Tag: Adam Cushing

Several 2025 Aggie commits are currently visiting Texas A&M

Texas A&M’s 2025 recruiting class is well represented this week, several commits have made their way to campus

While landing commitments is certainly an exciting moment for Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko, he and his veteran staff know that for those commitments to last through the signing period, return visits to campus to solidify these player-coach relationships are absolutely paramount.

So far, the Aggies’ 2025 recruiting class is 13 commitments deep, including five offensive line commitments. This is mostly due to new O-line coach Adam Cushing’s stellar job this offseason after a successful spring practice period. This week, heading into the weekend, several Aggie commits in the 2025 cycle have made their way to College Station for official visits.

Sticking with A&M’s future offensive line, 2024 four-star OL Tyler Thomas, who committed late last month, will join three-star OL Joshua Moses, the first commit in the programs’ 2025 recruiting class, for official visits. 2025 four-star defensive lineman Landon Rink is also headed to Aggieland for his first OV.

According to 247Sports, Texas A&M’s 2025 recruiting class is ranked 11th in the country as the fifth-highest-ranked SEC program.

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Michael Fasusi ‘is a believer’ in Texas A&M HC Mike Elko after recruiting visit

Michael Fasusi is coming off a successful visit at Texas A&M this weekend

This weekend was by far the busiest for Texas A&M, as the college baseball Super Regional and Saturday’s Mexico vs. Brazil soccer matchup in Kyle Field had the campus buzzing. However, head football coach Mike Elko and his staff are also hosting a talented list of 2025 recruiting prospects.

While the list is long, 2025 five-star offensive tackle Michael Fasusi continues to be the No. 1 priority for the blue-chip prospects. The current favorites to land his commitment happen to be the rival Texas Longhorns, who are officially entering the SEC in July.

During his first official visit to College Station, Elko and his staff, most notably new offensive line coach Adam Cushing, laid out the red carpet for the Lewisville, Texas native, who will be taking consecutive weekend visits to Oklahoma (June 14) and Texas (June 21) before ultimately making his final decision.

So, how did his visit go overall? According to multiple sources, including Rivals’ Landy Rosow, Fasusi has grown closer to Elko and Cushing over the weekend, trusting what the program has to offer regarding his future development:

“I trust Coach Elko and Coach Cushing.”

In talking to On3’s Chad Simmons, Fasusi’s brief but revealing quotes about the new era of Texas A&M Football under Mike Elko speak volumes about how the program has already progressed in just seven months under Elko’s guidance.

“I am down with the Elko era at A&M.”

Standing at 6 feet, 4 inches, and nearly 300 pounds, Fasusi is highly versatile. He has experience at both tackle spots. However, due to his quickness and impressive footwork, his future is clearly at left tackle. With more programs to visit this summer, the Aggies have certainly left a positive mark this weekend.

According to 247Sports, Fasusi is currently positioned as the 27th-ranked prospect in the 2025 recruiting class, the 5th-ranked offensive tackle, and the 7th-ranked prospect in Texas.

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Texas A&M OL coach Adam Cushing recently visited 2025 4-Star OL out of Oklahoma

Texas A&M OL coach Adam Cushing recently visited one of the top offensive line prospects in the 2025 cycle

As I’ve said throughout the offseason, Texas A&M’s 2025 recruiting class is built in the offensive trenches. Mike Elko and his staff, specifically O-line coach Adam Cushing, have landed four offensive line prospects this offseason.

Sporting the now 7th-ranked 2025 cycle, the Aggies aren’t finished adding talent at the position. Cushing recently took a trip to Bixby, Oklahoma, to see 2025 four-star OL Broderick Shull, who has started at right tackle for most of his career at local Bixby HS.

At a towering 6-5 and 275 pounds, Shull is a force to be reckoned with on the field. His size, strength, and footwork indicate his potential to excel at the next level. A testament to his dedication, Shull’s high motor has already made him an impressive run blocker, a skill that will undoubtedly benefit the team.

Unsurprisingly, Elko and Cushing are focused on adding at the tackle position to counter what every SEC team will throw at them off the edge.

According to 247Sports, Shull is currently positioned as the 29th-ranked offensive tackle and the 9th-ranked prospect in Oklahoma.

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Texas A&M OL coach Adam Cushing is looking like the best hire of the offseason

Texas A&M’s offensive line looks in good hands under new OL coach Adam Cushing

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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Breaking: Texas A&M has landed a commitment from former Utah OL Koli Faaiu

Boom! Texas A&M has landed a commitment from versatile Utah offensive lineman Kolinu’u Faaiu out of the transfer portal

Boom! Texas A&M has continued to add valuable veterans through the transfer portal this offseason, already taking full advantage of the spring transfer portal window to address lingering depth issues across the offensive line, now landing a commitment from versatile former Utah OL Koliu’u Faaiu on Saturday morning according to On3’s Pete Nakos.

After losing former Troy OL Derrick Graham, who re-entered the portal earlier this week, Elko and new offensive line coach Adam Cushing, who has been crushing it on the recruiting trail, knew what Faaiu could bring to the Aggie’s interior offensive line as soon as next season.

While redshirt junior Bryce Foster is assumed to retake the starting center job next season, he has been absent from the spring football period due to his responsibilities as a track and field athlete. Again, this is just presumed, as Faaiu is coming off his 2023 season with eight starts at center under his belt while playing in 11 games along the Utes’ O-line.

Standing at 6-3 and 324 pounds, Faaiu understands leverage while consistently holding up in pass protection and is a plus run blocker when asked to clear a path. Expect him to compete for a starting spot at in the trenches, perhaps at center during fall camp.

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Texas A&M HC Mike Elko names his captains for the 2024 season

Texas A&M HC Mike Elko has named linebacker Taurean York and left tackle Trey Zuhn as the 2024 season captains.

On Monday afternoon, just five days before Texas A&M’s annual Maroon & White spring game, head coach Mike Elko, along with defensive coordinator Jay Bateman and offensive line coach Adam Cushing, presented the jerseys to the two young men selected as the 2024 captains.

The recipients, sophomore linebacker Taurean York and redshirt sophomore left tackle Trey Zuhn III, were by far the most deserving candidates due to their leadership in the locker room and consistent play on the field in 2023.

York finished second on the team in tackles with 74, including three sacks. At the same time, Zuhn, who has fought through injuries throughout his career as a starter, was the top-graded offensive lineman for the Aggies throughout last season.

Before leaving to become Duke’s head coach after the 2021 season, Mike Elko, who served as the Aggies’ defensive coordinator (2018-2021), helped recruit both players, helping further ease his transition before Texas A&M opens the 2024 season vs. Notre Dame on Aug. 31.

Congratulations to both young men!

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Breaking: Former FAU OL Dorian Hinton will transfer to Texas A&M

Texas A&M picks up another experienced offensive lineman in former FAU guard Dorian Hinton

Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko continues to have a monster run in the transfer portal, bringing in more help to boost the competition along the offensive line.

Coach Adam Cushing will have another interior lineman added to mix with 6’4″ 317-pound former Florida Atlantic guard Dorian Hinton, confirming via social media he’ll be transferring to Texas A&M. The redshirt junior brings a wealth of experience (789 snaps last season) and is a stout pass protector, grading out at 85.7 according to PFF. In a similar move as a few other transfers, Hinton will take a step up in competition as he enters the SEC to finish his NCAA career.

The Aggies are already in the Top Ten in the 247 Sports transfer rankings, and there will be more to come as Coach Elko drops his signature Money Manziel meme on X (Twitter) for future commits.

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Watch: Texas A&M transfer commit Derrick Graham shows off his athleticism

Former Troy OL Derrick Gramham moonlights as a tight end near the goaline

We’ve seen a lot of Offensive linemen score touchdowns over the years throughout college football and the NFL. We even saw one last week when the Detroit Lions believed they scored against the Dallas Cowboys when their tackle snuck to the back of the endzone for a non-touchdown.

However, former Troy OL Derrick Graham had one of the better catches and runs that I’ve seen from a lineman in recent history. He looked like a season-tight end with soft hands, speed, and some agility. That he could show block and then peel off for a swing pass was impressive alone. But then, to look as smooth as he did during his ten-yard sprint to the endzone is a ringing endorsement of his athletic ability.

Graham is verbally committed to the Aggies and barring a flip, I’m sure we will find a way on the field for Coach Mike Elko next fall.

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Texas A&M sophomore left guard Kam Dewberry has ‘successful surgery’

The towering 6-foot-4, 330-pound Aggies offensive lineman announced via X on Tuesday afternoon that he recently had a successful procedure.

Texas A&M sophomore left guard Kam Dewberry announced via X on Tuesday afternoon that he recently had a successful procedure, though the specifics behind said surgery remains unknown.

The towering 6-foot-4, 330-pound Aggies offensive lineman was a 4-star recruit in 2021 coming out of Atascocita High School in Humble, Texas. As an underclassman in 2019, he was named a Sophomore All-American by MaxPreps after receiving a first-team all-district selection.

Dewberry appeared in seven games and made five starts in 2022 during his true freshman campaign. He earned the Aggie Offensive Top Newcomer award and was named a Freshman All-American by The Athletic. This past season, Dewberry played in all 12 games for Texas A&M.

With two of three potential starting quarterbacks, sophomores Jaylen Henderson & Conner Weigman, also returning from respective successful surgeries, having Dewberry healthy for the 2024 season will be key for head coach Mike Elko and offensive line coach Adam Cushing. Whether everyone is ready to go by August is to be seen.

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Texas A&M football program formally hires Patrick Dougherty as special teams coordinator

Expectations officially became reality on Saturday afternoon as the Texas A&M football team hired Patrick Dougherty as its special teams coordinator.

Expectations officially became reality on Saturday afternoon as the Texas A&M football team hired Patrick Dougherty as its special teams coordinator.

Matt Zenitz of 247Sports reported on Friday that the move was in the works but the Aggies formally made it official on Saturday.

Dougherty served as special teams and tight ends coach for new Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko at Duke for the last two seasons. He has been hired to serve in the same roles for the Aggies.

Before joining Elko in Durham, Dougherty coached special teams and tight ends at Ball State University from 2016 to 2021. He also displayed an ability to serve as associate head coach during his final season with the Cardinals.

Dougherty had an immediate impact with the Blue Devils, ranking in the top 25 nationally in blocked kicks, punt & kick return defense, respectively, and punt return average.

During his nearly six-season tenure at Texas A&M, former Aggies leading man Jimbo Fisher did not have a special teams coordinator. Elko has shown that he’s quickly changing things at Kyle Field in more ways than one.

Dougherty joins Ishmael Aristide, Adam Cushing and Trooper Taylor in departing from Durham with Elko for College Station.

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