Fisher hopes to add to running back cohort
COLLEGE STATION — Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher swears he passes on theatrics when it comes to recruiting.
“One thing we try to pride ourselves on is every time you come here, we’re the same,” Fisher said of hosting recruits. “I’m not into dog-and-pony recruiting. I’m going to tell you the truth, what’s there, what we believe and what we see, and be honest and genuine with you. People appreciate that.”
His approach appears to be working on some of the nation’s top prospects, and a state-of-theart locker room and the state’s largest stadium also help. The Aggies rank sixth nationally in 2020 recruiting, according to 247Sports.com, with the traditional signing day approaching Wednesday.
The Aggies ranked fourth nationally a year ago with Fisher’s first full class at A&M. Under four previous coaches from 2000-17, the Aggies only finished in the top five once (fifth in 2014), and managed only two other top 10 finishes (ninth in 2013 and 10th in 2004).
That means Fisher already has strung together two of A&M’s top three recruiting classes rankingswise in his first two years in College Station. Where to from here
for the Aggies, who’ve so far signed 12 on offense and 11 on defense?
“Since A&M already signed 23 players in December, the traditional signing day will be relatively quiet,” said Brian Perroni, a Houstonbased national recruiting analyst for 247Sports. “After four running backs transferred and another retired medically, that position is the biggest need. The Aggies signed two in December but are still recruiting several others.”
Running backs Jashaun Corbin, Cordarrian Richardson, Jacob Kibodi and Deneric Prince all have
exited the program since the fall, leaving one scholarship running back on the roster: Isaiah Spiller, who started much of the 2019 season as a true freshman. Vernon Jackson suffered a neck injury last spring drills and is no longer playing.
Fisher signed running backs Devon Achane of Fort Bend Marshall and Deondre Jackson of Stone Mountain, Ga., just before Christmas, and neither is among 13 early enrollees.
“Expect running back Darvon Hubbard from Surprise, Ariz., to take one of the final two spots,”
Perroni said. “And transfer running back Earnest Crownover out of Kilgore College plans to arrive in August, and technically count toward the 2021 recruiting class. The final spot likely comes down to two players.”
Those two would be defensive tackle McKinnley Jackson from Lucedale, Miss., and five-star running back Zach Evans from North Shore.
“A&M is hard after Jackson, and is fighting much of the SEC for him,” Perroni said. “It could come down to a Jimbo Fisher vs. Nick Saban (at Alabama) battle for him. If
Jackson winds up elsewhere, A&M will continue to put the full-court press on Evans.”
Evans originally signed a letter of intent with Georgia in December, but the Bulldogs wound up backing out of their offer for undisclosed reasons and let him out of the agreement, Perroni said.
“Evans can’t sign again, so he won’t be signing on Wednesday,” Perroni said. “He technically won’t be locked in to any school until he shows up for classes.”