Texas A&M Recruiting: Aggies Putting Together a Stellar Defensive-Line Class

With the recent verbal commitment from Jay Arnold, Texas A&M has assembled one of the top defensive-line classes for 2013. If the Aggies can hold onto their current commits and add a couple more DLs by next February, they will have put together the best group of defensive linemen in the country.

Arnold is a 6'4" 255-pound defensive end from Rockwall-Heath High School in Rockwell, TX. As a junior, he had 44 tackles and 13 sacks for Heath and projects as a strong-side DE in the Ags' 4-3 scheme. Arnold, though, may eventually grow into a weak-side DT.

Arnold excels off the football field as a wrestler and mixed martial artist as well, recently winning the national championship for the North American Grappling Association. If football does not work out for him, then the UFC could be a very real possibility.

The Aggies now have three defensive linemen committed for 2013 in Arnold, Isaiah Golden and Kerrick Huggins. With the six DL signees in the 2012 class, if the Ags can add four to five more in the 2013 class, they will be well on their way to assembling the type of DL depth needed to be an elite defense in the brutal SEC.

The Aggies could use a true rush defensive end and another defensive tackle in the 2013 class. It is a very good group now, but add a true pass-rusher and a run-stuffer in the interior and it will be an elite class.

The Aggies need to add the type of freakish defensive end that SEC schools are known for. They need to find their own Barkevious Mingo or Jevon Kearse. They need to find type of DE that Brent Musburger will thrust hyperbole on for an entire football season.

Right now LSU has Mingo and South Carolina has Jadayveon Clowney. Those are the types of game changers on defense that help you win the conference title. Of course, there is never a guarantee that you are bringing in the next Mingo or Kearse. If you want to be a championship college football program, you have to bring in a steady flow of top tier pass-rushers every year and hope you hit more often than miss.

Right now the best candidate for the Ags rush DE spot is Torrodney Prevot from Alief (TX) Taylor High School. Prevot possesses the type of explosiveness off the ball to give offensive coordinators nightmares. The 6'4", 205-pound athlete runs a legitimate 4.6 in the 40.

The Aggies are also considering Jimmie Gilbert, an OLB/DE prospect from nearby A&M Consolidated High School. Currently a 3-star prospect by Scout.com, Gilbert has not received the same hype as Prevot, but he has as much athletic ability as anyone in the state.

At defensive tackle, Kevin Smith and Co. have offers out to Hardreck Walker from Spring (TX) Westfield, and Ben Hughes from Waco (TX) University High School. Both are top run-stuffers who could play either nose or defensive tackle for the Aggies.

The A&M coaches have done a great job recruiting the position so far but need to continue to add difference makers to help the Aggie defense get to the next level.

In the SEC the Aggies need to sign four to six defensive linemen every year. They are well on their way towards accomplishing that goal in 2013.