Texas A&M Recruiting 2012: Who Could Start, and Who Will Get Lost in the Mix

With National Signing Day finally here, the focus now turns to who will contribute on the field right away from the 2012 recruiting class.

The Texas A&M Football Team is entering a new era in the Southeastern Conference in 2012. There will be greater demands on personnel as the team adjusts to the new conference's more physical play.

In the SEC, you need to be three deep at every position because injuries are a normal part of everyday life. This increased need for depth offers greater opportunity for the incoming freshmen in the 2012 class to see the field early.

The Aggies have some holes on their returning team, and the 2012 class will be looked upon to fill those holes.

This is a look at which members of the 2012 class could see the field as a starter in the fall, and which are likely to get lost in the mix.

Possible Starter: Otis Jacobs CB

Otis Jacobs is already on campus and working out with the team. The junior college corner graduated in December and enrolled at A&M in January.

He has the size and speed to play in the SEC right away.

A&M lost both of their starting corners to graduation. With a good showing in the spring, Jacobs should lock down one of the starting corner spots.

He should also see time on the Aggies' special teams units. Jacobs is a great kick and punt returner, and should get a chance to do both in 2012.

Possible Starter: Devante Harris CB

Devante Harris is the best cover corner in the state of Texas. He should see instant playing time as a freshman.

Dustin Harris is the only returning starter at corner back with any starting experience. While he is extremely talented, Dustin Harris has struggled with consistency.

If Dustin Harris cannot get the job done, look for Devante Harris to step in and grab a starting spot.

Devante Harris is extremely confident and plays the position with a chip on his shoulder. He is strong against the run, which is needed with the ground-bound offenses of the SEC.

Even though he needs to add some more strength and size, do not be surprised to see Devante Harris in the starting lineup in 2012. He is that good of a pure man-to-man coverage corner.

Possible Starter: Polo Manukainiu DE

It is no secret that the Aggies almost lost their entire defensive line to graduation. Jonathan Mathis was able to get a medical redshirt for 2011, so he will return as a starter in 2012. Spencer Nealy also returns as a starter and is a solid option at the strong-side DE spot.

The Ags still lost Eddie Brown, Tony Jerod-Eddie and Ben Bass from the 2011 team. They also moved to a base four-man front.

Polo Manukainiu is listed anywhere from 6'5", 245 lbs to 6'6", 256 pounds. If he can arrive in the fall at around 270 pounds, he will possess the necessary size to compete for a starting spot right away.

The Aggies do not have much depth at all on the defensive line, so it would not be out of the question to see Manukainiu starting at defensive end or even defensive tackle in 2012 with the likelihood of injuries in the SEC.

Possible Starter: Alonzo Williams DE

Much like Manukainiu, Williams should benefit from the lack of depth along the defensive line.

Williams is already physically ready to play in the SEC at defensive end. He played both DT and DE at Long Beach Poly High School.

He should see immediate playing time and just like Manukainiu could find himself starting at DE if the Aggies have injuries along the defensive line.

Williams is one of the more underrated recruits in the Aggies' class because he moved to California during his senior season. He had a great season in California, but all of the "recruiting experts" seemed to have lost touch with him.

Expect to see both Manukainiu and Williams seeing extensive playing time in 2012, and one or both of them to start on the defensive line.

Lost in the Shuffle: Darion Monroe CB

Darion Monroe played quarterback and corner back for his East St. John (LA) High School team.

He will likely need some time to transition over to a full time corner at the college level.

Expect Monroe to redshirt in 2012 and possibly compete for playing time in 2013. With the DBs that A&M is bringing in and all of the young DBs currently on the roster, it is possible that Monroe could get lost in the shuffle.

Lost in the Shuffle: Adrian Bellard OG

The Aggies return all five starting offense linemen in 2012, so the odds are that all of the incoming recruits are going to redshirt.

Bellard apparently has some academic issues to overcome, so there is a chance he will end up in junior college.

Bellard is an excellent offensive line prospect and is the kind of run blocker you want on your OL in the SEC. However, if he ends up enrolling in a juco, then there is no telling where he will be in two years.

He could get lost in the shuffle.

Lost in the Shuffle: Trent Momon WR

Trent Momon is a wide receiver who is entering an A&M program that is very deep at wide receiver.

Momon is a 6'5" possession-type wide receiver. He will have to compete for playing time with other big-body receivers already on campus, like Nate Askew and Mike Evans.

Kevin Sumlin is bringing in three other wide receivers in the 2012 class other than Momon.

It is going to take a lot for Momon to earn playing time early in his career.

There is a very good chance he will get lost in the shuffle at wide receiver.