10 Things for Tuesday

Here’s the latest edition of 10 Things for Tuesday, sponsored by Brent Campbell:

1. Something actually went right for college sports yesterday when a judge ruled former Alabama forward Charles Bediako ineligible. We all know that the idea of the “student-athlete” is dead and buried, but the idea of being a true professional and then coming back to the college ranks is an abomination. I’m not a super fan of European pros coming over and being eligible (sorry, Ruben Dominguez), but the idea that someone could sign an NBA contract, get paid, spend three years in the NBA’s AAA (the G-League) and then come back is appalling. There’s also a huge difference: the European players didn’t forgo their remaining eligibility, which Bediako did. You can’t just come back and go, “psyche!” There are no tagbacks here.If you have a 401(K) then was funded from (or by) your job, you don’t need NIL. That’s an oversimplification, but you get the idea. 

2. Alabama basketball has made a joke of the NCAA for years. They weaseled their way into keeping Brandon Miller on the court after he brought a gun — which became a murder weapon — to a former teammate and soon-to-be killer and Nate Oats claimed Miller was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now this Bediako crap, which only got this far after Alabama found a major athletic donor who was willing to issue a temporary injunction. There’s absolutely nothing likable about this team or its coaches. With Nick Saban and the football program, you could at least have a measure of respect. Alabama basketball deserves none.

3. They also don’t deserve their three wins with Bediako. That’s most assuredly the case for their 100-97 win over Texas A&M. Bediako had 5 points in a 3-point win. There’s your ballgame. Those games should, at the least, not count against the other team and should be forfeited for using an ineligible player. Will the NCAA drop the hammer now they actually got a win? Nah.

4. According to a study by Indiana University Columbus finance professor Ryan Brewer, Texas A&M football has a valuation of $1.593 billion. That’s a considerable chunk of change. How much? More than nine MLB franchises (The Athletics, Cincinnati, Arizona, Cleveland, Colorado, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Tampa Bay and Miami), nine NHL franchises (Nashville, Anaheim, St. Louis, San Jose, Utah, Buffalo, Ottawa, Winnipeg and Columbus) and every MLS franchise. 

5. The 2025 Texas A&M football team was ranked 36th in scoring defense and 18th in total defense. So it is amazing that they were 126th in red zone defense. Basically, if a team got inside the Aggie 20, they were scoring. I don’t exactly know how you change that, but the Aggies will need to drop that number significantly to get back to the CFP. 

6. Texas A&M was even worse at picking off passes than they were in red zone defense, coming in 129th with just three. I do not remember a season —especially a successful one — where a team did not have a cornerback with at least one interception. The Aggies had interceptions from two linebackers and a safety in 2025. That’s it.

7. With their losses to the transfer portal and (mostly) the NFL Draft, the Texas A&M defense is losing players that combined for 56 tackles for loss last year. The players they’re bringing in (three defensive tackles, two defensive ends, one safety and one linebacker) combined for 32.5 TFL last year. Players like Marco Jones will have to up their production while ones like T.J. Searcy (6.5), Daymion Sanford (9.5) and DJ Hicks will have to have the same production or better to keep up with last year’s TFL numbers, which were second-best nationally.

8. In news that will make some Aggies very happy, new analyst and former Coastal Carolina offensive coordinator Drew Hollingshead not only has A&M ties, but cut his coaching teeth under Mike Leach. With Holmon Wiggins taking over as offensive coordinator and Hollinghead’s hiring, could Texas A&M be looking to a return to a faster-paced offense? Coastal’s offense was atrocious last year (though still better than the defense, which was 130th nationally) and they held onto the ball for about 28:40 a game. In 2024, the offense was better, though not great — and they held onto the ball for 10 seconds longer.

9. If you’re looking for a harbinger of how Texas A&M’s 2027 class may close out, watch 5-star DE Zyron Forstall. He’s a Louisiana kid, but is suddenly leaning heavily towards A&M. If the Aggies do get Forstall, then I’ll start taking the ideas that they can break out and have an incredible, top-ranked class very seriously.

10. There’s a possibility that Texas A&M starts the baseball season with a true freshman left side of the infield with Nico Partida at third and Boston Kellner at shortstop (and Chris Hacopian at second). My first thought was, “That’s a lot of pressure to put on two true freshmen. When’s the last time something like that worked?” Easy answer: 2024. The players: Gavin Grahovac (who is now at first), who hit 23 homers, and Caden Sorrell, who hit 11 after taking over as a starter at midseason. So maybe It’s not such an outrageous idea after all.

Our sponsor

Sponsored by Brent Campbell, Fighting Texas Aggie Class of 1998. Brent is a Commercial Real Estate Broker, serving all of Central Texas and specializing in sales, leasing & development. He leads a retail acquisition and sales team and was recognized by the Austin Business Journal as a Commercial Real Estate Heavy Hitter in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020 & 2023.

In the last 22 years, he has closed deals with a total transactional value of over $375 million and has leased more than 4.5 million square feet. Brent currently serves as the president of the board of directors for Habitat Homes, Inc. and Pathways Youth and Family Services. He is a former president of the Heart of Round Rock Neighborhood Association and a former member of the Round Rock Zoning Advisory Committee, the Round Rock Business and Retention Committee, and the City of Round Rock Ethics Commission, which has led him to begin developing in Williamson and Travis County.

An Austin native, Brent lives in Round Rock where he and his wife have raised four boys. Brent works for Don Quick and Associates, Inc. in Round Rock, TX and can be reached at [email protected].