Mike Roach
Staff
- Joined
- Dec 5, 2013
- Messages
- 2,021
I touched on some things in Burnt Ends about the troubles going down in College Station. Today's events are just confirming that it is toxic there. Today's been a little crazy for me because my wife had to have an emergency medical procedure done (she's doing well now) so I had a lot of time to sit in a waiting room and follow the dumpster fire surrounding the A&M program. I've known some of this for months, but since this isn't an Aggie site I haven't put a lot of it out there since I didn't see a need to. The events of the past 2 weeks are enough for me to paint a picture.
For those who don't know what I'm talking about I'll try to construct a timeline based on things known, things rumored by others, and what I've heard.
1) After the Aggies lost to Alabama and Kyler Murray reportedly cussed out Jake Spavital on the sideline, things started to get sideways. Allen was clearly hurt, and from the looks of things the Aggies kept running him out there. Why? I haven't the slightest idea. I think they wanted to not cause a QB controversy but they went about it in the worst way possible. Murray was benched when A&M played Ole Miss and JUCO transfer Jake Hubenak took the backup snaps in a game where Allen's injury was clearly causing him trouble. From what I was told back then this caused a huge rift in the locker room. The older players siding with Allen, while the freshmen sided with Murray
2) I spoke to someone about a month ago who told me the way Allen was treated with his injury was causing him to seriously consider transferring. There was a lot of talk that he didn't mesh that well with the team and saw himself as an outsider while Murray (the Texas high school legend) was more of a golden boy. It became clear at that time that something was going to give and one of these quarterbacks wouldn't be here following the end of the season.
3) Fast forward to last week. While the Longhorns were trying to wrap up an embarrassing coaching search, Kyle Allen decided to put in his transfer papers and let it be known he was gone. It wasn't surprising based on what I knew and it wasn't surprising to anyone watching the situation. I didn't think much of it but I kept hearing something wasn't right in college station. All of a sudden, recruits who I had penciled in to A&M started to back off and word behind the scenes was there was a near mutiny going on.
4) I spoke with some coaches this weekend who had players being recruited by A&M. I wasn't even on the subject but two separate coaches brought the troubles up to me and said that A&M players were actively telling recruits to look elsewhere. This is one of the worst signs you can see and if you remember the end of the Mack Brown era it was rampant here. While checking on recruits I was told on a number of them that things were trending away from A&M. I reflected that in my crystal ball part of Burnt Ends this week but still played it cautious because I believed in my mind that any coach could see what was happening and squash it. I assumed the problems would be ironed out and the long lasting relationships would prevail (and they still might).
5) Last night it was reported by 247 that Kyler Murray and his family were meeting with Sumlin to discuss his role in the offense. My antenna went up immediately but I just couldn't see any way a transfer was on the table. What did Murray want? He already had the starting job defaulted by Allen leaving and the show was about to be his for better or worse. There were rumors out that the Murray family demanded to know what the plan was for the next offensive coordinator and even wanted a say. I have no clue if those are true or not, but the way I saw it Sumlin was in a no win situation. He could give in to Murray and lose the respect of everyone, or tell his quarterback to stay in his lane and piss him off.
6) Today it was reported by TexAgs.com that Murray was seriously consider transferring and that some sources indicated the decision was made. Kyler Murray was not at bowl practice today and Kevin Sumlin downplayed it by saying he wasn't feeling well so he told him to skip practice. He also said he expects Kyler to start the bowl game. I'm not sure if the reports about Murray were premature or if Sumlin is doubling down on stupid. Right now neither scenario would surprise me. Pair that with the decommittment of Quartney Davis (Langham Creek WR) and the fact that Kevin Murray recently followed Texas, Oregon, TCU, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma on their twitter accounts and I'd say it's likely Murray is transferring. We also know that the Murray's were close to sending Kyler to Texas last year, but the Aggies won it in the end. Once again I find Sumlin in a no win situation. If Murray transfers they are left with only Jake Hubenak at QB, and if he doesn't you have a talented loose cannon at QB who could fold at the first sign of trouble next year. This player thought about torpedoing his recruiting class and is now thinking about torpedoing this program. Why would anyone have faith he's a good and loyal soldier for the rest of his career?
7) The Ags got a reprieve when GigEm 247 reported that 2017 5 star Tate Martell was looking into forgoing his senior season to graduate early and rescue them. I won't even tell you why it isn't a good idea to start a 5'10 170 lbs. 18 year old in the SEC West.
8) The most fascinating thing is that the Aggies so flush with 5 star talent at the QB position neglected to recruit a quarterback this year and now find themselves in a mad scramble to secure one. I've heard from a recruit that might be headed there, but this was before the other stuff blew up so who knows now. That recruit has some nice tools but isn't a sure thing. Mack Brown should call Kevin Sumlin up and tell him what happens when you neglect the QB position and skip a class in recruiting one to nail down a future commitment. It's also puzzling that the Ags believe every 5'10 QB will be Johnny Manziel but that's another story.
9) Sumlin's seat is red hot right now, but the problem is they owe him a lot of guaranteed money (20 million) plus the money they owe to several coordinators (Mark Snyder and John Chavis) and the money owed on their new stadium. That's a lot of dead money to pony up plus the new costs of bringing in a new coaching staff.
10) I didn't give my opinion on this last year when it was going down because I didn't want to bash a teenager, especially one who was potentially headed to Texas, but I never got a good feel from Kyler Murray in the times I talked to him. I don't think he's a bad kid but his arrogance was out there for everyone to see. Several other reporters have mentioned this to me in private so I know I wasn't the only one. Just like last year about this time, he holds the fate of A&M in his hands. Some will ask if Kyler will transfer to Texas and I don't believe it's a fit. Texas has guys coming in and Kyler would have to sit a year if he was even granted a release which is doubtful.
11) What does this mean for Texas? Potentially good things. There are several Aggie recruits and commits the Longhorns would love to have. While Texas isn't without their own problems surrounding stability, they have a chance to come out of the dead period swinging while a staggering Aggie program tries to regroup. Jeffrey McCulloch and Brandon Jones are two impact guys that A&M had slated to be in the class. I'll have to do some checking to see where they stand but things could get hairy for everyone involved. I'd also take runs at Justin Madibuike who could be the biggest coup of this entire deal because of his immense talent at a need position. Defensive ends Mark Jackson and Alton Robinson would definitely get a call from me along with DB's Charles Oliver and Travon Fuller. Tight End Irvin Smith is already on the fence and Texas is sitting in a good position there. It's also worth noting that Quartney Davis who decommitted today started following several Texas coaches on twitter. Texas has a chance once again to make some hay with several big time in-state recruits because of mistakes on Sumlin's end. They should absolutely swing for the fences because the window could close if the Aggies are able to right the ship. One thing's for sure, we are in for another wild finish.
For those who don't know what I'm talking about I'll try to construct a timeline based on things known, things rumored by others, and what I've heard.
1) After the Aggies lost to Alabama and Kyler Murray reportedly cussed out Jake Spavital on the sideline, things started to get sideways. Allen was clearly hurt, and from the looks of things the Aggies kept running him out there. Why? I haven't the slightest idea. I think they wanted to not cause a QB controversy but they went about it in the worst way possible. Murray was benched when A&M played Ole Miss and JUCO transfer Jake Hubenak took the backup snaps in a game where Allen's injury was clearly causing him trouble. From what I was told back then this caused a huge rift in the locker room. The older players siding with Allen, while the freshmen sided with Murray
2) I spoke to someone about a month ago who told me the way Allen was treated with his injury was causing him to seriously consider transferring. There was a lot of talk that he didn't mesh that well with the team and saw himself as an outsider while Murray (the Texas high school legend) was more of a golden boy. It became clear at that time that something was going to give and one of these quarterbacks wouldn't be here following the end of the season.
3) Fast forward to last week. While the Longhorns were trying to wrap up an embarrassing coaching search, Kyle Allen decided to put in his transfer papers and let it be known he was gone. It wasn't surprising based on what I knew and it wasn't surprising to anyone watching the situation. I didn't think much of it but I kept hearing something wasn't right in college station. All of a sudden, recruits who I had penciled in to A&M started to back off and word behind the scenes was there was a near mutiny going on.
4) I spoke with some coaches this weekend who had players being recruited by A&M. I wasn't even on the subject but two separate coaches brought the troubles up to me and said that A&M players were actively telling recruits to look elsewhere. This is one of the worst signs you can see and if you remember the end of the Mack Brown era it was rampant here. While checking on recruits I was told on a number of them that things were trending away from A&M. I reflected that in my crystal ball part of Burnt Ends this week but still played it cautious because I believed in my mind that any coach could see what was happening and squash it. I assumed the problems would be ironed out and the long lasting relationships would prevail (and they still might).
5) Last night it was reported by 247 that Kyler Murray and his family were meeting with Sumlin to discuss his role in the offense. My antenna went up immediately but I just couldn't see any way a transfer was on the table. What did Murray want? He already had the starting job defaulted by Allen leaving and the show was about to be his for better or worse. There were rumors out that the Murray family demanded to know what the plan was for the next offensive coordinator and even wanted a say. I have no clue if those are true or not, but the way I saw it Sumlin was in a no win situation. He could give in to Murray and lose the respect of everyone, or tell his quarterback to stay in his lane and piss him off.
6) Today it was reported by TexAgs.com that Murray was seriously consider transferring and that some sources indicated the decision was made. Kyler Murray was not at bowl practice today and Kevin Sumlin downplayed it by saying he wasn't feeling well so he told him to skip practice. He also said he expects Kyler to start the bowl game. I'm not sure if the reports about Murray were premature or if Sumlin is doubling down on stupid. Right now neither scenario would surprise me. Pair that with the decommittment of Quartney Davis (Langham Creek WR) and the fact that Kevin Murray recently followed Texas, Oregon, TCU, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma on their twitter accounts and I'd say it's likely Murray is transferring. We also know that the Murray's were close to sending Kyler to Texas last year, but the Aggies won it in the end. Once again I find Sumlin in a no win situation. If Murray transfers they are left with only Jake Hubenak at QB, and if he doesn't you have a talented loose cannon at QB who could fold at the first sign of trouble next year. This player thought about torpedoing his recruiting class and is now thinking about torpedoing this program. Why would anyone have faith he's a good and loyal soldier for the rest of his career?
7) The Ags got a reprieve when GigEm 247 reported that 2017 5 star Tate Martell was looking into forgoing his senior season to graduate early and rescue them. I won't even tell you why it isn't a good idea to start a 5'10 170 lbs. 18 year old in the SEC West.
8) The most fascinating thing is that the Aggies so flush with 5 star talent at the QB position neglected to recruit a quarterback this year and now find themselves in a mad scramble to secure one. I've heard from a recruit that might be headed there, but this was before the other stuff blew up so who knows now. That recruit has some nice tools but isn't a sure thing. Mack Brown should call Kevin Sumlin up and tell him what happens when you neglect the QB position and skip a class in recruiting one to nail down a future commitment. It's also puzzling that the Ags believe every 5'10 QB will be Johnny Manziel but that's another story.
9) Sumlin's seat is red hot right now, but the problem is they owe him a lot of guaranteed money (20 million) plus the money they owe to several coordinators (Mark Snyder and John Chavis) and the money owed on their new stadium. That's a lot of dead money to pony up plus the new costs of bringing in a new coaching staff.
10) I didn't give my opinion on this last year when it was going down because I didn't want to bash a teenager, especially one who was potentially headed to Texas, but I never got a good feel from Kyler Murray in the times I talked to him. I don't think he's a bad kid but his arrogance was out there for everyone to see. Several other reporters have mentioned this to me in private so I know I wasn't the only one. Just like last year about this time, he holds the fate of A&M in his hands. Some will ask if Kyler will transfer to Texas and I don't believe it's a fit. Texas has guys coming in and Kyler would have to sit a year if he was even granted a release which is doubtful.
11) What does this mean for Texas? Potentially good things. There are several Aggie recruits and commits the Longhorns would love to have. While Texas isn't without their own problems surrounding stability, they have a chance to come out of the dead period swinging while a staggering Aggie program tries to regroup. Jeffrey McCulloch and Brandon Jones are two impact guys that A&M had slated to be in the class. I'll have to do some checking to see where they stand but things could get hairy for everyone involved. I'd also take runs at Justin Madibuike who could be the biggest coup of this entire deal because of his immense talent at a need position. Defensive ends Mark Jackson and Alton Robinson would definitely get a call from me along with DB's Charles Oliver and Travon Fuller. Tight End Irvin Smith is already on the fence and Texas is sitting in a good position there. It's also worth noting that Quartney Davis who decommitted today started following several Texas coaches on twitter. Texas has a chance once again to make some hay with several big time in-state recruits because of mistakes on Sumlin's end. They should absolutely swing for the fences because the window could close if the Aggies are able to right the ship. One thing's for sure, we are in for another wild finish.
