AggieYell Mailbag
Here’s the latest edition of the AggieYell Mailbag for your reading pleasure:
Q: Has Rashaun Agee’s eligibility case received a final ruling by the NCAA?
A: No.
Or is he still playing on the temporary injunction?
Yes.
If his case isn’t over and he ends up being ruled ineligible, would the NCAA vacate our wins in games he played in? (Rooster_TAMU)
That’s a good question. My gut instinct is no, because the program was not intentionally using an ineligible player. And I don’t think they’d rule fast enough to affect the 25-26 season.
Q: All 11 of our portal out guys landed somewhere, making us I’m sure one of the few schools to not leave anyone stranded. True or false? (H273)
A: Absolutely true. Two things struck me about this turn in the portal: first, the Aggies didn’t lose many players and the ones they did weren’t in the portal long. That says good things about A&M’s talent evaluation and the depth on the team.
Q: Is Mackenzie Mgbako with the team while he recovers from his injury? Listening to some recent player interviews I got the sense that he may be away from the team. Any chance he would return next season? Can’t imagine his draft stock went up since last summer. (Rooster_TAMU)
A: He could be rehabbing somewhere else. That wouldn’t be surprising. As for him returning, I think that would probably be a good idea. He’s not going to get drafted at this point, but you know he could do damage if he’s fully healthy and playing in Bucky’s system. So that begs the question: could he return? I think the answer to that is yes. You can’t play in more than one-quarter of your team’s games and get a medical redshirt, but Mgbako only played in seven of 31 scheduled games (as in, pre-SEC Tournament), so he’s eligible for that redshirt.
Q: What is it about the 2027 recruiting class that giving us more of an edge in recruiting these kids as opposed to other cycles? It’s not like we’ve struggled in any way with recruiting but this year seems like almost a lock for a top 3 class (if not number 1). (ShaneHammett12)
A: My answer goes back to the theory I’ve had for a while, and one that coach Mike Elko agrees with — if you have a big season, it doesn’t help that current class, it helps the next class. So as far as recruiting goes, Elko has assembled a staff that is extremely skilled when it comes to recruiting. Players are buying into the vision, as you can see from the lack of transfers. Obviously, A&M has a lot of NIL money to play with too. Oh, and they went 11-2 and made the CFP. All those things work in their favor, and this could be a really good haul.
Q: Who are the best coaches for each position since you have been covering the Ags? (Boo Yah)
A: Oh man, you’re trying to get me into some crap here. But let’s try it.
QB: Kliff. Of course, it turned out his job was to get out of the way and let the madness happen, but nobody did it better.
RB: Tommie Robinson. He developed two fantastic backs (Isaiah Spiller and Devon Achane) and recruited a third (Le’Veon Moss).
TE: James Coley. He helped Jalen Wydermyer become an All-American. And really, there weren’t many TE coaches to choose from.
WR: Holmon Wiggins. Let’s be real here.
OL: This is tough. With respect to Josh Henson, it’s Jim Turner with Adam Cushing running a close second. Turner assembled the best line in college football history, left, came back and developed the O-line that won the Orange Bowl.
DE: Terry Price. I loved that man.
DT: Elijah Robinson. Can’t have Terry without E-Rob.
LB: Tyler Santucci. Got Buddy Johnson to the NFL, got Edgerrin Cooper started, worked with Otaro Alaka and made Aaron Hansford into a quality SEC linebacker. And, believe it or not, for most of the Sumlin regime there wasn’t a designated linebackers coach.
S: Mike Elko. Next.
CB: Maurice Linguist. Put together a quality corner crew with Jaylon Jones and not a whole lot else.
Q: I saw you said in your breakdown that Reuben Owens will have to be our power back. What about Deondrae Riden Jr? Do you think he could develop to be that for us next year? He’s got the frame for it. (Dpowerofwill)
A: Ah, yes. The Tiger. Yeah, he could be an option at 5-foot-10 and 212 pounds. If he enters spring ball at a heavier weight, you may have your guy.
Q: What is Rashaun Agee‘s true height? (Richard23)
A: It ain’t 6-foot-8. I personally think he’s about 6-foot-5.
Q: In your Wednesday “Let me tell you..” piece you wrote regarding the WRs: “someone else has to press the defense. Isaiah Horton is not that breed of cat,”.
What does that mean? What does “press the defense” mean, and what “breed of cat” is Isaiah Horton? (BoxterBoy72)
A: Press the defense means going deep. That’s not Horton’s forte. His career long catch is 52 yards — against A&M in 2023 at Miami, when Jayvon Thomas just totally blew the coverage. Horton is the guy you want on 3rd and 6 and in the red zone. He’s going to get out there, get open and have the size to give defenders trouble. He brings something the Aggies really lacked this year — the big body who can make a critical contested catch.
Q: Will SEC teams be better prepared for Bucky Ball next year? (QuickDrawMcGraw77)
A: Well, Nate Oats over at Alabama runs a similar tempo and maybe — maybe — teams are starting to adjust to it. But here’s the thing: they may be more ready for Bucky Ball next year, but he’ll have more talent too.
Q: Do you have a list of 2026 commits who are enrolled already? Just wondering if Casuga will participate in spring ball. (Pebbycree)
A: Your answer is simple: Everyone but Evan Jacobson is enrolled early. And that’s a huge plus for the team as a whole. More practice, more reps, more understanding of scheme, more workouts.
Q: How often do schools go above the agreed upon $ limits in their payroll?
A: If any team didn’t go above the salary cap this year, that coach should immediately be taken up to heaven and made a saint.
Can anyone ever really tell if a school does go over the limit?
Good question. My wisecrack could be to check the parking lot, and that may actually be the easiest way, but if these deals are being done and submitted to the College Sports Clearinghouse, that could be a way. Then again, the CSC has no teeth, so who cares?
Christian Parker, the new Dallas Cowboys DC, spent 2018 at A&M as a Defensive Analyst? Do you remember him? How’d he get to A&M (was is Elko??). (Tsip despiser)
I’m afraid I don’t remember him. We really don’t talk much with the analysts. At least, not back then. Now that they’re all on the field, maybe we do a little bit.
