Texas A&M

[WinOne]

First off I may be really wrong on the QB situation. I honestly thought that Kenny Hill would end up getting the starting nod but I'm hearing that Allen has been nothing short of perfect and is absorbing the playbook like a sponge. On top of that he's bonded big time with the OC (actually recruited by him) and is already establishing himself as a leader on the team even though he's only been on campus since January. I don't think the Hill incident off the field this spring had anything to do with it either.

Also, A&M is recruiting the butts off in the state of Texas and even making some inroads in So Louisiana. They are hand picking recruits here in the state and those recruits are even recruiting other players for them. Very good times in Aggieland these days. They are loading up for the long haul

 

[cloverleaf]

New quarterback will be tested opening week at South Carolina -9 (5Dimes).

That place will be WILD opening game...even for a veteran quarterback.

 

[CoachCB]

Has Sumlin recruited any defense?

 

[GoSooners]

First off I may be really wrong on the QB situation. I honestly thought that Kenny Hill would end up getting the starting nod but I'm hearing that Allen has been nothing short of perfect and is absorbing the playbook like a sponge. On top of that he's bonded big time with the OC (actually recruited by him) and is already establishing himself as a leader on the team even though he's only been on campus since January. I don't think the Hill incident off the field this spring had anything to do with it either.

Also, A&M is recruiting the butts off in the state of Texas and even making some inroads in So Louisiana. They are hand picking recruits here in the state and those recruits are even recruiting other players for them. Very good times in Aggieland these days. They are loading up for the long haul

It seems to be the perfect storm for ATM right now. And winning doesn't seem to be much of a factor in it. I don't think it's any one thing that is winning these kids over. It's the combination of perfect timing in getting out of the Big 12, Johnny Manziel, the SEC and Kevin Sumlin among other things. It all just seems to be resonating with these kids right now. And that's despite not really haven't won anything (yet). It reminds me quite a bit of Texas. They can somehow still have great recruiting classes despite having subpar results. They are the new Mack Brown UT, except Sumlin can actually coach, which is scary. They are in great shape as a program. Have the best talent, best coaches, and the most momentum that ATM has had in 30 years. It's going to be interesting to see what happens to them and where they go with it. They still have Bama and LSU to contend with in their division. And did I mention Auburn? How in the hell Ole Miss is recruiting so well is a mystery to me. I still think they are just putting lipstick on a pig. It's still going to be a pig...

 

[WinOne]

Has Sumlin recruited any defense?

They return 9 starters (4DL-1LB-4DB) from a defense that was brutal. They've gotten bigger and more experienced just because they played so many pups last year.

 

[WinOne]

[h=1]Charlie Strong's poor first impression

[/h]June, 25, 2014

JUN 25
2:17
PM ET​

By Travis Haney | ESPN.com

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AP Photo/Eric GayCharlie Strong struggled in a public speaking appearance at a camp in San Angelo.
SAN ANGELO, Texas -- A 20-minute slot for new Texas head coach Charlie Strong stood out on the three-day schedule at the recent coaching clinic at Angelo State -- one of my stops on a recent mid-June trip through Texas. The clinic is a 40-year tradition for the state’s high school coaches to learn from their college counterpart and was one of his first outings in front of a large number of the state’s high school coaches. I was intrigued to hear what Strong’s message would be in one of his first outings in front of a large number of high school coaches.

Part of the intrigue stemmed from the perception -- held by many of his peers and even those who know him well –- that Strong is something of an introvert, and that the social aspect of the UT job might not be his, ahem, strong suit.

Those in attendance didn't seem impressed by Strong’s time on the stage. Maybe it was coincidence, but someone let out a loud laugh just as Strong wrapped.

“I think everyone was shocked. It was that bad,” one coach told me later.

“It made me miss Mack,” one joked.

Another: “If I was the coach at Texas, I would act like I had bigger balls than that.”

Strong spoke so rapidly, jamming one sentence on top of another as if he were playing verbal Tetris, that you would have thought he had two minutes, not 20. It was difficult to follow his train of thought or discern the central points being made.

The bulk of the address sounded like something more suited for parents or boosters than people who also coach for a living.

An example: He said he intended to “put the ‘T’ back in Texas” with “toughness, trust, togetherness and teamwork.”

Or the primary mission being, “We want to see young men graduate,” and “We want to win championships,” because “there’s nothing more fun than a championship.”

I jotted “LOL” in my notebook when he told coaches “either you’re growing or you’re dying.”

What does it all mean for Strong in his first year at Texas? That’s where we begin my Texas Takeaways, which include FSU’s impressive new defensive coordinator, insight behind the Lane Kiffin hire and more.

Not a Strong impression

In the most connective moment of his speech, Strong closed by inviting coaches to visit campus, and he actually acknowledged the situation. It might have been a nice place to start; it was the only portion that didn’t feel rehearsed or cliché-ridden.

“We are the premier university in this state,” he said. “I know you’re all watching to see what happens. We have some work to do. We’re going to get that done because of the staff we have.”

Beyond that genuine close, Strong seemed to miss his target audience. What’s worse, I was later told that Strong irritated the clinic’s leadership -- including former NFL coach Wade Phillips, whose family is coaching royalty in the state -- by bolting just after his allotted time.

Whether he felt socially uncomfortable or did not care to hang around, it was seen as a slight by those running the show and those who had traveled to the West Texas town.

“He obviously didn’t want to be here,” one coach told me. “If he did, he sure as hell didn't show it.”

So what’s it all mean?

Well, it isn’t an indictment of Strong or what he will do at Texas. The guy has a track record of being an outstanding football coach, and most college coaches believe he’ll fare well in Austin because of his X’s and O’s acumen.

But those 20 minutes did highlight some of those questions that coaches and college football observers had when he was hired for one of the most visible gigs in the country. They knew he would not be a Mack Brown-level ambassador, but they wondered if he could up his social game. San Angelo seemed to indicate he still isn’t interested in messing with that side of the job.

It’s undoubtedly a story worth monitoring.

I mean, I couldn’t help but wonder how Baylor’s Art Briles or Texas A&M’s Kevin Sumlin -- the hottest recruiting coaches going in the state -- would have handled the same room.

Speaking might not be Strong’s gift. So be it. But not coming early or hanging around for a few minutes to shake hands and meet UT’s de facto minor league coaches? That makes you wonder how he’s going to connect with those theoretically supplying his next batch of players.

Don’t take my word for it.

“It ended up being good for Art and Kevin,” one coach told me. “How does that happen?

In the end, it was just one day, and Strong will have plenty of other chances with the state’s coaches. But it was an odd impression to make.

Who knows? Maybe he intends to just keep recruiting Florida kids to build his Texas roster.

 

[WinOne]

"Speaking might not be Strong’s gift. So be it. But not coming early or hanging around for a few minutes to shake hands and meet UT’s de facto minor league coaches? That makes you wonder how he’s going to connect with those theoretically supplying his next batch of players."

The last paragraph of that article posted on ESPN about how HC Strong did not come in early or hang around a few minutes after is what I took from this. Unfortunately, part of being a HC is the ability to network with your peers, even those who are HC coaches. I guarantee you Briles or Sumlin or Stoop would have been there talking about golf courses, or BBQ Joints in the area, etc. Hell, I've heard Patterson talk about honky-tonks because he plays a mean guitar and loves to sing. The guy is a hamm. But they pay you all this money to be the face of the school, you're an ambassador. I know it's early in the process, but if you dont have these basic skills how can you be successful at this level? It's not just any school, it's Texas

 

[ProphetablePicks]

Win One.. Whats up.. I need to talk with you off line about something.. ASU related...

 

[cloverleaf]

Sumlin is in for a beat down opening week at Columbia. Could be a difficult season for A&M. The good news is the Aggies are recruiting well and that will help them for 2015. Like or resent the former Aggie QB...he was that damn good to elevate the program.

I know Sumlin is a $5 million dollar coach....can't put my finger on it but I'm just not sold on this guy. Maybe, all my years following the SEC I know that DEFENSE is the key to dominate teams.

 

[linebets]

WinOne that is exactly what I have heard. Kenny is an amazing athlete but Allen has just been impressive. He has a crazy amount of football knowledge already and seems to be on point with everything. Apparently him and spavital get along really well and the sat down for a few days and he already learned the playbook.

I know there are a lot of questions about sumlin and his ability to produce a defense. But I'll say this... its coming... recruiting on the defensive side of the ball has gone way up. Yates, the former secondary coach, has left for boise (thank god). I have heard Terry Joseph has already came in and made an impact. I'm not going to lie and say the defense will be something to be impressed by, but I believe it will be significantly better... which I guess isn't saying a whole lot. my other thing is I am not impressed with Snyder. Some are convinced he is a good coach and just had a terrible time getting defensive players. I say terrible players or not... 12 games into a season the coach needs to show them not to make the same mistakes they made game 1. He also continues to say "we are a couple years away from a really good defensive team" I cant stand that sentence.

 

[GoSooners]

"Speaking might not be Strong’s gift. So be it. But not coming early or hanging around for a few minutes to shake hands and meet UT’s de facto minor league coaches? That makes you wonder how he’s going to connect with those theoretically supplying his next batch of players."

The last paragraph of that article posted on ESPN about how HC Strong did not come in early or hang around a few minutes after is what I took from this. Unfortunately, part of being a HC is the ability to network with your peers, even those who are HC coaches. I guarantee you Briles or Sumlin or Stoop would have been there talking about golf courses, or BBQ Joints in the area, etc. Hell, I've heard Patterson talk about honky-tonks because he plays a mean guitar and loves to sing. The guy is a hamm. But they pay you all this money to be the face of the school, you're an ambassador. I know it's early in the process, but if you dont have these basic skills how can you be successful at this level? It's not just any school, it's Texas

There has already been several coaches who have come out and said this article is BS. They very well could be right since Haney has always had an ax to grind with Texas since the days he put out all of that stuff for the Oklahoman. And he's always been very good at writing polarizing articles. Still, I'm not sure Strong is very good in the PR department. I guess we'll find out soon enough. If he has a 10+ win season none of this is going to matter. One thing for sure is with that undeserved mega contract he'll be on a short leash. Winning 7 or 8 games a year isn't going to cut it..

 

[Well-Seasoned]

Sumlin is in for a beat down opening week at Columbia. Could be a difficult season for A&M. The good news is the Aggies are recruiting well and that will help them for 2015. Like or resent the former Aggie QB...he was that damn good to elevate the program.

I know Sumlin is a $5 million dollar coach....can't put my finger on it but I'm just not sold on this guy. Maybe, all my years following the SEC I know that DEFENSE is the key to dominate teams.

I agree and that is why they ended up playing Duke in a Bowl Game despite having Manziel, Evans, and others.....The same Duke team that looked completely outclassed against Florida State was moving the ball with ease against A&M, especially the 1st Half.

 

[sdf]

"Speaking might not be Strong’s gift. So be it. But not coming early or hanging around for a few minutes to shake hands and meet UT’s de facto minor league coaches? That makes you wonder how he’s going to connect with those theoretically supplying his next batch of players."

The last paragraph of that article posted on ESPN about how HC Strong did not come in early or hang around a few minutes after is what I took from this. Unfortunately, part of being a HC is the ability to network with your peers, even those who are HC coaches. I guarantee you Briles or Sumlin or Stoop would have been there talking about golf courses, or BBQ Joints in the area, etc. Hell, I've heard Patterson talk about honky-tonks because he plays a mean guitar and loves to sing. The guy is a hamm. But they pay you all this money to be the face of the school, you're an ambassador. I know it's early in the process, but if you dont have these basic skills how can you be successful at this level? It's not just any school, it's Texas

http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/co...lie-strong-speech-criticism-i-smell-a-rat.ece

http://texas.247sports.com/Article/...ruth-on-Charlie-Strong-Angelo-Clinic-29432859


seems some people are doing whatever it takes to trash Strong.....

 

[rolltide]

espn's take on the aggies

[h=1]Why Texas A&M won't miss Manziel[/h][h=3]Aggies have enough surrounding talent to make up for loss of the star QB[/h]
Updated: July 7, 2014, 2:45 PM ET
It's never easy to overcome the loss of the greatest player in a college football program's history, but the track record of teams rebounding from the loss of their biggest name is far from entirely negative.The Georgia Bulldogs went 10-1-1 the season after they said goodbye to Herschel Walker. Bear Bryant once called Joe Namath the most talented player he had ever seen. And yet, a year after Namath went pro, the Alabama Crimson Tide won a share of the national championship. Archie Griffin was the only two-time winner of the Heisman Trophy, but in the campaign following his graduation, Woody Hayes was able to lead the Ohio State Buckeyesto a 9-2-1 record and an Orange Bowl win.
These examples offer hope for the Texas A&M Aggies, who will be without Heisman winnerJohnny Manziel -- with all due respect to John David Crow, arguably the best player in the storied history of the program -- come this fall.
Indeed, when looking at the entirety of this roster and the circumstances surrounding the SEC, the Aggies seem poised to overcome Manziel's departure and join the club described above.
Here are four reasons:
[h=3]State of the SEC makes this the perfect time to develop a QB[/h]The Aggies aren't the only program in the SEC who will have a new face under center this coming season. In fact, the majority of the conference is experiencing upheaval at quarterback, with only three passers who started 10 games in 2014 -- Brandon Allen, Nick Marshall and Bo Wallace -- returning this season. If Allen doesn't get the starting job for theArkansas Razorbacks (a sincere possibility) the list of SEC teams in a state of flux will grow even longer.
As such, whichever teams can develop a strong starter fastest will be positioned for success. Kevin Sumlin's history suggests the Aggies are as good a candidate as any. Prior to his arrival in College Station, Sumlin's Houston Cougars quarterbacks posted a compositeRaw Total QBR of 81 on passing plays -- a mark not far removed from the 85 Raw Total QBR tallied by Aggies quarterbacks on passing plays over the past two seasons.
Sumlin won't have to scale back the offense for either of his two starting candidates this year. True freshman Kyle Allen enrolled in January and immediately displayed an ability to absorb the playbook. Sophomore Kenny Hill has also shown he could be a worthy inheritor of the Aggies' offense.
Also working in the Aggies' favor is a talented corps of skill players. Workhorse veteranMalcome Kennedy finished sixth in the SEC in receptions (60) last year. Ricky Seals-Joneswas the best receiver in the 2013 recruiting class and has the potential to be a second-year star.
Speedy Noil was the No. 1 athlete in the 2014 class. Noil brings to mind Percy Harvinbecause he "is a flat-out jet ... instinctive, confident and could play multiple positions with a quick acclimation and minimal learning curve," according to Recruiting Nation.
[h=3]Powerful O-line will allow for a greater emphasis on the running game[/h]Last year, Texas A&M seemed to try and force opponents into shootouts. While this strategy led to the Aggies scoring 40 points in 10 straight games, it also had the side effect of overextending the defense, which finished last in the SEC in points per game (32.2), yards per game (475.8) and yards per play (6.36).
With a new starter under center, A&M will likely begin to lean more strongly on its rushing game in an effort to better protect the defense and Sumlin's personnel should be more than up to the task. The offensive line returns four starters from a group which last year helped the Aggies lead the SEC in percentage of rushing plays that gained 5 or more yards (50.2 percent). According to ESPN Stats & Information, Texas A&M also posted the third-highest percentage in the conference of running back carries that netted 5 or more yards. Even in Manziel's absence, much talent remains on this roster.
[+] Enlarge Denny Medley/USA TODAY SportsKevin Sumlin has gotten the most out of his QBs.


The offensive line will also benefit from the development of fifth-year senior Garrett Gramling, who performed well while filling a starting role in spring practice. At best, Gramling becomes the fifth starter on the line. At worst, he offers some very valuable depth.[h=3]Slew of rushing talents in the backfield should make up for much of the big-play loss[/h]It will take more than one prospect to replace the 36 rushing plays of 10 or more yards that Manziel posted on called rushes last year. Luckily, Texas A&M has a number of viable candidates ready to step up and fill the void.
Trey Williams is likely the strongest candidate in the field. Williams ranked fifth in the conference in yards per rush (7.02) among ball carriers with at least 50 rushing attempts last season, and racked up 19 carries that gained 10 or more yards. He was one of only 11 players nationally to post that level of double-digit gains on fewer than 100 carries, and very well could be a breakout star in 2014.
Tra Carson should also be able to lend a hand. Carson has the ability to turn the corner and hit an alley untouched (see: Carson's amazing run in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl) and has received plenty of praise from Sumlin during the offseason.
A foot injury has left Brandon Williams lower on the depth chart than some expected. Still, Sumlin once called Williams "a home run threat from anywhere" and said the now-junior "probably has the most wire-to-wire potential [among Texas A&M's running backs]."
It's not too late for Williams to make an impact, even amidst this talented group.
[h=3]Manziel's shortcomings leave room to improve[/h]Manziel's Heisman Trophy was the achievement of a lifetime. Outside of that honor, though, and the statistical highlights that went along with it, Manziel fell short in the area of team-oriented milestones.
Manziel's Aggies failed to win either an SEC championship or SEC division title under his stewardship. Manziel also had a 13-6 record against teams from BCS conferences and an 8-6 mark against BCS conference teams that ended the season with a record of .500 or better. Five of those eight wins came against the Ole Miss Rebels, Mississippi State Bulldogsand Vanderbilt Commodores, each of whom finished those campaigns with a combined record in SEC play of 17-23. While Manziel piloted Texas A&M to a signature victory against the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2012, his combined record against the Crimson Tide, Florida Gators, Auburn Tigers and LSU Tigers was a meager 2-5.
There's also a case to be made that Manziel wasn't even the Aggies' best player last season -- arguably, Mike Evans made an even larger impact in the early going.
None of this is meant to diminish Manziel's accomplishments, but rather to highlight the strength of his surroundings -- much of which remains intact -- and the room for improvement in College Station.
[h=3]Bottom line[/h]A brutal 2014 schedule that includes away games against the South Carolina Gamecocks, and at Alabama and Auburn, as well as home contests against the Missouri Tigers and LSU may make a repeat or improvement upon last year's 9-4 record difficult. Still, the trajectory of Texas A&M football is nevertheless upward, and any shortcomings this season shouldn't be solely because of Johnny Football's absence.

 

[WinOne]

http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/co...lie-strong-speech-criticism-i-smell-a-rat.ece

http://texas.247sports.com/Article/...ruth-on-Charlie-Strong-Angelo-Clinic-29432859


seems some people are doing whatever it takes to trash Strong.....

SDF - the jury will be out. What he does on the field will far outweigh what he does off of it, especially with respect to media relations. I don't know the guy personally however, in hearing him speak, I would not say he talks with a lot of power as the DMN article says. That's probably the clinic sponsor backing their keynote guy. With respect to the DMN, it's not often that they wouldn't criticize anything that UT does.

I just hope the guy is given a chance to have success or failure on his own merits. As I stated when he was hired, it's a huge step for a very proud and prestigious program. And unfortunately for him, he's got a lot of ground to make up because of some of the recent success of neighboring programs (Baylor, A&M). I've got no dog in this fight so for me it will be interesting to sit back and watch. I just thought the Haney article, knowing ESPNs relationship with UT (LHN) was very interesting.

Best of luck this season

 

[jblonghorn]

It seems to be the perfect storm for ATM right now. And winning doesn't seem to be much of a factor in it. I don't think it's any one thing that is winning these kids over. It's the combination of perfect timing in getting out of the Big 12, Johnny Manziel, the SEC and Kevin Sumlin among other things. It all just seems to be resonating with these kids right now. And that's despite not really haven't won anything (yet). It reminds me quite a bit of Texas. They can somehow still have great recruiting classes despite having subpar results. They are the new Mack Brown UT, except Sumlin can actually coach, which is scary. They are in great shape as a program. Have the best talent, best coaches, and the most momentum that ATM has had in 30 years. It's going to be interesting to see what happens to them and where they go with it. They still have Bama and LSU to contend with in their division. And did I mention Auburn? How in the hell Ole Miss is recruiting so well is a mystery to me. I still think they are just putting lipstick on a pig. It's still going to be a pig...

He can? Why hasn't he won a single conference championship in his entire coaching career if he's so good? I think that dude is fool's gold. Add to that 22 arrests in 9 months and I don't see many players respecting him. Time will tell.

 

[jblonghorn]

Do y'all not think it's funny how A&M supposedly has all this "momentum", meanwhile they just lost the best player in the history of their school in any sport, literally, the best athlete that the school has ever had in it's 110+ year history, and they go 10-6 in conference and finish T-8th in the SEC in 2012 and T-6th in 2013. They finished T-5th just in the western division, yet Aggies and people from afar think that this program has a lot going on.

On a side note; remember all the drama about how Urban Meyer's Florida teams were having players arrested at an alarming rate? Sumlin's program is on pace to have 40, FORTY, more arrests than in Urban's 5 year tenure. That, is amazing. Let's see if A&M goes A&M or if they actually do something with this talent.

Don't forget; Kevin Sumlin has yet to win a single championship, conference, etc, in his coaching history. He's never won anything. Dude's getting paid $5 million per year thanks to Johnny Manziel. Let's see what happens. Who thinks they win more than 8 games this year with their schedule that includes 5 layups. To me the heat gets turned up bigtime on Sumlin after this season. I've watched the aggies for 30+ years and they've always underwhelmed. Always.

 

[GoSooners]

He can? Why hasn't he won a single conference championship in his entire coaching career if he's so good? I think that dude is fool's gold. Add to that 22 arrests in 9 months and I don't see many players respecting him. Time will tell.

Nick Saban was head coach at Michigan State for 5 years and only had moderate success there and no championships. So it's a little early in Sumlin's career to be calling him a failure. As you said, time will tell. Right now I would be more worried about him stealing all of OU's and Texas recruits. So far he's doing a great job of that...

 

[WinOne]

He can? Why hasn't he won a single conference championship in his entire coaching career if he's so good? I think that dude is fool's gold. Add to that 22 arrests in 9 months and I don't see many players respecting him. Time will tell.

Welcome back JB. Sumlins only been a HC for 6 years. He's gone 8-5, 10-4, 5-7 (lost all 4 QBs to injury), 12-1 all at Houston. Then 11-2 and 9-4 at A&M and if they had any lick of defense last year they might have beaten both Auburn and Bama at home. They were young and couldn't stop air. It's a pretty impressive start in a pretty tough conference, but I think he's still got a lot to prove.

With respect to underachieving, Mack Brown in 16 years at Texas ONLY won 1NC, and 2 B12 Titles. With all the facilities, talent in state, and in a B12 that has not been at the top of the heap all those years, that "could" be considered "underachieving"

In 1 less year(15), in the same B12, Bob Stoop won 8 conference titles, 1NC, and played in 3 others NC's.

It's all relative sir.

 

[rolltide]

Sumlin's program is on pace to have 40, FORTY, more arrests than in Urban's 5 year tenure. That, is amazing. Let's see if A&M goes A&M or if they actually do something with this talent.

what pace are the longhorn players setting for Strong right now? must be the tremendous respect they have for Charlie that precludes them from attending class and encourages sexual assaults?

stones, glass houses, and all that...