Texas A&M Recruiting: Looking Ahead to the 2016 Class

The Texas A&M football coaches have put the finishing touches on the 2015 recruiting class. Now the focus turns to 2016 and filling some of the projected gaps on the roster. 

College football recruiting is a never-ending process. College coaches are continuously working to add more talent to their program in order to increase the likelihood of wins on fall Saturdays. 

The Texas A&M coaching staff already has four recruits committed in the 2016 class. It has started to address the team's future needs. 

The Aggies need to recruit at a high level to win games in the SEC. Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin and his staff have done a good job establishing a foundation for this class. 

This is a position-by-position look at some recruits who the Aggies are going to try to sign in the 2016 recruiting class. 

Quarterback

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The Texas A&M coaching staff needs to sign two quarterbacks in the 2016 class. The Aggies currently have one scholarship quarterback on campus in Kyle Allen. If 2015 signee Kyler Murray bypasses the major league draft, then the Aggies will have two scholarship quarterbacks on campus in 2015. 

Ideally you would have at least four scholarship quarterbacks on the roster at a time. The Aggies are looking at entering the 2015 season with two, so they need to add some depth in the 2016 class. 

Shea Patterson from Calvary Baptist Academy in Shreveport, Louisiana, tops the Aggies' list at quarterbacks. He is a 6'2", 195-pound athlete who is ranked as a 4-star recruit by 247Sports. 

Patterson passed for 2,428 yards with 38 touchdowns and only three interceptions in 2014. He is considered one of the top pro-style quarterback prospects in the country. 

The Aggies have also offered a scholarship to Malik Henry from Thousand Oaks, California. The 5-star prospect is currently committed to Florida State. More quarterback prospects will emerge as the Aggie coaches are able to study more video and assess more players in the 2016 class in spring practice and camps. 

Running Back

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The Aggies will try to sign at least two running backs in the 2016 class. The back currently topping their list at the moment is Texas native Devwah Whaley from Beaumont Central High School. 

Whaley is a 4-star prospect who has already made a couple of visits to Aggieland. He rushed for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2014. 

Trayveon Williams is an all-purpose back who has caught the Aggies' interest. He rushed for 2,391 yards with 25 touchdowns and caught 20 passes for 411 yards with five touchdowns in 2014.

It will be interesting to see what kind of running backs the Aggies focus on with offensive line coach Dave Christensen on the staff. If the Aggies have a lot of success with incoming 2015 recruits Kendall Bussey and Jay Bradford, they may look for a bigger back in the 2016 class than Williams (5'9", 179 lbs).

It all depends on what kind of back Christensen prefers to have in the offense. He may want a bruiser to go along with all that speed.   

Wide Receiver/Tight End

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As long as Kevin Sumlin is the head coach at A&M, the wide receiver position will remain a point of emphasis in every class. Texas A&M fans should expect the Aggies to sign three wide receivers and at least one tight end in the 2016 class. The Aggies could take a second tight end, if he fits into the blocking tight end role, who could also play H-back. 

Texas A&M already has one wide receiver committed in the 2016 class. Tyrie Cleveland is a 4-star prospect from Westfield High School in Spring, Texas, who committed to the Aggies on May 12. The 6'3", 180-pound athlete caught 53 passes for 1,105 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2014. 

The Aggies will focus their in-state efforts on Navasota wide receiver Tren'Davian Dickson and Sachse wide receiver Devin Duvernay. Dickson is a 4-star prospect who is committed to Baylor. 

Duvernay is one of the top sprinters in the country. He caught 62 passes for 990 yards and nine touchdowns in 2014. Duvernay will be recruited by every power program in the country. 

At tight end look for the Aggies to focus on Kaden Smith from Flower Mound Marcus High School and a bigger blocking type of tight end. Smith has been a starter on varsity since he was a freshman and is being recruited by most of the top programs in the country. 

Look for more wide receiver and tight end prospects to appear from out of state and in Texas once the Aggie coaches make their rounds during spring practices. 

Offensive Linemen

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The Aggies have gotten off to a tremendous start on their offensive line class in 2016. They have a commitment from the top offensive tackle in the state and the No. 1 overall player in the state in Allen High School left tackle Gregory Little. 

The rising senior from Allen, Texas, is a 5-star athlete who projects to protect the blind side of the Aggies' quarterbacks for years to come. When you run a spread offense, you need to keep your quarterback upright. Little is the best in the state at protecting the quarterback.

Ideally, the Aggies will add three or four more blockers to the class along with Little. Patrick Hudson was previously committed to the Aggies but decommitted and made a verbal pledge to Baylor. The Aggie coaches are still recruiting Hudson and hope to flip the 6'6", 330-pound giant. 

As long as he stays healthy, Hudson projects to be an early pick in the 2019 NFL draft. He is built like former Dallas Cowboy offensive guard Leonard Davis. He is listed as a 5-star prospect at left tackle by 247Sports. Do not be surprised to see him move inside to guard in college and become a dominant player. 

The Aggies have also offered offensive guard Bryce Mathews from Brentwood, Tennessee. The 4-star prospect is an Aggie legacy, as he is the son of former offensive guard Jason Matthews.  

Offensive linemen are the hardest positions to evaluate and project for college. Expect the Aggie coaches to extend a lot more offers after they visit high schools during the spring recruiting period. 

Defensive Linemen

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You win games in the SEC by winning the battle in the trenches. No single position distinguishes the SEC from other conferences than the defensive line. The talent and depth along the average SEC defensive line stands out. 

In order to compete in this conference on a weekly basis you need to bring in elite defensive linemen. After signing only one defensive end in James Lockhart in the 2015 class, look for the Aggies to sign at least two in 2016. The Aggies will sign two defensive tackles also as long as they are the right players. 

The Aggies are focusing on Springfield, Texas, athlete Ed Oliver at defensive tackle. The 6'2", 285-pound athlete is ranked as a 4-star prospect by 247Sports. The Aggies have also offered Kendell Jones, and the 4-star prospect is considering them among many others. 

Isaiah Chambers tops the Aggies' wish list at defensive end. The 6'4", 245-pound athlete has been favoring the Aggies for quite a while and may commit during the spring. 

The defensive ends in John Chavis' scheme always put up big numbers. Do not be surprised to see a lot of new names come into play for the Aggies as Chavis evaluates prospects from around the country in order to find the right ends for his scheme. 

Linebackers

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The Aggies signed five linebackers in their 2015 class. The number of linebackers they sign in their 2016 class will be determined by the success of the 2015 class during the 2015 season. You always want to add talent and depth to your team, however, so look for the Aggies to sign at least two linebackers in the 2016 class. 

The addition of John Chavis as defensive coordinator should get the Aggies into a few more doors nationally than they have been in the past. Michael Divinity is a national recruit who Chavis should be able to help with. The 4-star defender from Marrero, Louisiana, has already been offered by the Aggies.

The Aggies offered Jeffrey McCullough in December, and he will be one of their top targets in the state of Texas. The 6'2", 225-pound outside linebacker has offers from all over the country.  

It will be interesting to see what the Aggies' needs are at the position once Chavis assesses the talent on campus during spring and fall practices. 

Defensive Backs

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New Texas A&M defensive coordinator John Chavis likes longer cornerbacks. Since the Aggies only signed two cornerbacks in the 2015 class and missed on Kris Boyd, Holton Hill and Kendall Sheffield, expect them to add at least three corners in the 2016 class. 

The Aggies got a good start to their 2016 defensive back class when Athens, Texas, cornerback Travon Fuller committed back on August 1. The 5'11, 160-pound corner is listed as a 4-star prospect by 247Sports. 

Eric Monroe of North Shore High School in Houston is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 3 safety prospect in the country. He is being looked at by the Aggies as a cornerback. If the Aggies could land him, it would be a huge coup because they have not signed a top recruit out of North Shore in years. 

Jared Mayden out of Sachse High School is another cornerback the Aggies have offered. He is likely headed out of state, but Mayden's father is 6'11", so do not be surprised to see the 6'0", 190-pound Mayden keep on growing into a safety or even a linebacker. 

The Aggies signed three safeties in the 2015 class, but look for them to add at least two more in the 2016 class. Deontay Anderson and Brandon Jones head up their wish list at the position. 

All recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.