When new A&M Head Coach Mike Sherman took over the reigns from Dennis Franchione in November, Franchione left him a formidable recruiting class to keep in tact. And all things considered, Sherman did a satisfactory job.
Consider the two things that generally happen to a school that makes a coaching change.
One is the attempted recruit hijackings by rival coaches. They flock to the program's top prospects like vultures around road kill. The Aggies had several commitments get pampered by the likes of Oklahoma Head Coach Bob Stoops, Notre Dame Head Coach Charlie Weis and Texas Head Coach Mack Brown.
Some were more successful than others.
Stoops came in and grabbed Gilmer wide receiver Lamar Harris, who had been flirting with OU from the get go. Weis won a battle over Kapron Lewis-Moore, a defensive end from Weatherford.
But back-to-back victories against Texas seem to be paying dividends already, because Brown wasn't able to steal any Aggie commits after Sherman arrived. He made offers to Lewis-Moore, DeSoto defensive end Tony Jerod and Eisenhower defensive tackle Rod Davis in the final two months of the recruiting season, only to be rejected.
The more positive aspect of a coaching change, however, is the new coach's ability to lure recruits that would have otherwise gone elsewhere. That's where Sherman made his mark.
The top two recruits in the class, McKinney wide receiver Jeff Fuller and DeSoto running back Cyrus Gray, were both enticed to come to A&M by the new coach. It's likely that neither would have come had Franchione still been in charge.
And that's especially true in Fuller's case.
Fuller comes from an A&M legacy. His father was a defensive back for the Aggies in the early 1980's and played in the Pro Bowl as a member of the San Francisco 49ers.
But as much as he wanted to go to A&M like his father, the younger Fuller's potential would not have been utilized in Franchione's spread option attack. Thus he committed to Oklahoma at the time. But as soon as Sherman arrived in and preached his Pro-Style attack, Fuller de-committed from Oklahoma and pledged his services to A&M.
What went right: Playmakers
Between Gray and Beaumont athlete Derrick Hall, the Aggies added arguably the two biggest game-breakers in the state. Gray will be junior running back Mike Goodson's protégé and should return punts and kicks from day one. Hall is a speed-burner who will likely play offense, but could emerge as a candidate to move to cornerback.
With Fuller the Aggies added one of the top wide receivers in the state. He is a 6-foot, 5-inch target with great speed and jumping ability. It's hard to remember the last time A&M had a receiver cut in that mold.
What went wrong: Offensive Line
In the end, the Aggies were able to lure a solid offensive line class. But the prospects of "what could have been" might come back and haunt it.
Texas high schools produced three offensive linemen in 2008 were head and shoulders above the rest: J.B. Shugarts of Klein, Stephen Good of Paris and David Snow of Gilmer. Shugarts was the only one of the three who considered A&M, but he eventually signed with Ohio State, leaving the Aggies 0-for-3.
Two things to keep in mind about the offensive line though.
One is that there is still plenty of talent in the bunch. LeRoy Chevalier and Brian Thomas will be candidates to have their redshirts burned. Josh Ayers is an intriguing prospect as well, as he comes from the 5A powerhouse Euless Trinity.
Another thing to remember is that when Sherman took over, Shugarts, Good and Snow were already committed to other schools. In the coming years, look for Sherman and his offensive line background to lure in the state's top talent.
Recruit to Watch: Ricky Cavanaugh - Lyndon B. Johnson High School - Austin TX Linebacker - 6'2" 215 lbs
A late arrival to the recruiting scene, Cavanaugh didn't receive his A&M offer until January. He recorded a monster senior season with 137 tackles and 21 sacks and his highlight video, which features wall-to-wall jaw dropping tackles, has become legendary message board material. One clip even showed him grabbing the ball out of an opposing quarterback's hands in full stride and taking it the other way for a touchdown. Don't be surprised to see him line up as a true freshman in 2008.
Overall Grade: B
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