Newly hired Texas A&M defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter was happy that Von Miller, the nation's leader in sacks, decided to return for his senior year. But DeRuyter also was anxious to meet the players who could become A&M's next defensive All-American.
"As soon as we hired him, he said, 'Where do I recruit?'" said Tim Cassidy, A&M's associate athletic director for football who also oversees recruiting. "He's been on the road recruiting from the minute we were able to put him out there. He's been received extremely well. The kids love his energy. He's been a great addition."
A&M's highest-ranked defensive pledge according to rivals.com is Dallas Skyline linebacker Corey Nelson (No. 23). Other defensive players on the state's Top 100 list expected to sign with A&M on Wednesday are Dallas Skyline linebacker Domonique Patterson (No. 58), Rowlett defensive end Damontre Moore (No. 72) and Fort Bend Marshall defensive back Toney Hurd Jr. (No 99).
The Aggies also have pledges from three defenders who are ranked in the Top 50 in Louisiana -- Longville defensive end Ivan Robinson (No. 7), Shreveport Evangel Christian defensive tackle Brandon Jackson (No. 28) and Franklin defensive end Gavin Stansbury (No. 37).
"This is a great recruiting base for us," A&M head coach Mike Sherman said during Independence Bowl preparations in Shreveport, La. "There's great high school football coaches in this part of Louisiana."
Those Bayou additions have helped A&M's class to a No. 11 national ranking by rivals.com. A&M hasn't had a Top 10 class since 2005.
This year's group is heavily weighted toward linemen, which would fill a need. A&M loses only seven starters off a 6-7 team, but three were offensive linemen.
"We felt like we probably needed another group of offensive linemen and we wanted to shore up our defensive line," Cassidy said. "When you get those big guys up front who can play and get some continuity going, things start to fall in place."
A&M's four highest-ranked commitments are offensive linemen -- No. 6 Luke Joeckel, No. 8 Jake Matthews, No. 11 Cedric Ogbuehi and No 19 Shep Klinke.
A&M, which expects to sign 23-25 players Wednesday, is already working on the next few classes. "You have to the way the process is now," said Cassidy, referring to early commitments.
The Aggies, poised to sign their third Top 25 class under Sherman, might not have as many scholarships to give in the next two years as the Aggies fill out their roster.
"We're going to have to be a little slower in the offering process," Cassidy said. "I can't say there's one position [of need], other than you're just recruiting across the board."
A&M's 2010 class is off to a great start, with four players already enrolled for spring classes -- Killeen Shoemaker quarterback Jameill Showers, Dickinson quarterback Clay Honeycutt, and Arlington High quarterback Luke Joeckel and brother Matt, an offensive tackle.
That's the most high school players in one season to graduate early and enroll at A&M for spring drills. It's a great academic and athletic advantage for those players, Cassidy said.
"Kids are making those decisions a lot earlier about where they want to go to school," Cassidy said. "If they are good students and are in position to graduate early and aren't an outstanding basketball, baseball or track athletes we encourage them to do that. You know, just from the academic standpoint, they can take 15 hours in the spring and then 12 hours in the summer. They can be almost a sophomore by the fall. Then as far the athletic training, we think they'll be working with the best strength coach [Dave Kennedy] in America."
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A&M hires defensive line coach: Purdue's Terrell Williams has been hired as A&M's defensive line coach, footballscoop.com reported.
Williams just finished his fourth year at Purdue. He also coached at Akron (2004-05), Youngstown State (2002-03) and North Carolina A&T (1999-2001).
The Los Angeles native played at East Carolina.
Williams would replace Buddy Wyatt, who left for Kansas.
A&M COMMITMENTS
Here are the players who have pledged to sign with the Texas A&M football program on Wednesday, according to rivals.com:
WR Nate Askew, San Antonio Madison, 6-4, 213; ATH Jarrett Fobbs, Shreveport, La. (Huntington) 5-11, 180; OL Garrett Gramling, Denton Ryan, 6-6, 325; DE Nehemiah Hicks, Hutto, 6-4, 235; QB Clay Honeycutt, Dickinson, 6-3*, 195; DB Toney Hurd Jr., Fort Bend Marshall, 5-9, 184; DT Brandon Jackson, Shreveport, La. (Evangel Christian), 6-4, 252; OL Luke Joeckel, Arlington, 6-6, 280*; QB Matt Joeckel, Arlington, 6-4, 220*; RB D.J. Jones, Denison, 5-11, 210; RB Mister Jones, Littleton, Colo., 6-2, 205; ATH Malcome Kennedy, Cauyga, 6-0, 200; OL Shep Klinke, Katy, 6-7, 290; RB Ben Malena, Cedar Hill, 5-9, 201; DT Jonathan Mathis, Blinn JC, 6-3, 292; OL Jake Matthews, Sugar Land Elkins, 6-5, 275; DE Damontre Moore, Rowlett, 6-6, 227; LB Corey Nelson, Dallas Skyline, 6-0, 210; OL Cedric Ogbeuhi, Allen, 6-5, 270; LB Domonique Patterson, Dallas Skyline, 6-0, 210; DT Ivan Robinson, Longville, La. (S. Beauregard) 6-4, 260; QB Jameill Sowers, Killeen Ellison, 6-1, 200*; DE Gavin Stansbury, Franklin, La., 6-3, 235; ATH LaKendrick Williams, Houston Sharpstown, 5-9, 175.
*already enrolled
TOP 25 CLASSES
The Top 25 recruiting classes, according to rivals.com:
1, Florida; 2, Texas; 3, Alabama; 4, Auburn; 5, Oklahoma; 6, LSU; 7, Tennessee; 8, Southern Cal; 9, Penn State; 10, Georgia; 11, Texas A&M; 12, Florida State; 13, UCLA: 14, Oregon; 15, Clemson; 16, Missouri; 17, VIrginia Tech; 18, Stanford; 19, Michigan; 20, Notre Dame; 21, Miami; 22, Ohio State; 23, California; 24, Oklahoma State; 25, Michigan State.