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The Aggies have been known recently for quality offensive lineman and sending them to the League, notably in the first round. It’s Jake Matthews’ turn this year as he is the only starter Coach BJ Anderson will look to replace. On top of that, and arguably more importantly, the Aggies need to add quality depth and look toward replacing Cedric Ogbuehi and Jarvis Harrison after next year. It’s safe to say Texas A&M has addressed those needs with two players already enrolled who will compete for starting jobs and three to four more signing this Wednesday.
Already Enrolled
Jermaine Eluemunor is a native of England that chose to move stateside to play American football. The 6’5" 300-pounder is a natural and after two years at Lackawanna Community College in Scranton, PA, he is ranked as the #7 JUCO player in the country and a four-star prospect by 24Sports.com Composite. Jermaine has close to twenty offers from all over the country and eventually chose the Aggies over the likes of UCLA, Arkansas, Alabama, Ohio State, and Oklahoma. He is already enrolled and will contend for a starting spot at guard or tackle.
Jermaine Eluemunor HUDL Highlights
In somewhat of a shocker, the Ags were able to overcome a seemingly large lead by Ole Miss for East Mississippi C.C. lineman Avery Gennesy. The 6’5" 305 pound early enrollee is also a consensus four-star recruit and the #9 JUCO player in the nation. Gennesy chose Texas A&M over the aforementioned Rebel Black Bears, Ohio State, Tennessee, Georgia and many others. Like Eluemunor, he is versatile enough to play inside or out on the offensive line and should compete for early playing time.
Verbal Commitments
Zach Ledwik is a 6’5" 270 pound tackle for La Grange High School that chose Texas A&M over the Texas Longhorns back in June. The three-star prospect will likely move inside to guard or center at the next level. Like most offensive lineman coming out of high school, he won’t be looked at to contribute until his redshirt sophomore or junior year. Most analysts are anticipating him taking the reigns from Mike Matthews at center for the Aggies when he heads to the NFL.
Another project at the position who will sign on National Signing Day is Manvel’s Koda Martin. The son of Head Coach Kirk Martin, the versatile Koda could play tight end, defensive end, or offensive tackle at the next level. The Aggies however, recruited him solely as an offensive tackle and Koda has been quoted saying that is where he feels he has the best chance to get to the NFL. The 6’6" 250 pound three-star recruit chose Texas A&M over Alabama, Texas, Oklahoma, Auburn, and about 10 other offers.
Another athletic tackle project is Lakeview Centennial’s Kealvin Davis. Like Martin, the 6’5" 245 pound three-star recruit will need a couple of years in a college weight program before he is looked upon to fight for a starting job. Davis was one of the Aggies first pledges, committing back in January 2013. He chose the Aggies over the Oklahoma Sooners, Baylor Bears, and Oklahoma State Cowboys.
Still In The Mix
The coaching staff would be very happy signing just the currently committed haul but are not done yet. 6’6" 290-pound Olathe, Kansas native Braden Smith is an absolute monster as you can see from the bench press video below. The high four-star prospect is rated by 247Sports.com Composite as the 63rd best player in the country and the #3 guard. A plus with Smith is that he is athletic enough to also project at guard in college. He has visited College Station several times (most recently the weekend of January 24th) and will announce his decision on ESPN on National Signing Day. The three finalists are believed to be Texas A&M, Auburn, and TCU (where his sister attends). He is a very difficult kid to get a read on and almost everybody will tell you it’s a complete guess to which way he is leaning.