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A&M Recruiting 2015: The Dream Finish

As the Aggies rapidly approach the December 15th recruiting dead period, where do they stand?

Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Depending on which recruiting service, message board, office argument, or drunk uncle one insists upon, A&M currently sports a top 10ish recruiting ranking for the class of 2015.  Here is one man's opinion of what needs to happen for the Ags to finish strong.

1. Hire a highly-successful, fire-breathing demon of a defensive coordinator.

No pressure here Mr. Sumlin, but this will instantly cover over a multitude of Mark Snyder and other various program-related sins.  Please, feel free to make this happen quickly.

2. Keep the rest of the remaining class together.

This obviously goes without saying, but with Richard Moore sort of decommiting, then sort of recommiting, and the ever-loquacious Daylon Mack loving everyone that buys him a drink at the bar:

it's imperative that the A&M coaches keep the rest of the class solid.  Most importantly are bell cows Mack and Kyler Murray, who is currently attempting to win his 3rd straight state championship at Allen.

3. Land Malik Jefferson.

The #1 player in the state, the #1 linebacker in the country, and the #1 head-to-head battle currently on the Charlie Strong vs. Kevin Sumlin undercard, Jefferson represents more than your average recruit to both schools, both in terms of on-field ability, and off-field bragging rights.  An early enrollee, the Mesquite Poteet product will make his college decision on December 19th, lending extra urgency to A&M's defensive coordinator search.

Amen.

The truly frightening result currently in play for Longhorn fans is that coming off a 2nd consecutive season of triple-digit defensive rankings, and with no defensive coordinator in place, most outside observers feel Jefferson is leaning towards College Station at the moment.  Some might start to worry about ol' Charlie's recruiting acumen at some point.

4. Land Kendall Sheffield

One of the top cornerbacks in the country, Sheffield is deciding between Florida St., Alabama, and A&M.  With a secondary depth chart that currently features Devante Harris, Nick Harvey, and a bunch of guys the Aggie coaches clearly didn't trust to put on the field, Sheffield is as close to a must-have as currently exists in this recruiting cycle.  Complicating matters is a supposedly tight relationship with DB coach Terry Joseph, who may or may not be retained under a new defensive regime.

5. Hello, JUCO cornerbacks.

Please reference corner depth chart above.  If A&M is truly all in on Sheffield - and content to see Kris Boyd and Holton Hill play elsewhere - they probably need one more experienced body in the back four next fall.  Justin Martin is the top rated JUCO cornerback in the country, plays at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, has offers from programs such as Tennessee, LSU, Georgia, Florida, and Oklahoma, and has yet to hear a sniff from the Aggie brass.  Your humble volunteer GBH recruiting advisor would be happy to point the coaches in the right direction here.

6. Christian Kirk, Kendall Bussey, and Kirk Merritt, come on down.

Since I only play a recruiting analyst on the internet, let us make this simple and assign the final three scholarships to the three most explosive players left on the A&M board.  First, Arizona 5 star wide receiver Christian Kirk.

The do-everything playmaker leaves high school as the state's all-time leader in touchdowns, receptions, and receiving yards.

Kendall Bussey is a bowling ball of a running back from New Orleans who is currently committed to Nebraska, but with Pelini being shown the door and the subsequent hiring of Super Nice Skater Grandpa, many think Bussey will ultimately decide between College Station and Rocky Top, Tennessee.

Finally, Kirk Merritt is a 5'11", 185 pound Louisiana freak, who will probably line up at receiver, slot, and running back depending on the college and the offense he chooses.  Merritt is currently weighing extremely lucrative handouts offers from Oregon and Auburn, in addition to his interest in A&M.