AM and Tate - its wait and see
Record-setting quarterback and blue chip recruit Drew Tate, who is one of 17 oral commitments to Texas A&M, is understandably interested in the coaching change that occurred today in College Station.
Tate committed to A&M in September of 2001 before he had even played a single game of his junior season and Tate had made the necessary plans to attend classes at A&M this spring as a mid-term college enrollee.
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All of those plans, as well as his commitment to Texas A&M, are now on hold.
“We’re going to have to wait to see what happens at Texas A&M,” Tate’s father and high school coach, Dick Olin, said this afternoon, after hearing of Slocum’s dismissal earlier in the day.
“Number one, we would have to see who A&M hires, then number two, we’d have to see if that coach still wanted Drew. And then we’d also have to see if Drew still wanted to go to A&M.”
Tate himself is more than a little concerned with the situation at A&M.
“I don’t know what to say,” Tate said. “I guess I’m still committed (to A&M).”
“A&M is still a great place. But I guess we just have to wait and see. If a running coach comes in there, then it wouldn’t be a great fit for me. But if a passing coach came in, like a Joe Tiller, that would be good.
“There’s really no telling what I’m going to do. I just have to sit and wait like everybody else.”
The move to release Slocum today came as a surprise to Olin.
“It’s just crazy how this business works,” Olin said. “He (Slocum) was supposed to come have dinner at our house tonight at 8:30 with Drew and my wife and I.”
“I guess that won’t be happening now. That’s too bad.”
With the rumors circling in previous weeks about Slocum’s possible departure, Olin said Tate had already started talking with other schools. One school of particular interest is Iowa. Olin grew up in Iowa.
Tate has tentatively scheduled an official visit with the Hawkeyes for the month of December but is uncertain what date the visit is on.
Tate is ranked as a four star recruit and the No. 14 quarterback in the country by Rivals.com.
The 6-foot, 175-pound Baytown (Texas) Lee product has placed an indelible mark on the record books in Texas.
During his four-year varsity career, he completed 970 of 1,576 attempts for 12,183 yards, 113 touchdowns and 50 interceptions. All of those marks are Texas schoolboy records.