Texas A&M Football Recruiting: How Mack Brown's Retirement Impacts Aggies

Texas head coach Mack Brown announced his retirement Saturday following a whirlwind of drama this season, including a victory over Oklahoma and closing the year one win away from a Big 12 Title. Brown's resignation marks the end of an era in the program's storied history, and will serve as a landmark tenure for decades amongst the fanbase. 

In Brown's time with Texas, the head coach compiled a 10-4 record against long-time rival Texas A&M, starting his career with a 26-24 victory in 1998 and ending it with a 27-25 win in 2011, the last time the two programs clashed on the gridiron.

Off the field, Brown has defeated the Aggies more than just 10 times, sealing commitments from top-tier prospects consistently since taking over Texas in the late 1990's. Brown's recruiting classes have outpaced any and all teams regionally since his arrival, averaging a No. 6 national ranking since 2002 and currently sitting at No. 11, per 247sports.com. 

With Brown out of the picture, though, the door to arguably the nation's richest recruiting pool will open up for multiple regional programs, including—but not limited to—Texas A&M. 

Since realigning to the Southeastern Conference in July 2012, A&M has excelled on the recruiting trail, racking up a top-notch class while making a giant splash on the field all in the same season. However, with Brown and Texas still holding the virtual keys to the state, the Aggies continue to fall to second in many recruits' minds. 

In part due to A&M's recent success on the field and head coach Kevin Sumlin's aggressive recruiting style, the Aggies have situated themselves in prime position to take over Texas if the Longhorns should falter. And despite UT finishing with an 8-4 record, Brown's sudden resignation marks a stumble from the state's top power, leaving room for A&M to mix up the hierarchy. 

Additionally, with Nick Saban off the table in terms of replacement and questions surrounding the program as to who will replace Brown, A&M has the opportunity to thrive with in-state prospects. And no matter who takes over the program down the road, Sumlin and his staff have the edge due to their roots within the Texas high school football system.

Overall, the loss of Brown for Texas will mean more than just seeing your head coach resign, but possibly falling to second or third statewide in recruiting. The Longhorns picked the wrong time to replace their top-tier coach, as an A&M program on the rise stands in perfect position to dethrone the long-time King of the Hill.  

*Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand