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Jarrett Stidham Says Texas A&M Didn't Really Recruit Him Before Transfer
July 19, 2018
Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham said he didn't receive much attention from Texas A&M ahead of his 2016 transfer from Baylor despite his personal interest in the Aggies.
On Thursday, Stidham explained during his press conference at the SEC media days he wasn't heavily recruited by former A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin despite a connection to the school.
"Honestly, Coach Sumlin, he didn't recruit me too hard. I probably tried to recruit myself to A&M a little bit harder," he told reporters. "Just because it was in-state, it was right down the road from where I was there in Waco. I had some family go to A&M before. Ideally, A&M was a close spot, I could see my family whenever I wanted and that kind of thing."
Stidham, who attended McLennan Community College for the fall 2016 semester while deciding where to continue his college football career, wasn't sure whether if the Aggies would have been able to wrestle him away from the Tigers if they showed more pressing interest, though.
"But at the end of the day, I honestly kind of knew from the get-go that I was probably going to end up at Auburn," he said Thursday. "Regardless of going through the recruiting process again or not, I think I kind of knew that Auburn was the spot for me, and sure enough, it worked out."
The 21-year-old former 4-star prospect enjoyed a solid first season at Auburn.
He completed 66.5 percent of his throws for 3,158 yards with 18 touchdowns and six interceptions across 14 games. He added 153 rushing yards and four scores on the ground.
Those numbers include a 42-27 victory over A&M that saw Stidham throw for 268 yards and three TDs.
The redshirt junior is a Heisman Trophy contender (16-1 preseason odds, per OddsShark) heading into the 2018 season, which kicks off with a clash against Washington on Sept. 1.