Starting on Thursday, athletes around the nation can opt-in to their NIL rights to appear in the upcoming game per On3 reporter Pete Nakos.
After 11 long years, EA Sports will finally be releasing a brand new NCAA college football video game later this year.
It will reportedly be renamed from “NCAA College Football 25” to “EA Sports College Football 25.” Starting on Thursday, student-athletes around the nation can opt-in to their NIL rights to appear in the upcoming game per On3 college sports business & transfer portal reporter Pete Nakos.
According to multiple reports, the players are being offered $600 and a copy of the game for their respective appearance fees. Six Benjamins and the game is a cool offer, considering that college football players from 1993 to 2013 didn’t receive a dime for their NIL. But this news leads to larger questions.
Should Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko encourage all of his players to participate? Should star players like junior quarterback Conner Weigman and sophomore linebacker Taurean York take the initial offer?
This CFB franchise’s return is highly anticipated, but it’s also been gone for 11 years. Therefore, current college football players likely haven’t grown up playing it as much as those from a decade ago, minimizing the nostalgia factor.
If I were a primetime player, I would try to maximize my NIL rights. Worst case scenario, you end up like Bill Belichick in Madden, it’s worth the risk.
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.
The Aggies have received 4 commitments from the Class of 2025 and the latest was 4-star running back Deondrae “Tiger” Riden on Monday night.
The Texas A&M football program has received four commitments from the Class of 2025 and the latest was 4-star running back Deondrae “Tiger” Riden on Monday night.
The 5-foot-10, 195-pound halfback from Desoto High School in Texas is a big fan of his future head coach, Mike Elko, as he recently shared with On3 national recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman.
“Elko, Elko, Elko… he’s one of the best coaches in the game and everything he’s doing for the program is putting people on notice,” Riden told On3. “I promise you he will change the program around.
“Coach Elko is a good dude. He’s a real dude, there’s something about the way he carries himself, the way he talks.”
“I went to check out the vibes, see the vibes. I met with them earlier (last) week and they’re all good people. They’re straightforward and they don’t sugarcoat anything,” Riden told On3. “I think it’s gonna be a big change.”
The Desoto junior reportedly “loved” his visit to College Station earlier this month according to 247Sports’ director of recruiting Steve Wiltfong.
“I’m big on relationships and everyone around there treats me like family,” Riden told 247Sports. “The main thing that catches my eye regarding Mike Elko and the staff is how everyone has the same goal and believes in each other. It’s like everyone is on the same page and I’m loving it.”
Every commit from next year’s class hails from the Lone Star State thus far. The other three players are 4-star cornerback Deyjhon Pettaway and 3-star prospects, linebacker Kelvion Riggins & interior offensive lineman Joshua Moss.
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.
Aggies legend Johnny Manziel stepped into “Club Shay Shay” to have an in-depth and honest conversation with Shannon Sharpe on his podcast.
Texas A&M legend Johnny Manziel stepped into “Club Shay Shay” this week to have an in-depth and honest conversation with Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe on his podcast.
The 2012 Heisman Trophy winner discussed several topics including his time in Aggieland, experience in the NFL and personal struggles with mental health.
Manziel mentioned the hypocrisy of his former Aggies head coach, Kevin Sumlin.
“I love that guy and we were best buddies,” Manziel recalled. “But how do you have a guy telling you how to live, put away the partying and all that, when he’s doing the same thing behind doors?
“What made him great is no longer with him, I don’t see the spark.”
According to Manziel, he was a major factor in the recruitment of quarterback Kyler Murray to College Station. However, Sumlin is ultimately the reason why the future Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall pick transferred to Oklahoma.
“I played a huge hand in bringing Kyler Murray to Texas A&M,” Manziel proclaimed. “That mistake is keeping us from being where we want to be now. They should’ve given him the keys. I worked my a** off to get him to A&M, he wanted to be like me. I have extremely strong and mixed emotions about that.”
Long before the days of NIL endorsements, Manziel was faced with a decision on whether he should enter the 2014 NFL Draft or stay at Texas A&M. His father, Paul, asked Sumlin for $2-3 million to get Johnny Football to stay for one more season, which the younger Manziel claims he didn’t find out until 2019.
“@RealSkipBayless, I love you bro. I honestly feel like I let him down. … This ‘Johnny Manziel will be bigger than LeBron.’ It was never ever going to be a reality.” – @JManziel2
Full episode is streaming now wherever you listen to your podcasts and on YouTube. pic.twitter.com/SQJRLGiDc1
Simultaneously, Kliff Kingsbury was attempting to become the highest-paid offensive coordinator in college football to “run it back with Johnny.” However, that ultimately didn’t happen.
“Kevin walked away from both of us,” Manziel said.
Manziel’s mental health took a turn for the worse after he was drafted in the first round by the Cleveland Browns. Even while living in the same city as his idol LeBron James, Money Manziel’s struggles overcame him.
“I remember, this is how bad off I was whenever I was in Cleveland,” Manziel recalled. “LeBron would text me every week to come over to the house and watch a game or play poker with the boys and just tried to be there. I was so depressed for the first time in my life that even my biggest role model and inspiration in my life couldn’t get me out of bed to come hang out with him.
“When I went to the Cavs games, I went, I was in, I was out, I didn’t really grasp and latch on to him in a way that I should’ve. He tries to take me under his wing and I was just kinda nudging it away because of where my mental is and being fully depressed in where I was in my life.
“Is that an excuse? Absolutely not, because at the end of the day, the respect that I should have for them giving me everything should trump all else.”
The interview in its entirety can be viewed on YouTube.
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.
On Sunday, Pro Football Focus released its top 10 list of highest-graded transfer edge rushers at the FBS level and Scourton made the ranks.
On Sunday morning, Pro Football Focus released its top 10 list of highest-graded transfer edge rushers at the FBS level and one of Mike Elko‘s biggest portal additions was ranked near the top.
Nic Scourton transferred to Texas A&M from Purdue in early January and he was slotted pretty high on the list. The junior defensive end and outside linebacker was ranked No. 2 with an 82.8 grade.
The only player that Scourton trailed on the list is Miami junior DE Elijah Alston with a 91.4 grade. Alston transferred to South Beach from Marshall but nearly chose Aggieland instead.
Texas A&M offered Alston on Dec. 22 and he chose College Station over Georgia on Jan. 8. However, only 22 hours later, Alston re-opened his recruitment and ultimately committed to the Hurricanes on Jan. 12.
Also on the list from third to tenth: B.J. Green II from Colorado (80.0), Trey Moore from UTSA (78.3), Tyler Baron from Louisville (78.0), Caiden Woullard from Oklahoma (77.9), Tre Smith from Arizona (77.7), Mikail Kamara from Indiana (76.8), Pricely Umanmielen from Ole Miss (76.4) and Devean Deal from TCU (74.9).
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.
Sir Winston Churchill once said, “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it,” and that quote could never be more true.
Sir Winston Churchill once said, “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it,” and that quote could not be more true when it comes to what’s reportedly going to happen in Austin this week.
According to Wescott Eberts, a team site producer at Burnt Orange Nation, the University of Texas System Board of Regents is meeting this week to give football head coach Steve Sarkisian a massive contract extension.
The UT System Board of Regents is going to meet this coming week to officially make Steve Sarkisian one of the highest-paid coaches in college football by approving a contract extension and raise of 78 percent. pic.twitter.com/qL0JEXLxSX
The decision is giving some Texas A&M fans deja vu to when Jimbo Fisher was given a big extension in 2021 after his third year in Aggieland.
Sarkisian led his team to No. 3 in the nation and the College Football Playoff, compared to Fisher who finished No. 5 and was left on the outside looking in. The overall point is that both Texas football programs chose to give their coach $50 million more in guarantees after a one-loss season in year three.
The Longhorns and their fans aren’t paying close enough attention to what’s going on in College Station. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be doomed to repeat history.
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.
“Just put a ball down somewhere, and we’ll be there, and we’ll play. You put a ball down, and I’ll play anyone,” Elko said about the idea.
Each year, Thanksgiving is a day that we spend with our loved ones to give thanks, eat good food and watch football.
Traditionally, the November holiday has been dominated by the NFL broadcasting three games throughout the day with two respectively always featuring the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions.
The Lone Star Showdown between Texas A&M and the University of Texas returns later this year. Longhorns athletic director Chris Del Conte recently said he wants the annual football game to be played on Thanksgiving.
Texas AD Chris Del Conte says Texas will play Texas A&M annually in football, and his hope “is to move it back to Thursday” of Thanksgiving week. pic.twitter.com/2Gp7NkhM8C
Following Del Conte’s comments, Aggies coach Mike Elko was asked about when he’d like to play the rivalry matchup.
“Just put a ball down somewhere, we’ll be there and we’ll play,” Elko said. “You put a ball down and I’ll play anyone. You put a ball down against them and we’ll be there.”
After all the talk-back and forth on social media between fan bases, regardless of when it’s played, the Lone Star Showdown can’t return soon enough.
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.
Cooper recently put his talent on display for NFL teams at the Shrine Bowl but the LB prospect stood out to one organization in particular.
Texas A&M junior Edgerrin Cooper recently put his talent on display for all 32 NFL teams at the East-West Shrine Bowl on Feb. 1 but the linebacker prospect stood out to one organization in particular according to a recent report.
Per Ryan Fowler, an NFL & college football analyst for Bleacher Report & The Draft Network, Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin and his staff reportedly “love” Cooper’s game and met with him multiple times in Frisco. Aggies alumnus Jerrod Johnson interviewed for the Steelers offensive coordinator vacancy in January before opting to return as Houston Texans quarterbacks coach.
Draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network recently ranked Cooper as a top 20 prospect in April’s upcoming draft. On the third day of 2024, ESPN ranked the junior linebacker as the No. 23 player in college football. He officially declared for the 2024 NFL Draft on Dec. 12.
Cooper has stacked several accolades following the season, including an AP First Team All-American selection. The superstar junior earned a First Team All-SEC nod from the league’s coaches following the conclusion of conference play.
His other recent awards include respective First Team All-American selections from CBS Sports, The Athletic and the Walter Camp Football Foundation. The linebacker also added a Second Team All-American nod by the Football Writers Association of America.
In 2021, Cooper was chosen for the SEC All-Freshman team. Two years later, he started at linebacker in every game for the Aggies to earn an All-SEC first-team selection. With 17 tackles for loss in 2023, Cooper ranked fifth among Power Five players. He recorded team highs of 84 total tackles and 8 sacks to rank sixth and fourth in the SEC, respectively.
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.
Bussey officially committed to the Aggies this week and coach Mike Elko discussed how he plans to use the talented athlete at Kyle Field.
University of Colorado Boulder junior Travis Hunter put the college football world on notice this past season with his versatility, playing all three facets of the game on offense, defense and special teams.
Texas A&M may have its own three-way superstar following national signing day on Wednesday. 5-star prospect Terry Bussey officially committed to the Aggies this week and head coach Mike Elko discussed how he plans to use the talented athlete at Kyle Field.
“Both ways all of the time is hard, but when you have a kid that’s as dynamic as he is, you have to find ways for him to impact the football game,” Elko said. “Some of that will be in the return game, in spot ways on offense, and we anticipate a lot of that being on defense.
“For us, he’s going to come in at corner, but he’ll certainly have a role with the ball in his hand in the return game and as a specialist in some situations.”
Bussey’s potential is through the roof and fans in Aggieland should be extremely excited to see him put on the Maroon & White this fall.
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.
Texas A&M alumnus and Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett received the accolade for the first time on Wednesday night at the NFL Honors ceremony.
“Howdy!
“First of all, I wanna say all glory to the most high. Without Him, I would not be here in front of y’all today, thank you,” Garrett said. “I want to thank my lovely parents who are in attendance today. Without y’all love, support and being perfect examples for me, this wouldn’t be possible. I want to thank my brother, my sister, who have also been great examples for me.
“I want to thank the Browns organization for y’all believing in me. Jimmy and Dee Haslam, Andrew Barry, Kevin Stefanski, (and Jim) Schwartz, we had a helluva brotherhood that helped support me and get me here as well.
“I have a great team that has been around me for the last two years to help support me in my wellness. Shay, Coral, Nicole, my high school coach who I was able to bring here to be in attendance, coach Gonzo, thank you, it’s been a blessing.
“To the city of Cleveland, this one is for you! We’re going to bring something bigger home next time. Let’s go!”
Garrett was 1-of-4 NFL award winners from the Cleveland organization along with head coach Kevin Stefanski (Coach of the Year), defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz (Assistant Coach of the Year) and quarterback Joe Flacco (Comeback Player of the Year).
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.
2024 5-star and Aggies signee Terry Bussey can do it all and Coach Mike Elko has a plan for the No. 1 athlete in the country
Now that the dust has settled, and Terry Bussey is an Aggie, we can look at his illustrious high school career at Timpson. According to 247Sports, he is the No. 1 athlete in the nation, the No. 3 overall player in Texas, and the No. 11 overall player in the nation.
Bussey is being compared to Travis Hunter in some circles because both athletes can play multiple positions on both sides of the ball at a high level. With his athletic ability, everyone wondered where he would play once he puts on the maroon & white next season, and Coach Mike Elko gave some insight on that topic.
“For us, he’s going to come in at corner, but he’ll certainly have a role with the ball in his hand in the return game and as a specialist in some situations.”
He also wanted to damper expectations and remind everyone not to put too much pressure on the incoming freshmen, no matter how highly touted they might be coming in.
“I promised I would do this for him, so I’ll do it now… he’s talented, but let’s make sure we don’t put to much on one young man.”
So, no matter where he ends up on the field, we look forward to watching him grow while in Aggieland and hopefully live up to all the expectations he has for himself. Below, you can view his career stats while at Timpson High.
