Texas A&M Football Recruiting: Aggies' Late Acquisitions Balance out Losses

New head coach Kevin Sumlin must have had a long day after all of the festivities that went on during his first NSD with the Texas A&M Aggies. A lot of recruits stuck to their guns, staying with A&M as they move into their inaugural SEC season.

Others, however, wavered and left for a more enticing program.

The big losses on the day were two 4-star commits in WR Bralon Addison and OLB Corey Thompson. Loaded with talent, Addison trailed off for the powerful Oregon program while Thompson jumped ship for the established A&M rival of LSU.

The 4-star Duck commit wide receiver was not only a proponent, but also a known founder of the new "Ag Swag," an idea brought into fruition by recruits Trey Williams, Bralon Addison and Matt Davis. His loss will be especially hurtful due to his close relationship with many of the prospects that stayed with the Aggies.

After the Army All-American game down in San Antonio, Addison was already en-route to visiting Eugene with hopes of taking a look around the Oregon program, but proclaimed that College Station was the place for him.

Since the WR arrived back in Texas, however, his usual outspokenness died down, a sign that not many Aggies took to their liking. His surprise commitment kills one of A&M's top prospects on the offensive side of the ball.

Thompson, on the other hand, seems to have been wavering for a while now.

LSU is a giant in the already huge SEC, and an offer from Les Miles is tough to refuse. Seeing the quick linebacker take his leave from Texas for a neighboring state doesn't come as much of a shock to many A&M followers.

Losing the 4-star commit still hurts, though, as defense is the side of the ball where the Aggies desperately require new life. Thompson would have seen some immediate playing time over in College Station, but getting on the field at LSU will take a little more time.

This was one of the aspects that kept the Missouri City recruit at A&M, but after a few talks with the Tiger coaching staff, he was out the door for Louisiana.

The loss of two of the Aggies' top recruits would have killed the class if it hadn't been for Sumlin's late magic on NSD and in few days before. Acquiring three huge targets was one way for the former Houston head coach to really put his mark on the Aggies' 2012 recruiting class.

Just two days before National Signing Day, Sumlin was able to flip the TCU CB Edward Pope. The 3-star DB was pretty confident in his decision to go with the Horned Frogs back during the Army All-American Bowl, but a visit to College Station changed his mind in what turned out to be a saving point for the A&M secondary.

With Thompson wavering at that point, Sumlin wrapped up a position that can match up well with wide receivers in a strong recruiting play. Pope is much more talented than many give him credit for, and will overall be a better coverage player than Thompson in the long run.

With a struggling A&M secondary to worry about, Pope was the player to pick up in lieu of Thompson's defection.

As NSD approached, Addison became even more quiet. Understanding the possibility of his 4-star WR jumping ship for the more potent Oregon program, Sumlin went out in search of stealing another top receiver.

The Aggies' head coach struck gold earlier today as he picked up the state's top WR in Thomas Johnson—a 4-star athlete out of Dallas and a Texas decommit. On the national rankings for the position via ESPN, Johnson actually rates higher than Addison ever did, making him not only a replacement, but an upgrade on the Duck defector from Sugar Land, Texas.

Easily Sumlin's biggest grab in his short A&M recruiting history, Johnson is a signature player with NFL-caliber talent. With size and a quickness unmatched by many of his peers, his commitment to A&M was a giant step in the right direction for this program.

Finally, the Aggies were also able to quell some everlasting doubts about their weak defensive line.

While many of A&M's DL prospects were three or four stars, most played outside on the edges as pass-rushers. None matched well on the inside, especially considering the amount of size A&M will face on opposing SEC offensive lines.

Sumlin went out of state to snag a 3-star defensive tackle in Edmund Ray. Picking him up early on NSD, this commit hails from St. Louis, MO, and sizes up well at a big-time 6'5" and 290 pounds. Ray is exactly the steal the Sumlin needed to grab to help complete his already impressive 2012 class.

Overall, the losses of both WR Bralon Addison and OLB Corey Thompson were wounds the Aggies will have a hard time recovering from. However, the addition of two 3-star defensive commits in CB Edward Pope and DT Edmund Ray and 4-star WR Thomas Johnson really helps to quell the pain.

Altogether, Sumlin and his new A&M program come in as a Top 20 class on both Scout.com and Rivals.com. A huge success from the outlook of the newly appointed head coach, this recruiting class is more than a solid starting position for Sumlin to take A&M football to new levels.