Four players Sumlin lured from Arizona to Texas A&M
Kevin Sumlin is set to take over at Arizona and the former Texas A&M coach has some history with the state. Sumlin, who was fired at A&M following six seasons in College Station, has never coached in the Grand Canyon State but he has landed a handful of highly ranked prospects from the area. Below, Rivals.com takes a look at the four touted players Sumlin lured from Arizona to Texas A&M during his tenure in Aggieland.
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RECRUITMENT: Kirk was five-star prospect out of the Phoenix area and had wide ranging interest from schools spanning the country. Some were worried about his limited height, but he earned five-star status after an impressive outing at the Under Armour All-America Game. Kirk’s three finalists were Arizona State, UCLA and A&M, and Sumlin was able to pull him out of his home state.
“In the end, I trusted Coach Sumlin,” Kirk said on the day of his announcement. “That was the biggest thing, the trust factor."
SINCE LANDING AT A&M: Kirk had receiving totals of 1,009, 928 and 919 yards in his three seasons and was a two-time First-Team All-SEC selection. He also had seven returns for touchdowns in his career. He recently decided to forgo his senior season and enter the 2018 NFL draft, where he projects as a borderline first-round pick.
RECRUITMENT: A five-star prospect and one of the most coveted players in the 2014 class, Allen held offers from nearly every major school in America but chose the Aggies over fellow finalist UCLA. He was part of an impressive Desert Mountain High School tandem that included Oklahoma star tight end Mark Andrews. Allen was the No. 1-ranked quarterback in his class and shined in the camp circuit as well as on Friday nights.
SINCE LANDING AT A&M: As a freshman, Allen found himself as the backup to Kenny Hill but overtook the incumbent after the team’s sluggish start. He played five games that season and was the MVP of the Liberty Bowl. His hot start continued into his sophomore season but a 5-0 start gave way to trouble as minor injury and poor performance forced him to the bench. Allen transferred to Houston following his sophomore season. Allen started his junior season as the Cougars’ starter but was once again benched midway through the season. This month, he announced his intentions to skip his senior season and enter the 2018 NFL draft.
RECRUITMENT: Cunningham’s father played at Texas A&M, so Sumlin certainly had help landing his commitment. He played at high school powerhouse Chandler (Ariz.) Hamilton where he amassed offers from both in-state programs, Oklahoma, UCLA and USC among others.
SINCE LANDING AT A&M: Cunningham found playing time as a freshman, but never blossomed into a star on the college level. He saw notable action in each of his four seasons as an Aggie but never became a solid starter despite contributing to the defense and appearing in most games.
RECRUITMENT: Clear is technically a Memphis product, but he signed with A&M out of Arizona Western junior college, which qualifies him for this list. Originally a member of the Tennessee roster, Clear was dismissed by then-head coach Derek Dooley after being charged with felony theft in an incident involving a stolen laptop. Clear chose the Aggies over Oklahoma, Ole Miss and USF.
SINCE LANDING AT A&M: Clear had a largely inconsequential career in College Station but was invited to the 2015 NFL combine. He went unselected in that year’s NFL Draft. And while the Pittsburgh Steelers signed him an undrafted free agent, he never saw NFL playing time. He graduated from A&M with a communications degree.