re: 2016 Recruiting Discussion

For all the hand-wringing over recruiting, A&M has the #21 class right now according to 247.

The No.s 20, 22, and 23 are Auburn, Florida, and Tennessee.

UTx is sitting at 60, while OU is running a cool 70.

The fact is we could be doing a LOT worse. We are still viewed as an unknown commodity, because so much credit for 2012 and 2013 is (rightly) attributed to Johnny, Evans and the OL. People still think all the success was attributable to holdovers from the Sherman era. And the offensive success we were able to have last year despite having to eventually turn to a true freshman QB is outweighed in recruit's minds by another abysmal performance on defense.

But you look at the hires Sumlin has made, and I don't see how you can't say he isn't addressing and fixing issues. This isn't a coach who is rigidly refusing to change what he's been doing. This isn't a coach who doesn't challenge his own thinking and preconceptions.

This notion some of our fans have that a great coach taking over a mediocre program will have demonstrated his greatness in the first three years, showing steady improvement, is just wrong. Nick Saban himself had 8, 10, and 8 wins in his first three years at LSU. Sometimes you have to BUILD a program, and sometimes that takes a few years.