Texas A&M Football: Aggies' 4 Most Underrated Recruits of 2015

The Texas A&M football coaches are going to sign one of the top-10 recruiting classes in the nation on February 4. While the Aggies have a number of top-flight recruits committed, there are a few recruits who are being overlooked by the analysts and fans. 

Championship teams are made up of all kinds of players. For every superstar player like a Trent Richardson, you need a player who understands his role like a Brad Smelley. It takes everyone moving in the same direction, acting as a singular unit to form a championship team. 

That is the reason why certain recruits may not score high on the scale made up by recruiting analysts but may be vital to the makeup of a college football team. College coaches bring in recruits in order to help them win college football games. 

Sometimes that is lost in a world of high school combines and overanalyzing recruits. At the same time, some of the recruits slip through the cracks and are not thought of highly enough coming out of high school. Maybe they do not have ideal size, or they simply did not attend any college camps to catch the eyes of a bunch of coaches. 

There have been numerous examples of recruits who entered college without any fanfare and then exploded onto the national scene. This is a look at the most underrated recruits in the Aggies' 2015 recruiting class. 

This will include both types of players. It will include some players who were simply overlooked, as well as some who may not have starred in college but should play a valuable role in helping the team win at the highest level. 

LB Dwaine Thomas

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Dwaine Thomas is a 3-star prospect from Hahnville, Louisiana. He is ranked as the No. 108 outside linebacker in the nation. 

Thomas is a great example of a player who did not check in with the ideal measurables when he was looked at by the various recruiting outlets. You have to be big to play linebacker in the SEC, and Thomas' listed 6'2", 200-pound frame appears to be more fit for the safety position. 

The recruiting sites ignore the fact that these are high school kids who in many cases are not finished growing. With a year or two in a college weight program, Thomas could be a 230-pound terror on the field. 

His high school highlights show a player with great speed who plays defense with an attitude. The Aggies need that kind of attitude on their defense, and Thomas should compete for playing time the moment he steps on campus. 

OL Erik McCoy

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Erik McCoy is a 3-star offensive line prospect from Lufkin, Texas. He is ranked as the No. 134 overall recruit in Texas. 

McCoy played offensive tackle and guard for Lufkin. He is being recruited to A&M to play center and lead the offensive line. 

When you are an offensive line recruit in high school, you are not going to shoot up the rankings unless you are a 6'4", 299-pound offensive tackle with nimble feet. The recruiting analysts can see those prototypical numbers and project that person to go in the NFL draft. 

College football teams need centers also, though. It is an unsung position, but it is vital to the success of an offense. The Texas A&M coaches specifically identified McCoy as the player they wanted at center. 

McCoy's highlights show a player with very good feet who excels at getting to the next level and making blocks. He should fit very well in Dave Christensen's blocking scheme. 

WR Damion Ratley

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Damion Ratley is a junior college wide receiver who enrolled at A&M in January. He is ranked as a 3-star prospect and the No. 48 overall junior college recruit in the nation. 

Junior college recruits tend to get overlooked by the pundits, and Ratley is no exception. He put up explosive numbers in his only season of football at Blinn Junior College in Brenham, Texas. 

Ratley caught 45 passes for 1,197 yards and 20 touchdowns in his one season of play. He has three years of eligibility left. 

Ratley will participate in spring practice and will be able to develop a rapport with starting quarterback Kyle Allen. He has tremendous speed and will be able to give the Aggies another deep threat to go along with Speedy Noil and Josh Reynolds. 

LB Richard Moore

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Richard Moore is the perfect example of a recruit who is downgraded by recruiting analysts because of his size. He was the best defensive player on back-to-back state champion Cedar Hill High School teams in Texas. 

Moore registered 184 tackles with 32 tackles for loss and 15 sacks during the 2014 season. As a junior, he registered 182 tackles with 31 tackles for loss and eight sacks. To say that he is an impact player on the defensive side of the ball would be an understatement. 

Moore is only ranked as a 3-star prospect because his 6'0", 210-pound frame does not project well at the next level. Texas A&M defensive coordinator has had great success with undersized linebackers such as Kevin Minter. 

Moore is enrolled at A&M and will participate in spring practice. He has tremendous instincts and should see playing time in 2015 as a backup linebacker. 

All recruiting rankings and information courtesy of 247Sports.