Report Card: Grading the five-stars Sumlin signed at Texas A&M
The Kevin Sumlin era officially came to an end on Sunday when he was relieved of his head coaching duties by Texas A&M. Sumlin was hired in 2011 and led the Aggies to plenty of highs, but in the end his inability to have sustained success led to his demise. Sumlin’s prowess on the recruiting trail was never in question but some of the highest-ranked players he and his staff signed didn’t live up to the hype. Today we take a look at the six five-star prospects Sumlin and his staff signed during his time in College Station and grade their time with the Aggies.
As a recruit: Williams committed to the staff prior to Sumlin during the summer of 2011 but he quickly became one of the most important targets once Sumlin officially took the job in Dec. 2011. Williams took official visits to Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Arkansas and Oklahoma State in Jan. 2012 but ultimately ended up sticking with the Aggies. Retaining Williams was a huge recruiting victory for Sumlin less than two months after taking the job.
As an Aggie: Williams quickly made an impact with the Aggies, serving as the team’s kick returner and also getting plenty of opportunities in the backfield during his freshman season. He finished that year second on the team in all-purpose yards and seemed bound for stardom. But while he would have nice seasons in 2013 (1,167 all-purpose yards) and 2014 (851 all-purpose yards) he was never really more than a kickoff returner and a change-of-pace running back. Following his junior season in 2014 he made a surprise decision to declare for the NFL Draft, ultimately going undrafted. He has bounced around the NFL since, with stints on the Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers. He’s currently a member of the Cowboys' practice squad. Williams finished his college career with 1,343 rushing yards and two carries for 12 yards in the NFL.
The verdict: C-
Farrell’s take: This may seem a bit harsh based on some of the highlight-reel plays we saw from Williams but for a five-star running back to finish with just 1,300 yards and never become that go-to star we expected, you have to be disappointed. This kid had all the speed and elusiveness you needed to be a C.J. Spiller-type but never put it all together.
As a recruit: The No. 1 quarterback in the class of 2014, Allen fell in love with the idea of Texas A&M and being the heir apparent to Johnny Manziel, committing to the Aggies over a long list of offers including Alabama and Ohio State. Known for his ability to develop quarterbacks, the recruiting win to land Allen was a huge statement for Sumlin and his staff.
As an Aggie: Allen entered Texas A&M and battled Kenny Hill for the school’s starting job, ultimately losing out in fall camp but establishing himself as the team’s No. 2. When Hill struggled both on and off the field, Allen entered the lineup and won his first two starts, including a stunning upset victory over then No. 3 ranked Auburn. As a freshman Allen finished the year with 1,322 yards and 16 touchdowns. He entered his sophomore year as the established starter and most expected him to take a big step forward. He led the team to a 5-0 record to start the season before throwing three interceptions in the Aggies' loss to Alabama in the school’s sixth game of the year. That was the beginning of the end for Allen in College Station as he dealt with injuries as well as a quarterback rotation with then-freshman Kyler Murray. Following the regular season Allen announced his intentions to transfer, eventually settling on Houston as his next destination. After sitting out the 2016 season due to transfer rules, Allen opened 2017 as the Cougars starter but was benched after three games despite completing 76 percent of his passes. He has one year of eligibility remaining but his future is uncertain.
The verdict: C
Farrell’s take: Allen showed flashes of greatness and I feel if he had stuck it out he still could have been a star at Texas A&M but he decided to transfer when things got tough and Murray was shown favoritism so his grade is low. The Alabama game destroyed his confidence it seems and the move to Murray made him believe he was done in College Station and that’s a shame.
As a recruit: It took Garrett a little while to earn five-star status but he was top priority for Sumlin and his staff from the early going. Garrett’s recruitment came down to a battle between the Aggies and TCU and he announced his intentions to head to College Station during his senior season.
As an Aggie: Garrett made an immediate impact in College Stations and quickly developed into one of college football’s best pass rushers. Despite some nagging injuries slowing his production at times, Garrett finished his career with 31 sacks and went onto be selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Garrett has battled injuries in the NFL but has four sacks in his first five games as an NFL player.
The verdict: A+
Farrell’s take: The No. 1 pick in the draft and a freak of nature star at the college level, what other grade can be given? Some could be critical of many of his sacks coming against inferior competition but Garrett also showed up in the big games as well and was someone an offense had to gameplan for from the start. My only regret is that we didn’t push him up from No. 2 to No. 1 when he was coming out of high school.
As a recruit: As a five-star from New Orleans, most expected Noil to stay close to home and likely end up at LSU. But Texas A&M made a strong push for Noil and with the promise of playing in the Aggies' high-powered offense was too much for Noil to pass up and he committed to the Aggies at the 2014 Under Armour All-American Game.
As an Aggie: Noil’s career got off to a great start in College Station as he racked up 583 receiving yards as a true freshman and looked like he was well on the way to becoming a star. But as his career moved along Noil ran into off-field issues and never managed to live up to his freshman season or his high school hype. Over his sophomore and junior seasons, Noil managed to catch just a combined 42 passes for 551 yards and six touchdowns. He left early for the 2017 NFL Draft, where he wasn’t selected and is currently a free agent.
The verdict: C+
Farrell’s take: The off field issues were something we suspected would be a problem and were one reason he didn’t reach five-star status but this was a talented kid who could do it all in high school. He never lived up to his lofty ranking but he did have some big moments. Another Aggie who jumped too quickly to the NFL, Noil could have put together a solid fourth year and could have come away with a better overall grade.
As a recruit: Another elite wide receiver prospect taken with the chance to play in Sumlin’s offense, Kirk quickly became an important target in the 2015 class. He took official visits to Auburn, UCLA, Arizona State and Texas A&M before announcing for the Aggies following his senior season.
As an Aggie: Kirk has been a revelation since arriving in College Station, posting a 1,000-yard receiving season as a true freshman and serving as one of the team’s top offensive weapons in the seasons since. Through three seasons at Texas A&M, Kirk has more than 2,500 receiving yards, good enough for fourth all-time in school history. If Kirk elects to leave school after this season, he’s expected to be an early round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
The verdict: A+
Farrell’s take: Kirk has lived up to the hype and kudos to Rob Cassidy, our Florida analyst who helped handle the west when he stood on the table for Kirk’s 5th star. He has been a reliable and consistent weapon and the only thing that has stopped him has been inconsistent quarterback play and even with that he’s been a stat stuffer. He may not be big, but he’s dynamic and also a great return man as well.
As a recruit: Mond started his high school career in Texas and initially committed to Baylor, prior to the sexual assault allegations surrounding many former members of the football program. Once head coach Art Briles was fired, Mond quickly re-opened his recruitment and initially looked bound for Auburn. But Texas A&M did a nice job of making up ground and within a month of backing off his Baylor pledge, Mond was committed to the Aggies.
As an Aggie: Mond was thrust into the starting lineup earlier this season after starter Nick Starkel was knocked out of action in the first game of season. Mond has had his share of struggles as a passer, completing just 51 percent of his passes for 1,375 yards with eight touchdowns and six interceptions. But his ability to make plays with his legs helped him lead the school to four straight victories and finished the regular season with 340 rushing yards. Depending on the Aggies' next coach, Mond could be the quarterback of the future.
The verdict: C
Farrell’s take: This may be harsh for a true freshman, but the accuracy issues that plagued him in high school continue to college. I was the one who stood on the table for Mond and so far he’s shown flashes but clearly not enough development as a passer to be graded any higher. The potential is still there, but he needs an offensive coordinator and quarterback coach that will take him to the next level as a passer.
