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We’ve seen in recent recruiting efforts that Texas A&M Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher isn’t afraid to leave the lone star state to find football talent, and my sources indicate he may have just uncovered a gem of a prospect in the Great White North.
Going simply by Caillou, this Canadian recruit’s name first came across my desk a few weeks ago. Having grown up in the heart of hockey country, he has never played organized football, so he is understandably raw. But this kid has all of the makings of a truly elite player for the Aggies if they can convince him to make a commitment to the sport.
Some may remember him from his brief stint as a child TV star in his youth. Coming from an extremely gifted family, Caillou stood at 5’11” at only four years old, and some reports now put him at over seven feet tall. This kind of size simply can’t be taught.
Lakers should’ve traded for Caillou instead of Anthony Davis pic.twitter.com/oQKJpPuUbM
— Hector Diaz (@iamHectorDiaz) June 16, 2019
Aggie tight ends coach and my personal best friend in the whole world Joe Jon Finley became aware of Caillou earlier this spring, and immediately began pitching him on the A&M program, extolling the virtues of tight end utilization under Jimbo Fisher. Caillou seemed especially impressed with the Aggie staff’s work with Jace Sternberger, taking him from a JUCO transfer to a player who re-wrote the Aggie record books and was drafted into the NFL after only one season. A&M got in on this guy early, and their investment in him is already looking to pay dividends.
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Things have apparently progressed quickly between the two camps, because last weekend, the A&M staff convinced this rising star to make the trip to Texas to give him a hard look and show off everything that Aggieland has to offer. He started off by jumping into a 7-on-7 tournament, where his elite leaping ability and soft hands made him a standout from the start. His length advantage is obvious, but Caillou showed remarkable quickness and leverage for a player his size. He dominated blue chip recruits left and right, showing the athleticism and physicality that Fisher wants in his tight ends. Explosive, dynamic, electric. These are all words.
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But Caillou’s impressive weekend didn’t stop there. He also made it to The Opening, where he officially measured at 7’0”, 210 pounds. Despite his slight build, he has the frame to add pounds once on campus, and his 4.51 40-yard dash puts in him a category all by himself for players at his size. He also ranked near the top in other categories including the 18-cone drill, the broad dab and the pie eating contest. I’m told his favorite pie is blueberry, which was also true for Aggie legend Dan Campbell.
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At long last, Caillou made it to the A&M campus on Saturday afternoon, touring the facilities and meeting with Jimbo Fisher to outline what his career in the maroon and white could look like. From all reports, he was very impressed with the entire experience, Kyle Field in particular. He was seen having a great time with his fellow recruits, ordering the cedar plank salmon at Fish Daddy’s. They then went and saw the live action remake of Aladdin (Caillou’s sixth time to see it) and did an escape room. There Caillou showed he’s not all brawn, solving several puzzles critical to the group’s escape. That kind of problem solving is the kind of thing you want to see.
After that, Caillou returned to his hotel room, rode with me in the awkwardly silent elevator, and seemed to get uncomfortable when I followed him to his door. I took the hint, got rejected when I went in for a hug, and we parted ways for the evening.
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I’m going to be honest with you guys, this player has game-changer written all over him. He has an unrivaled skill set, and is one of the highest-character players I’ve ever had the pleasure to stalk cover. The Ags have uncovered a true gem, and if they land him (which I think they have a great chance at doing), he’ll do great things for this team.
Obviously signing day is still a ways away, but it’s hard to not see A&M having the inside track on this one. He’s still a relative unknown, and Jimbo and company will likely try and keep it that way. We might just have the next great Aggie tight end in the bag, assuming that he doesn’t get offered by someone like Alaba.....
Son of a bitch.
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