Tag: aggies football

Jordan Pride, 4-star DB from Florida commits to Texas A&M

Pride is the sixth-best safety in his class and No. 84 in the nation.

Two of the top safety prospects in the country have come off the board this week. On Sunday, USC got a commitment from Thompson (Ala.) four-star safety Anquon Fegans, who ranks first or second at his position—depending on who you ask—and No. 16 nationally in the class of 2025.

Then on Tuesday, Blountstown (Fla.) four-star safety Jordan Pride announced his commitment to Texas A&M’s class of 2024.

Going by the composite rankings, Pride (6-foot-1, 175 pounds) is the sixth-best safety in his class and No. 84 in the nation. He also had offers from 19 other schools, including Florida State, Alabama and Georgia.

Pride told Hayes Fawcett at On3 that he has a long-time relationship with the head coach Jimbo Fisher.

“My relationship with Coach Jimbo goes back since 12 years old… I used to play baseball with his son Ethan so that’s how long I’ve had a connection with him. And just keep visiting the last 2 times just brought back the great memories.”

Pride also revealed that the Aggies will be starting him out at cornerback.

Texas A&M’s recruiting class of 2024 now has six hard commits, including Pine Tree (Texas) DL Dealyn Evans, Tompkins (Texas) OT Ashton Funk, Oak Grove (Miss.) QB Anthony Maddox, Milton (Ga.) WR Debron Gatlin and Tupelo (Miss.) LB Tristan Jernigan. This group ranks No. 25 nationally.

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Report: Justin Evans to sign with Eagles

Former Aggie Safety, Justin Evans, signs with the Philadelphia Eagles

Former Texas A&M safety Justin Evans will be signing with the Philadelphia Eagles per Mike Garafolo. Before Evans was a second-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he started his college career at Mississippi Gulf Coast CC. After two years, there he signed with Texas A&M for his final two years where he ended his career with 165 total tackles, five interceptions, and eleven pass deflections.

Evans’s post-college career has been a rough one for the safety. After impressing scouts during the Senior Bowl but was unable to actually play in the game. Very similar to the Senior Bowl, he was unable to participate in all of the drills at the combine due to a quad injury. Evan was eventually drafted in the second round by Tampa Bay and was able to work his way into the starting lineup. Unfortunately, in week 10, he suffered an injury keeping him off the field for a few weeks, then had another injury in week 15 ending his season. In 2018-2020 Evan once again would get injured in both seasons leading him to be waived near the end of December.

He would go on to sign and play with the Saints in limited but productive role in the Saints last season. Prior his signing with the Eagles Evans’s had produced the following career numbers: Total tackles (137), interceptions (4), and defensive touchdowns (1). These are every solid numbers and show when he is healthy, he can be a good starter or a very good backup safety in this league. He will get another chance this year to prove that he can stay healthy and start on a NFL team.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on Twitter: @whosnextsports1

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Report: Tyrel Dodson signs one year deal returning to the Bills

The Buffalo Bills ink former Texas A&M Aggie Tyrel Dodson for another year

The Buffalo Bills are bringing back former Texas A&M linebacker Tyrel Dodson for another season. Dodson went undrafted in the 2019 NFL Draft before catching on with the Bills where he’s been for the past few years.

While in Buffalo, Dodson served as the main backup to Tremaine Edmunds and was a core special teamer. During his time with the Bills, he’s tallied 58 total tackles, two sacks, and 11 special teams tackles. Now that Edmunds has signed with the Chicago Bears that will give Dodson a chance to compete for a starting spot.

Even though he was passed over by all 32 teams seven times he was able to eventually work his way on the Bills game day roster and carved out a pretty good career to this point. Considering the average length of an NFL career is 3.3 years and even shorter for Linebackers (2.97) Dodson will be entering his fifth year as a regular contributor. That alone is worth praise.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on Twitter: @whosnextsports1

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Dallas Cowboys fans and players flooded Twitter to approve of the resigning of Donovan Wilson

Social Media: Reactions were all on one accord with the news Donovan Wilson re-signed with the Dallas Cowboys

Typically, when Stephen Jones starts a player’s contract, fans assume that player is out the door. The Dallas Cowboys routinely shops from the bargain bin of free agents and it’s to the point that Stephen Jones has become a meme earning the moniker of “Cap Boy”.

While that does tend to be true, the one thing the Cowboys are good at is keeping the players they really like, and Donovan Wilson is one of those guys. Dan Quinn’s defense requires really good safety play to run efficiently so with Wilson coming off a career year, I’m sure Quinn went to bat for him.

To the surprise of a number of fans the Cowboys worked out a deal to keep the former Texas A&M safety in Dallas for the next few years.

Check the Twitter reactions below.

Rumor: Jimbo to add Mason Smith to staff

Former LSU staffer to possibly join Texas A&M

Social Media is an interesting phenomenon where cryptic messages can cause a slew of opinion pieces. This is not quite to that magnitude, but when it comes to college recruiting it will still make headlines. Especially when it comes to Texas A&M football and what moves Jimbo Fisher decides to make.

In a move that is sure to disgust some LSU fans, former staffer Mason Smith appears to have joined Jimbo and company in College Station for at least the next season. When the Aggies lost one of their best recruiters to Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes, they needed to find ways to replace him. If Mason Smith is actually joining the staff, they are getting a talented recruiter with ties to the Louisiana area.

Here is a write-up from when Smith left the Mississippi Bulldogs for LSU a few years back.

“An LSU graduate, Smith knows the area well and was a big reason for bringing in talent from Louisiana to Mississippi State over the last few years but now will get to recruit to the in-state Tigers. Of the 12 LSU commits in the 2022 class, eight are from the Louisiana area, headlined by quarterback Walker Howard and offensive lineman Will Campbell. “

Now to bring it full circle you can check out the few posts below that prompted the rumor mill swirling.

Freshman All-American Evan Stewart also seemed to approve of the addition of Mason.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on Twitter: @whosnextsports1

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Devon Achane speaks about his goals and NFL future at the Combine

Achane discuss his goals with the media during the NFL Combine

The 2023 NFL Combine is coming to a close and the last remaining Aggie to participate is Devon Achane. Saturday, March 5th kicked off the media interviews for the running backs where he was asked a variety of questions from what teams have shown interest to his 40-time predictions.

Given that I follow the Dallas Cowboys very closely, I was pleased to hear they are showing interest in the elite speedster, and it was confirmed that he had a formal interview this the team. It also seems that the only NFC East team he’s spoken to so far has been the Cowboys.

Achane also discussed the issue some teams might have with his size. See below what he had to say about it.

“My size doesn’t mean anything, I have been good in my career this far. I do break a lot of tackles I’m not the type to just .. to take any head on tackles. I feel like I have the natural ability to avoid tackles and that’s something I’m very very good at”

Another intriguing aspect of his game is his versatility. In an effort to show off his hands, he will take part in the wide receiver drills. He already has plenty of tape on him in the backfield and returning kicks, so if he can run some good routes and prove his catching ability teams will now have the option of putting him in the slot.

The most anticipated test will be his 40-yard dash time. He’s mentioned a few times before the combine started that he wanted to have the fastest time this year and make a run at the record set by John Ross (4.22). When asked here is what he had to say.

“I don’t know we are going to see. Hopefully, you know that’s something that’s been a goal of mine so I’ve been working very hard this off-season to achieve that goal. So we are going to see”

“Of course I expect to run the fastest time,” Achane said. “I saw DJ Turner ran a 4.26. That’s very good. That’s just setting the bar, setting the standard. I can’t wait to go out there and show my speed on Sunday.”

I can’t wait to see how his track speed translates to the 40-yard dash. His experience running the 60-yard dash in competition definitely gives him a technical advantage and he is raw speed is obvious. Without psychic powers have no clue telling you what he will clock in at, but it will be fast, and I would think any time higher than a low 4.3 would be slightly disappointing for Achane.

Fitness tests are great for extra data points, but what it really comes down to is the game tape and how well they look during drills. Everyone knows he has NFL speed, but if he can convincingly perform well in the wide receiver drills, I believe that will do the most to raise his draft stock.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on Twitter: @whosnextsports1

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2023 NFL Combine results for former Aggie Jaylon Jones

Final results for Jaylon Jones at the 2023 NFL Combine

Speed, strength, and athletic ability are the traits on display during the shirt and shorts Olympics. Scouts and coaches are going through the annual routine of evaluating athletes at the 2023 NFL scouting combine. Over 300 former college football players filed into Lucas Oil Stadium with the opportunity to make a lasting impression on the NFL teams in attendance.

Jaylon Jones was one of three former Aggies participating in this week’s events. The junior cornerback is viewed as a project with good size and average speed. Most evaluations see him being as a possible late-day two-pick and the opportunity to try him at safety.

Here is a look at the final numbers from the NFL combine for former Aggie Jaylon Jones, including his overall grade and projection.

2023 NFL Combine results for former Aggie Antonio Johnson

Final results for Antonio Johnson at the 2023 NFL Combine

Another year another NFL combine. Scouts and coaches are going through the annual routine of evaluating athletes at the 2023 NFL scouting combine. Over 300 former college football players filed into Lucas Oil Stadium with the opportunity to make a lasting impression on the NFL teams in attendance.

Antonio Johnson was one of three former Aggies participating in this week’s events. The junior safety is widely regarded as one of the top defensive backs in this draft class and prior to the combine was seen as a potential first-round pick.

Here is a look at the final numbers from the NFL combine for former Aggie Antonio Johnson, including his overall grade and projection.

Dallas Cowboys looking to re-sign former Aggies Safety

Dallas Cowboys intent on trying to resign former Aggie safety this offseason

As teams are evaluating the new crop of talent entering the 2023 season, they are also looking at ways to keep their in-house contributors. The Cowboys had one of the better secondary groups in the country where Donovan Wilson produced one of the better seasons of his career.

While he didn’t specifically single out Wilson, Dallas Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones, stated the importance of keeping the current safety group together in a recent interview.

“It’s great to have all three of them. Obviously, a priority to keep them together. It will be one of our priorities.”

Wilson can essentially play all three safety positions but excels when coming downhill to put the brakes on anyone with the ball in their hands. He led the Cowboys in tackles (77) and led all defensive backs in the NFL in sacks (5).

Oct 8, 2016; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies defensive back Donovan Wilson (6) in action during the game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Kyle Field. The Aggies defeat the Volunteers 45-38 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The former Texas A&M safety has worked his way into the starting lineup after being drafted in the sixth round and is due for a payday from one of 32 teams. Due to the Cowboy’s depth in the secondary, his skills could demand a higher price tag than the notoriously cheap front office might allow him to walk. I personally would love to see him remain in the Silver and Blue for the next 3-5 years I would he gets what he deserves and continues to have a productive career.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on Twitter: @whosnextsports1

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Photos: A look back on Jaylon Jones’s Aggie career

Jaylon Jones through the years

Jaylon Jones held his own for the past few years while manning the cornerback position for Texas A&M. Similar to Antonio Johnson, his 2022 production took a little bit of a hit, but that was the theme of the entire Aggie team during the disappointing 2022 season. But once you look at his career as a whole, he has traits that will make him an interesting prospect.

At 6′ 2″ inches and 205 pounds, his size makes him a great candidate to play cornerback or safety once he gets to the league. He will also come in with a lot of experience in the toughest league in college football, where tackling in the secondary is a must while facing some of the better receivers in the country.

I’m not sure where he will be drafted and has been mocked anywhere from the 2 – 4 rounds, but for a look at what might entice a few teams we’ll look at the pros to his game from The Draft Network

“Jaylon Jones is a tall and long corner with good overall size that embraces a physical brand of football. For a bigger corner, he plays to that size with how he competes to get off blocks, tackle, and defend the run. He is aggressive to invade the catch point and showcases good ball skills. His blend of size, length, physicality, and ball skills projects him well to playing in a zone defense. Jones is a highly-touted recruit that has gained notable experience against top competition already across his first two seasons at Texas A&M. For a bigger corner, Jones is an explosive athlete that isn’t lacking anything physically. Jones has excellent length and it shows in his ability to tackle outside his frame and how he uses it to close on the football in the air. Jones is a young prospect that turns 21 in April of 2023.”

Like his teammates Achane and Johnson, Jaylon Jones also declared for the NFL draft early and will be at the NFL combine in March. No matter what round he gets his name called, Jones will no doubt be competing for regular playing time by the end of the preseason. Take some time to look at some photos over the course of his career.