This offseason, Texas A&M’s 2025 recruiting class currently has nine commitments, including four offensive linemen. Head coach Mike Elko and new OL coach Adam Cushing are focused on building in the trenches after last season’s results were less than satisfactory.
Delving deeper into the four commits, it’s evident that Cushing has quickly established himself as a key figure in the program’s recruiting efforts this offseason. His adeptness at building relationships, combined with his impressive development background from his time at Duke and Northwestern, has left a strong impression on every offensive line prospect he has engaged with.
Out of the recent commits, four-star offensive tackle Connor Carty from Prosper, Texas, sticks out. Previous head coach Jimbo Fisher consistently had trouble recruiting the DFW (Dallas, Fort Worth) area, which looks to be an issue of the past under Elko and Cushing.
But let’s not just take my word for it, as 247Sports’ National Recruiting analyst Mike Roach has been quick to acknowledge the positive trend, recently highlighting Cushing’s remarkable success on the recruiting trail in the last two months. This is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the new coaching staff.
“Duke with multiple OL picked which speaks to the development under Adam Cushing who has been a popular name with recruits since taking the job at Texas A&M”
During the 2024 Draft, Duke OL Graham Barton, one of the top prospects in the entire class, went 26th overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while fellow Blue Devils interior offensive lineman Jacob Monk was selected in the fifth round by the Green Bay Packers, Cushing aided in both players development during the 2022 and 2023 season.
Heading into 2024, the news that Bryce Foster was cut from the team while simultaneously entering the transfer portal was only surprising to some, as the addition of former Utah center Koli Faaiu signals a major change in trajectory in what Cushing expects from the interior of the O-line next season, which was a major weak spot compared to the tackles.
However, Cushing can rely on veteran left tackle Trey Zuhn III and right tackle Reuben Fatheree II. Both guard spots are still in the competition faze, while Faaiu and sophomore Mark Nabou will likely battle for the starting center spot this fall.
All in all, Adam Cushing has proven his worth, with hopefully great on-field results to come.
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