In reply to Bill Superman

Bill Superman said:

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5* S Jonah Williams is trending toward the good guys per the gospel speaker himself Fong Ball who never misses even if he has to change his pick in the final 2 seconds… but I'll take it.

Y'all let Elko cook something.

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I saw Fong CB 4* Colby Sellers to the good guys, but not finding anything about Jonah.

No Fong Bomb yet but he just said yesterday on his Whip Around show that A&M is the favorite right now.

What chance is there he goes pro for baseball instead of going to college?

In reply to ahpetty33 In last week's Recruiting Country, Brauny just mentioned that he is starting to get attention from baseball scouts so it didn't sound like it was a very big possibility...yet.

Probably just something to keep an eye on.

Brauny did mention that his older brother that was an A&M baseball recruit did go straight to the baseball draft out of HS.

For what its worth, 247 has him projected to OU.

In reply to Batty

Batty said:

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TX_Aggie37 said:

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For what its worth, 247 has him projected to OU.

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Wilfong mentions in the vid posted above that he no longer considers OU the leader.

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Great news. Would be a bigtime get. My only "gripe" if you can even call it that so far in the Elko era is that while we are reestablishing ourselves in the DFW area and very active in the portal, we were generally securing 3 and 4 star guys. I would love to see a 5-star go our way and continue to build on the momentum of the 2025 class.

We've learned that having a ton of 5-star talent isn't a guarantee for success, but I can almost certainly guarantee that you can't have the success we want to have without it. If there truly is buy-in from the players into Elko's system, and we can continue to couple that with elite talent, that's where special things can happen.

In reply to TX_Aggie37

TX_Aggie37 said:

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Batty said:

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TX_Aggie37 said:

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For what its worth, 247 has him projected to OU.

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Wilfong mentions in the vid posted above that he no longer considers OU the leader.

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Great news. Would be a bigtime get. My only "gripe" if you can even call it that so far in the Elko era is that while we are reestablishing ourselves in the DFW area and very active in the portal, we were generally securing 3 and 4 star guys. I would love to see a 5-star go our way and continue to build on the momentum of the 2025 class.

We've learned that having a ton of 5-star talent isn't a guarantee for success, but I can almost certainly guarantee that you can't have the success we want to have without it. If there truly is buy-in from the players into Elko's system, and we can continue to couple that with elite talent, that's where special things can happen.

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That's right. We have need the 5*s, but we need to recruit the right ones and then actually coach them once they're here. Will make a world of a difference.

In reply to VP at Pierce and Pierce

VP at Pierce and Pierce said:

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Biggest thing to look at is offer list instead of stars. Most if not all of these Elko guys have great offer lists with our biggest competitors listed as offers.

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I agree with that. And again... I wouldn't even call it a major issue. I would just love to see us continue to reel in Top 100 guys with buy-in to the system.

In reply to TX_Aggie37

TX_Aggie37 said:

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Batty said:

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TX_Aggie37 said:

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For what its worth, 247 has him projected to OU.

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Wilfong mentions in the vid posted above that he no longer considers OU the leader.

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Great news. Would be a bigtime get. My only "gripe" if you can even call it that so far in the Elko era is that while we are reestablishing ourselves in the DFW area and very active in the portal, we were generally securing 3 and 4 star guys. I would love to see a 5-star go our way and continue to build on the momentum of the 2025 class.

We've learned that having a ton of 5-star talent isn't a guarantee for success, but I can almost certainly guarantee that you can't have the success we want to have without it. If there truly is buy-in from the players into Elko's system, and we can continue to couple that with elite talent, that's where special things can happen.

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I don't really care about the 5*s so much, since even in a good year we are probably bringing in somewhere around 2-4, and a lot of those will decide later in the cycle. If I am being nit-picky, I'd like to have more than just the 1 top 100 guy at this point, but I am also willing to wait until August before getting too worried about anything. If we were bringing in nothing but 3*s, it would be a different story, but we have the #11 overall class and #10 average rating at the moment so I am just pleasantly surprised at the current results for now.

In reply to Ugly

Ugly said:

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TX_Aggie37 said:

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Batty said:

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TX_Aggie37 said:

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For what its worth, 247 has him projected to OU.

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Wilfong mentions in the vid posted above that he no longer considers OU the leader.

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Great news. Would be a bigtime get. My only "gripe" if you can even call it that so far in the Elko era is that while we are reestablishing ourselves in the DFW area and very active in the portal, we were generally securing 3 and 4 star guys. I would love to see a 5-star go our way and continue to build on the momentum of the 2025 class.

We've learned that having a ton of 5-star talent isn't a guarantee for success, but I can almost certainly guarantee that you can't have the success we want to have without it. If there truly is buy-in from the players into Elko's system, and we can continue to couple that with elite talent, that's where special things can happen.

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I don't really care about the 5*s so much, since even in a good year we are probably bringing in somewhere around 2-4, and a lot of those will decide later in the cycle. If I am being nit-picky, I'd like to have more than just the 1 top 100 guy at this point, but I am also willing to wait until August before getting too worried about anything. If we were bringing in nothing but 3*s, it would be a different story, but we have the #11 overall class and #10 average rating at the moment so I am just pleasantly surprised at the current results for now.

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Fair point and I agree I'm pleased with the current state of our class.

In reply to Bill Superman

Hopefully our back end on defense improves. Seems to be trending that way.

Nice

If we get some 5 stars, great, but the surest path is to get good 4 star level talent, then

1) COACH 'em
amd
2) KEEP 'em

There is huge improvement between 2nd yr and 3rd/4th year. Look at Edgerin Cooper as example.

It's like college basketball or Michigan football last year. key is to develop a program where guys know their best chance at NFL is not necessarily to come in right away as a superstar, but put in the work and develop into an NFL player by year 3-5.

Get THOSE kind of players and develop THAT kind of program. Then you'll be in the mix most years.

In reply to Divining Rod

Divining Rod said:

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If we get some 5 stars, great, but the surest path is to get good 4 star level talent, then

1) COACH 'em
amd
2) KEEP 'em

There is huge improvement between 2nd yr and 3rd/4th year. Look at Edgerin Cooper as example.

It's like college basketball or Michigan football last year. key is to develop a program where guys know their best chance at NFL is not necessarily to come in right away as a superstar, but put in the work and develop into an NFL player by year 3-5.

Get THOSE kind of players and develop THAT kind of program. Then you'll be in the mix most years.

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Let's get coachable 5 stars instead.

Could be the ideal verge defender against today's RPO. Built like a LB moves like a Safety. Very instinctive.

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Let's get coachable 5 stars instead.

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^ nope. it's a fool's errand chasing the 32 5-star players. I'm not saying you don't recruit them, but you're an idiot if you set out to build a program around that. You get 1 or 2 a year, great.

There are 330 or so 4 stars every year. The key is to have good coaches and keep them. PERIOD.

Is a fool's errand to demand magic solutions without at least a handful of unusually talented players. In the past the argument was between three star players that are developed and four star players that reject coaching. At least now we have seen that a #1 class without meaningful development is no better than a three star filled class that at least pulls together and takes coaching.


But will not win a national championship without mano a mano matches that your team wins via a combination of athleticism, strength training and conditioning, and coordinated play. Some of those being five stars makes it vastly easier as Alabama and Georgia both have demonstrated in recent national championship wins.

I'm not even sure what the NC team was that win last with zero five stars…it certainly isn't the service academies since the 1964 game when #2 Navy led by Heisman Trophy winner Roger Staubach lost to #1 Texas in the Cotton Bowl.

Our history suggests we are exceptionally bad at changing head coaches. But at least there are themes that make sense with Elko but expecting him to be in the CFP this year is a little unrealistic.

Look for players he is coaching instead to emerge and grow this year. If that happens then we at least can imagine a more enjoyable story arc in future seasons.

In reply to greg.w.h Though they lost to Michigan (two 5*s), Washington had zero 5*s. Comfortably beat a loaded 5* team the game before (until injury clock stop). Led the whole game I believe.

Still need the 5*s though. Our coaching staff/development may prove to be good but probably not Harbaugh Michigan good.

And the Fong Ball is officially in for the good guys.

FONG BOMB: On3's @SWiltfong_ has logged an expert prediction for Texas A&M to land 5-star safety Jonah Williams👍

Intel: https://t.co/mAOsBHQ1og pic.twitter.com/SIuehwsw5y

— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) May 6, 2024

be interesting to see what elko can get out of someone with this pure talent level.

In reply to Divining Rod

Divining Rod said:

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Quote:

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Let's get coachable 5 stars instead.

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^ nope. it's a fool's errand chasing the 32 5-star players. I'm not saying you don't recruit them, but you're an idiot if you set out to build a program around that. You get 1 or 2 a year, great.

There are 330 or so 4 stars every year. The key is to have good coaches and keep them. PERIOD.

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It has worked for Alabama and Georgia

And 1 or 2 year? Cmon man.

Alabama had 9 in 2023. Georgia 5. tu 4

Need to set your sights quite a bit higher than 1 or 2

Has Jonah Williams set an announcement date?

In reply to TAMUallen

TAMUallen said:

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Divining Rod said:

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Quote:

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Let's get coachable 5 stars instead.

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^ nope. it's a fool's errand chasing the 32 5-star players. I'm not saying you don't recruit them, but you're an idiot if you set out to build a program around that. You get 1 or 2 a year, great.

There are 330 or so 4 stars every year. The key is to have good coaches and keep them. PERIOD.

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It has worked for Alabama and Georgia

And 1 or 2 year? Cmon man.

Alabama had 9 in 2023. Georgia 5. tu 4

Need to set your sights quite a bit higher than 1 or 2

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Exactly. Funny how some thump their chest when we get 5 stars, then when 5 stars are going elsewhere, they act like we are better off with 4 stars.

In reply to TAMUallen

TAMUallen said:

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Divining Rod said:

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Quote:

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Let's get coachable 5 stars instead.

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^ nope. it's a fool's errand chasing the 32 5-star players. I'm not saying you don't recruit them, but you're an idiot if you set out to build a program around that. You get 1 or 2 a year, great.

There are 330 or so 4 stars every year. The key is to have good coaches and keep them. PERIOD.

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It has worked for Alabama and Georgia

And 1 or 2 year? Cmon man.

Alabama had 9 in 2023. Georgia 5. tu 4

Need to set your sights quite a bit higher than 1 or 2

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This. History has already recorded itself on recruiting impact on NC's. Yes, we definitely dragged the curve down, but that wasn't the norm. And we were our own worst enemy for all of the known reasons (coaching, player mentality, etc.). The class broke down quickly, that was largely our fault. Leadership is key.