Bleacher Report - Texas A&M Football

Texas A&M, Mike Sherman Look to Leave Last Decade Behind Them

Jeff Shull — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:53:30 -0500

Ever since the firing of R.C. Slocum, the Texas A&M Football program has been a shadow of its former self.

From Southwest Conference dominance in the late 80s and 90s, to Big 12 mediocrity in the new millennium.

Dennis Franchione sent the Aggies spiraling to the cellar of the Big 12, finishing with a 4-8 record in his first season in 2003—the first losing season in 21 years.

After three good years of recruiting (three top 13 classes from 03-05), the 2005 season was supposed to bring the Aggies back to national prominence. Behind the arm and legs of Reggie McNeal in his senior season, the football program was receiving more hype than they had since the late 90s.

Poor coaching and questionable play proved they were not worthy of their preseason No. 17 ranking, as they finished with a 5-6 record. McNeal basically quit on the team, and did not start against Texas at Kyle Field to protect his own interest of playing in the NFL.

Is it wrong that I enjoy the fact that McNeal is playing receiver for the Toronto CFL team? I don't think so, especially after he made the comment that guys like Peyton Manning (pocket passers) are a dying breed in the NFL.

The 2006 season would be an incredible turn around. Fran finally beat Texas in Austin in a game that not many fans will soon forget. "12-7" shirts still make appearances on and off campus every once and a while.

The team finished 9-3, with the three losses totaling six points, but were waxed by California in the Holiday Bowl 45-10.

Despite the embarrassing bowl loss, several experts witnessed the fact that 18 starters were returning for the 2007 season. Kirk Herbstreit even mentioned the Aggies as a BCS sleeper contender.

A booster newsletter controversy, questionable coaching, ill-prepared teams, and failure to succeed all led to Fran's resignation at the end of the 2007 season, despite his second straight victory over the Longhorns.

In walks Mike Sherman, and with him questions about his lack of college experience and ability to withstand the grind of recruiting.

He has struggled to implement his pro-style offense with Fran's zone-read players, and Joe Kines has not been able to get the defense to show up consistently.

Last season, he finished with a 4-8 record but also was able to provide reasons to look to the future. The 2009 recruiting class was ranked in the top 25; apparently his pro style offense will attract more than just quarterbacks and tailbacks like Fran's offense.

Fran was always able to get the skill positions to come to A&M, but where he lacked, Sherman is excelling.

He has already recruited four offensive lineman, all four of which are four-star recruits and in nearly every credible recruiting website's top lists.

With four other four-star recruits and several three-stars from Texas, the recruiting class for 2010 is expected to be in the top 15.

The make or break aspect of the 2010 season will be keeping Jerrod Johnson away from the lure of the NFL draft and all those dollars. If he and Jeff Fuller get yet another season together, we could be witnesses to the best QB-WR combination in the program's history.

Johnson performed at the highest level on the biggest stage on Thanksgiving against the Longhorns. On his shoulders, the A&M offense scored 15 more points than anyone had scored on Texas all season in a classic shootout.

If the defense could have made an open field tackle or the special teams didn't implode, I could be writing this after the biggest upset since the Oklahoma win in 2002.

Unfortunately, that's not the case. All the Aggies did was make Longhorn fans sweat for 60 minutes and worry that their defense will not be able to withstand Alabama or Florida.

The loss ended a 6-6 up and down season to say the least. It featured a win at Texas Tech for the first time since 1993, but also saw embarrassing losses of 38 or more points three times.

It was almost impossible to get a handle on this team, which is the main reason they have fans questioning the hiring of Sherman.

That being said, a bowl win could turn in Sherman's first winning season and possibly bring in more solid recruits. He deserves at least one-two more years, it is almost impossible to turn around a bad program in two seasons.

Hopefully the Aggie brain trust feels the same way and gives him what he deserves; a chance to prove himself on the field.

The whole point of this article is to highlight the fact that despite around eight straight years of an average football team, the Ags will return to the national spotlight in 2010.

With 16 returning starters, including several key young players at skill positions, there is little evidence to the contrary.

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Scout's Notebook: Offensive Review For Week 13

Wes Bunting — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 09:25:49 -0500

Observations and analysis from the 13th week of the college football season, including thoughts about some of the nation’s top offensive prospects.

Texas A&M Two-Step

Jerrod Johnson QB, 6-5, 243

I knew heading into the Texas-Texas A&M showdown just how talented a quarterback A&M’s Jerrod Johnson was, and I knew he’d been taking dramatic steps over the past year or so under head coach Mike Sherman.

However, what I didn’t expect to see was a quarterback who was so comfortable throwing the football outside the numbers while sticking big-time NFL throws into very tight windows. Johnson was absolutely brilliant Thursday night, carving up the Texas secondary and doing a great job using his pure athletic ability to create when nothing was there.

The guy is a physical marvel at 6-5, 243, and possesses the arm strength and anticipation to throw receivers open and be accurate with the football. He’s still far from a finished product—his mechanics and footwork have a tendency to get sloppy at times—but if you had seen this kid as a freshman, his development has been truly phenomenal.

It’s obvious that Johnson is a student of the game and wants to mature. It wouldn’t surprise me to see him make a run at the top quarterback spot in the 2011 draft.

Kevin Matthews C, 6-4, 310

Another standout in last week’s Texas-Texas A&M showdown was the play of Aggies center Kevin Matthews. You can tell Kevin is the son of a former All-Pro offensive lineman (Bruce Matthews) as he consistently plays with impressive technique inside.

Matthews does a tremendous job getting into opposing linemen quickly off the snap, and may have the quickest hands of any center I’ve seen this year. He’s consistently able to get under the chest plate of defensive tackles on contact and stay on his blocks through the play.

Plus, Matthews is the definition of a Velcro player in the run game, and did a great job repeatedly handling Texas DT Lamarr Houston at the point and opening up lanes inside. He isn’t the most gifted athlete, and lacks ideal range in space, but he’s fluid enough to slide laterally in pass protection, and can anchor consistently vs. the bull-rush.

Matthews looks like one of the more underrated offensive linemen prospects in the draft, and is a guy I could definitely see maturing into a potential starter at the next level.

One Nasty Owl

Temple tight end Steve Maneri has caught all of 11 passes this season and lacks the type of speed and overall athleticism to consistently create any kind of separation at the next level.

So why am I bringing up his name?

Well, at 6-6, 275 pounds, Maneri has found a niche on the Owls offense, and has developed into one of the most impressive blockers in the country at his position. His ability to play with power, balance, and body control at the point of attack are rare to see from a tight end his size.

Maneri made an absolute mockery of the Ohio run defense on Friday, routinely handling any defensive end they put in his way and easily driving/pancaking them away from the football. The guy definitely looks like a draftable prospect.

The question is, at what position?

There’s no doubt in my mind Maneri has the skill set to make a roster as a team’s No. 2, or No. 3 blocking tight end and could instantly enhance an NFL run game. However, much like former Arkansas TE Jason Peters (currently the Eagles starting left tackle), would it make more sense to ask Maneri to add about 30 pounds to his frame and turn him into an offensive tackle? He definitely has the athletic skill set and length to make the change, and at least gives NFL teams plenty of options concerning his role at the next level.

The Tools Simply Aren’t There

Coming into the year, I thought Western Michigan quarterback Tim Hiller had the ability to become one of the draft’s top senior quarterback prospects.He’s a tall, well-built pocket passer who has improved his release over the years and has the IQ to handle an NFL playbook.

However, after watching him last week vs. Ball State, it became clear the guy simply doesn’t have the skill set to be an efficient starting quarterback in the NFL.

Hiller is a limited athlete who struggles to buy time in the pocket and fails to make plays on the move. Plus, he lacks ideal arm strength for the position and really struggles to get the ball outside the numbers.

You can’t take away from the kid’s production throughout his college career, but his lacking physical skill set doesn’t bode well for his chances at the next level.

Underclassman Gone Bye-Bye?

One performance that really caught my attention this past weekend was that of Florida TE Aaron Hernandez.

Hernandez finished with five catches for 83 yards and two touchdowns vs. Florida State, and also displayed the ability to line up on the outside and easily create separation against the Seminoles’ best cover man, CB Patrick Robinson.

Hernandez is a gifted athlete for his size, and showcases the burst to quickly get on top of defenders and the speed to get down the seam.

However, it’s his body control and balance as a route runner that consistently allow him to cleanly get out of his breaks and separate vs. man coverage. The guy also does an excellent job after the catch and looks like a H-back/TE that you can split out and create a lot of mismatches within the pass game at the next level.

Blah

At the start of the season, Clemson offensive guard Thomas Austin was considered one of the nation’s top prospects at his position.

However, after watching tape of him last summer, I came away less than impressed. Although his performance this weekend vs. South Carolina was a little better, he just doesn’t look like the kind of athlete who will be able to consistently hold up in pass protection at the next level.

He showcases good power and girth inside, but he’s slow to redirect and really struggles to stay in front of his man after his initial punch. Plus, he’s limited in space and isn’t effective when asked to pull and get out to the second level.

His size and power will likely end up getting him drafted, but I wouldn’t considered him a prospect who has the ability to start for an NFL offense any time soon.

Follow me on Twitter: WesBunting

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