AggieYell Mailbag
Here’s your weekly fix of the AggieYell Mailbag:
Q: It was mentioned that Elko asked for more NIL money in his most recent contract negotiations. Is the $20.5 million a hard cap? Were the Ags so far under this number that they are able to spend more this year? Was texas so far over the number that players are being asked to leave to get under the number? (Jakeh05)
A: $20.5 million was supposed to be a hard cap, but considering everyone’s ignoring it, it’s not. As for the money from last year, it may or may not have carried over. I really don’t know. But Texas was pushing guys out so they’d have more money to go after the big names. So far, that has been a really dumb idea.
Q: Do the coaches sit down with each player at the end of the season to discuss their future and NIL money? Are they told either they need to move on, or they are not getting the NIL they want so they decide to enter the portal? (GCJC)
A: There are end of season meetings with each player where they discuss the future for sure. Some of them are probably told that the snaps aren’t going to be there for them and they may want to consider their options. I’m not sure if NIL comes up at those meetings or not. I tend to think they don’t, in most cases.
Q: Do you expect all the portal signings to be enrolled and participating in Spring practice? (D_machen)
A: Yep.
Q: know we’re in the Cam sweepstakes and I think that his commitment would obviously boost our A room but I’ve always been high on Jerome Myles. Any update on how his injury progression is going? Timeline?
A: First, nice handle. As for Myles, he should be ready to go for spring ball. I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do.
Even without a commitment from Cam, Still have Craver, ABR, Bussey (praying he gets more touches), Myles and young depth. If we miss on Cam, who would you want coming out of the portal to fill that production from KC? (MarkieMark09)
Outside of Coleman, I don’t know if anyone is going to get close to KC’s receiving yards. But Malcolm Simmons and Isaiah Horton are two guys I’d be interested in. Simmons averaged 18.3 YPC with terrible quarterbacks throwing to him, and Horton caught 42 passes for 511 yards and 8 touchdowns. Simmons is a 6-footer; Horton is 6-foot-4.
Q: When courting portal players how much time is spent reassuring existing young players they still have a path to playing time? Seems a bit like going on a date and then coming home to your wife and telling her you still love her… but if this new hottie calls me back, well then all bets are off. (Camccri)
A: I think the current players are kept in the loop and what the plan is for them in the future. A&M’s seems pretty clear at the moment: redshirt as many as possible, unless they’re too good to keep off the field.
Q: Elko described Marcel as a “modern leader”, not so much a loud leader, in the pregame interview for Miami. With the loss of Armaj and Taurean, do you feel the need for him to develop into that louder leader, or do you think someone else will take on that role themselves? (Westonm81)
A: He started finding his voice later in the season. He apparently got up and had a few things to say at halftime against South Carolina, for instance. I think he’ll be a factor, but there are other guys who will also be looked to to speak up.
Q: Will Marcel be able to see over these giants we’re bringing in? Kidding. Seriously, when do the players come in? Semester starts Monday with another week of portal. (Tsmith3001)
A: I think they can still get them registered and in during that time period. Most, if not all, of the ones who have committed are already signed and will be in class on Monday.
Q: Besides Ole Miss, we have the lowest amount of transfer portal, “departures”, than any other team in the SEC. Why is that? It’s easy to say relationships -and it could be that simple- but what exactly is A&M doing right to keep these kids in the program? (Shanehammett12)
A: Elko has his guys now, and they really believe in his vision. When he came in, Elko said the whole mindset of the program had to change. He has largely succeeded that (or so it would appear).
Q: Are there any player you feel are going under the radar? (Nchor1)
A: I’m guessing you mean guys in the portal. Of the A&M commits, I think Tawfiq Byard can be a real difference maker in the secondary. Of players still uncommitted, I think former Alabama WR Jalen Hale can really be good if he’s healthy. I don’t know if he is.
Q: Do player NIL deals have clauses for reduced pay upon getting injured? Would guys like Moss or Myles from this past year still get their full amount even though they missed time? (RoosterTAMU)
A: Their deals would not be approved with a pay for play clause like the one you’re suggesting. I know that’s utterly ridiculous and everything obviously is pay for play, but you still can’t do that.
Q: Does every scholarship player get some NIL? (H273)
It depends from one sport to another, but I think most — if not all — do.
Q: What is the longest running post in the history of AggieYell besides **** 2026 Transfer Portal Thread + Intel ****? (SouthernAg)
A: Probably the thread on The Big Texan Steakhouse in Amarillo, which has a live feed that you can watch when someone tries the 72-ounce steak challenge. Some game threads have gotten very long as well. Back in the old days, a few political threads got really long because two or three people were just firing salvoes at each other.
Q: Honest thoughts on Marcel reed? Obviously as a qb you can put all the blame unfairly on him but I think it’s fair to say he is the reason we lost our last one. What do you think he needs to develop or get better at if at all to take to the next step? Has the staff indicated that they think his current skill level will be good enough or that he’s not good enough and this off season needs to be a huge step. (Coltonlino)
A: Reed is consistently inconsistent. When he’s on, he’s one of the 10 best quarterbacks in the nation. When he’s off, he’s terrible. And that can happen in the same game. He needs to get more consistent with his footwork, be quicker with his looks and take some heat off the short passes. His athletic ability is off the charts; if he improves on some of the intangibles, he’ll be tough to stop.
Q: 1. With this group, will Coach Cushing “eval, sort & plug” guys along the line similarly to what he’s done?
A: I believe so. But, like last year, I’m sure he already has a pretty good idea where each guy gets plugged in.
2. Is Brady Hart our # 2 going into game 1?
Sure looks like it right now.
3. I like 16’s consistency…how much does Mikhail play?
I would think he’s the first guy off the bench. He earned that right with how he performed the second half of the year.
4. Every OC likes to bring a little bit of his own flavor…. Being a first time play caller, what tweaks do you think Coach Wiggins brings with him? (Me_JustAvgIllini)
One thing I think he may bring is a little more misdirection. Collin Klein brought motion, but Wiggins worked with Sark at Alabama and nobody uses more misdirection than he does.
Q: Do coaches around college football really despise Lane Kiffin? Or, just take him with a grain of salt? I know that most coaching staffs try to minimize negative recruiting, but Kiffin be an exception? I would think many programs are going to may life especially difficult for him. (Aggdoc)
A: They hate his guts. If they can drag him, they will.
Q: Do you have a feel for how this all works from portal to enrollment. Housing. Classes. Etc
I could barely handle it myself.
what support staff Do they have to get these kids settled In. (Richard23)
A: The football program has a really big support staff that can arrange for housing, figuring out a class schedule and all that stuff — in a very short period of time.
Q: Just curious, was Mgbako’s new injury issue a rebreak of his foot or just one of those deals where he still had pain and they just decided to do a more thorough surgery? (Naytch)
A: He had a Jones fracture earlier in the year and suffered a repeat of that same injury. So yeah, that required more extensive surgery, which knocked him out for the year. He can redshirt, though.
Q: You seem to mention tu‘s portal recruiting often in your threads, which I enjoy. I still enjoy any bad news out of sip land, except the Shipley news. I will pray for that young man. Question is, do you think Sark has an eye on one of the many NFL jobs which have opened up in the last week? Might explain some of their recruiting issues. (Gunsnwoodrow)
A: There have been some rumblings about it, but I don’t know how serious they are. But if he’s going to make a run at an NFL job, now may be the time with nine of them open.
Q: Why is Dealyn Evans transferring? (Doom Buggy)
A: Pretty simple: playing time. He was being primed to move into the starting lineup next year next to DJ Hicks, but Landon Rink happened. A&M is likely not done adding experienced tackles in the portal, so he decided he might be better suited playing somewhere else.
Q: If you could have one dessert for the rest of your life, what does dessert would that be?
A: With all due respect to chocolate mousse cake, I’ll take chocolate chip cookies.
Real question: With the loss from York, who do you think is going to be the new QB of the defense this next year? (Dpowerofwill)
I know who they want it to be, and that’s Ray Coney. He’s the new MIKE, and they usually handle the play calls. It just depends on him learning the defense quickly.
If it’s not him, it could be Daymion Sanford or maybe even Dalton Brooks, though I think that’s unlikely.
Q: Why is A&M having trouble getting DTs commits from the portal? A&M needs more than just depth pieces, they need difference makers. (Ag20)
A: Whoa, whoa, whoa. We’re a week into the portal. There’s another week to go. They’re certainly interested in Michigan’s Enow Etta, if he enters the portal. If he does, I think A&M immediately becomes the presumptive landing spot. But if you’re looking for real superstars, there aren’t any in the portal right now. This next week will be really important.
Q: What, if any, players that were in the portal that A&M didn’t get that makes you sad?
A: After all the crap I’ve been though the last couple of years, it’s going to take more than the decision of a man in his late teens or early twenties to make me sad.
Witten dad just took a job at OU. Do you think they hired him to get his son, and do you think it puts them in the drivers seat to get him? (FbFan222)
Did they hire him to get his son? No. Does it mean the likely get Cooper Witten? Yep.
Q: It seems Cam Coleman is our #1 choice for a WR in the portal. Who do you see as possibly the top 3 next in line for us to pursue?
A: As mentioned, Simmons and Horton would be on the list. Drelon Miller, a former A&M commit who ended up at Colorado, is visiting this weekend. I’m not as big a fan of his as some people are.
Do you believe we only pursue/sign one WR? (Maddog83)
Depends on who’s available. Who knows? Someone may go in next week who knocks their socks off.
Q: Looking at Miami and Ole Miss, it seems the first is more physical on the lines and the latter has more physical play makers compared to A&M. Do you think Elko thinks the same and is effectively addressing this? (DriverD)
A: Think it? I know it. He made that abundantly clear after the game, and he’s definitely working on it with who they’re getting in the portal.
Q: With the increase in numbers on football rosters, do you think the number of players on the field at home and on the traveling squads will be increased? (Quickdrawmcgraw77)
A: The number of players at home will go down, probably, to 105 from 125. As for players who travel? That won’t change.
Q: How would you compare the incoming Receivers, especially Gregory and Williams to Coleman? Seems many are fixated on having a big wr1 which yes would love to have. (AgFCACoach98)
A: Coleman is 6-foot-3, 195. Gregory is 6-foot-2, 177. Williams is 6-foot-1, 190. Jayden Warren is 6-foot-1, 195. So Coleman’s taller than all of them.
Coleman runs in the upper 4.4s to low 4.5s in the 40. Gregory is in the low to mid 4’s. Williams ran a laser-timed 4.32, so he can go. Warren ran a 4.5 at least year’s Navy All-American Combine, but that was on a very slow turf.
The difference may be their ability to catch the football. Coleman has great vision, reaction time and catch radius. Gregory, of the three, is probably closest to him in that respect.
Q: know the players in the playoffs get extra time, but how does a team wait? I mean do you pass on a kid in the portal at a need position because maybe a better kid in the playoffs will go in the late portal when you have no clue and you can’t contact them to ask? Seems that teams in the playoffs will have significantly less players enter the portal because of this but likewise don’t have as much space to add anyone from the portal as well. (Eyecutter98)
A: You don’t have to contact him to ask. Talk to his representation. And, in most cases, the reps have already told other teams of what their player’s intentions are.
