him eventually end up at LB. A nice get for Sherman because it adds more size and speed to the team while showing that he can recruit nationally.

D.J. Jones RB Denison 5'11 215

Scored 8 TDs in one game as a junior. Rushed for over 2000 yds in both his junior and senior years. Has great vision and is very elusive. A legit 4.6 guy who has all the tools. What he lacks in elite speed he makes up for in power. Has very good hands. I do not expect to see Jones on Kyle Field in the fall because I do not think he will have the grades. 

Nate Askew WR San Anonio Madison 6'4 215

My favorite recruit in this class. Has shown great speed in track and on the field, but I think he will grow out of the WR position and into a TE. Should leave A&M as one of the best pass catching TEs we have ever had. IMO is easily one of the top 20 football players in the state. Had two punt returns for TDs as a senior. Had a KO return for a TD as a junior. Very adept at out jumping DBs in the endzone. I expect Askew to play immediately at WR and eventually move to TE. Has run a 10.9 in the 100 and sub 23 in the 200. Played in the U.S. Army All American Game where he had 3 catches.

Malcome Kennedy WR Cayuga 6'0 200

Rushed for over 2000 yds as a senior when he played QB and led Cayuga to the 1A state championship. As a DB he had 7 interceptions. Will play WR for the Ags. Played WR as a junior and had 40+ catches for 700+ yds and 10 TDs. I expect Kennedy to redshirt as he gets used to the step up in competition from 1A ball.

Garrett Gramling OL Denton Ryan 6'6 320

The OL recruit that no one talks about. Gramling should redshirt and eventually end up playing OG for the Ags. He is a massive kid who played in one of the top programs in the state at Denton Ryan. Played LT for the Raiders in their pass heavy offense. Did not allow a sack as a senior after allowing only one as a junior. I do not question Sherman when it comes to OL. If he likes this kid, that is good enough for me.

Jake Matthews OL Elkins 6'5 280

Highest ranked OL to sign with the Aggies in the past decade. First elite LT prospect we have landed since Jorrie Adams. Father is an NFL hall of famer and football legend. Everyone who has seen him play raves about his technique. Matthews will compete to start on the OL when he arrives in the fall. Could play any position on the OL. Projects as a LT for the Ags. I expect him to back up multiple positions along the OL in the fall for the Ags. Matthews has won every award in HS you could thing of including being named a Parade All American. Matthews is the proverbial great white whale for the Ags. Landing Matthews announced to the recruiting world that A&M is back and will be a factor for all nationally ranked prospects from the state of Texas.

Luke Joeckel OT Arlington 6'4 280

The brother of QB recruit Matt Joeckel. Has played LT the past two years in Arlington's run and shoot offense. Joeckel is on campus right now. I expect him to compete for the starting spot at RT this year. Would not be surprised to see him start at RT, or back up at LT or RT as a true freshman. He is an elite pass blocker who is also a good run blocker. Joeckel saw his stock soar throughout his senior year. Saw video of this guy on Saturday and was very impressed with how complete he was as an OL. Definitely a guy you can leave on an island against the oppositions best DE. Joeckel and Matthews should push each other for playing time and make each other better.

Shep Klinke OL Katy 6'7 290

Another Parade All American OL who signed with the Ags. I think he will end up playing guard for the Ags eventually. I expect him to redshirt. Anchored the Katy OL that won a state title when Klinke was a junior. Comes from a program renowned for its discipline. Just a workmanlike kid who will go about his business and help your team win. Like Gramling he is a kid who has not received a lot of recognition. Was one of Sherman's first offers on the OL so obviously he is well thought of by the people that matter.

Cedric Ogbuehi OT Allen 6'5 270

A great athlete who happens to play LT. Started for the Eagles 2008 state title team. Started at DE for Allen in 2007. Has a lot of upside potential. Went one on one with Jackson Jeffcoat this year and shut him down. Has the prototype LT body. Will likely redshirt and add some weight as he learns the position. Has only played OL for two years. Teams with Joeckel and Matthews to give the Ags three legit LT prospects.

Jonathan Mathis NG Blinn JC 6'3 295

Should step in immediately and compete with TJE and Lucas Patterson for the starting NG spot. This guy is explosive off the ball. Will give the Ags an immediate upgrade in talent and depth on the DL. Quick enough off the snap where he may see some time at DE in the 3-4. Should force TJE to step up his game. Would not be surprised to see a goal line set with Mathis at DE, Patterson at NG, and TJE at the other DE spot. This was a big get for Sherman because this kid will make our defense better the moment he steps on campus.

Brandon Jackson DL Shreveport Evangel 6'4 280

As a senior had 115 tackles, 6 sacks, and one fumble recovery. Will likely redshirt in order to transform his body in the weight room. As a junior threw the shot 52'3" placing second in the 2009 2A state meet in Louisiana so he has some explosiveness. Am typically not a believer in Evangel athletes because most of the time they are a year older than their competition. We will have to see how it works out with Jackson. Beat LSU for his services.

Ivan Robinson DE 6'4 260 4.7 South Beauregard 

Along with Demontre Moore, kind of a sleeper in this class. This kid is the recruit from Louisiana that I am the most excited about. Robinson is a basketball star averagiing 24 points 17 rebounds 3.7 blocked shots per game. Reminds me of Johny Jolly who led the Houston area in scoring and rebounding as a senior (at 6'3") and now starts for the Green Bay Packers. Projects as a 3-4 DE. Would not be surprised to see him garner immediate playing time especially if Kirby Ennis takes a redshirt year to recover from his ACL surgery. A great find by Sherman back in the summer when no one was on him. Had 94 tackles and 21 TFLs along with 9 sacks as a senior.

Gavin Stansbury DE Franklin 6'3 235

Had 65 tackles and 12 sacks as a senior. Probably more of an OLB type right now. Will not turn 18 until after he arrives at A&M. A good candidate for a redshirt so he can add some weight. A good enough basketball player to attract interest from small colleges.

Damontre Moore DE Rowlett 6'5 230

Another guy that Sherman identified early and had to fight off other programs for as he became a known prospect. Will likely redshirt and end up as a DE in the 3-4. Had 80 tackles and 10 sacks as a senior. Rangy athlete who also played basketball at Rowlett. This kid is the kind of athlete we need to repeatedly bring into the program. A long lean kid who can run. Bring in three to four kids like him on the defense every year and you will become a top 10 defense in short order.

Nehemiah Hicks DE Hutto 6'3 240

Great athlete who could help the Ags at DE or TE. Ags won a head to head battle with OU for Hicks. The type of kid we have lost to OU the past few years. Had 46 tackles, 18 TFLs and 3 sacks as a senior. Just adds more speed and explosiveness to the defense. The type of athlete you need to add to your program every year.

Domonique Patterson LB Skyline 6'1 210

Will likely end up playing ILB in the Ags 3-4. Had over 100 tackles and 11 TFs as a senior for Skyline. Very active player who has great instaincts. Played a little RB as a senior. Has legit 4.6-4.7 speed. Gives you everything you want in a LB. May redshirt to add some weight, but would not be surprised to see him earn playing time as a backup ILB and on special teams.

Tony Hurd Jr. CB Fort Bend Marshall 5'9 180

An elite cover corner who played in the Under Armour All Star Game. Ags needed a bigtime signee in the secondary and Hurd gives them that. Nationally ranked CB who showed well against all the top WRs in Orlando. Will likely see time in the Ags nickel package in the fall. Ranked number three in his high school class. Had five interceptions as a senior.

LeKendrick Williams ATH Houston Sharpstown 5'9 175

Could see immediate action on special teams in the fall. One of the elite return men in the nation. Had four kickoff returns for TDs and 2 punt returns for TDs as a junior. As the Ags saw in the Independence Bowl, you can lose games on special teams alone. Williams should go a long way to helping the Ags shore up that area.

WALKONS

Louie Swope CB Austin Westlake 5'10 160

Ryan Swope's brother, ran a legit 4.4 before tearing his ACL his senior year. Decided to pass on SMU's offer to greyshirt and will walk on at A&M in the fall. Should help on special teams at the very least. Best case scenario is he helps in the secondary and earns a scholarship.