Tag: deuce harmon

Former Texas A&M sophomore DB Deuce Harmon chooses SMU in transfer portal

Former Aggies sophomore defensive back Deuce Harmon has chosen SMU as his new home in the NCAA Transfer Portal, he shared via X on Friday.

Former Texas A&M sophomore defensive back Deuce Harmon has found his new home in the NCAA Transfer Portal.

Harmon chose SMU, which he shared via X on Friday evening. He entered the portal on Dec. 8.

The 5-foot-10, 185-pound redshirt sophomore was a 4-star recruit two years ago. He played football and ran track at Denton Guyer High School in Corinth, Texas.

Following the departure of junior safety Jardin Gilbert for LSU and junior cornerback Tyreek Chappell’s entrance into the portal, Harmon figured to be a starter for new defensive backs coach Ishmael Aristide and head coach Mike Elko. Instead, he’s headed north to Dallas to play for the Mustangs.

In 2021, Harmon appeared in all 12 games and made three starts during his true freshman season in College Station. He battled injuries in his sophomore year, playing in four games and making two starts, which led to him taking a redshirt season to maintain a year of eligibility.

Harmon returned to form this year, appearing in 11 games and making six starts.

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Cornerback Deuce Harmon has ‘not closed the door’ on returning to Texas A&M

After entering the transfer portal on Friday, cornerback Deuce Harmon did not close the door upon returning to A&M.

There is some good news regarding Texas A&M’s transfer portal woes, as cornerback Deuce Harmon, who entered the portal on Friday, is still reportedly open to returning to the program during the Aggies transition period with new head football coach Mike Elko.

Harmon recorded 18 tackles, 13 solo tackles, one interception, and seven pass deflections in nine games this season and was a consistent force on the outside when healthy. Still, due to the secondary’s lack of depth and size, he was left on an island too many times. Joining fellow starting CB Tyreek Chappell, Harmon’s announcement created a giant void within the cornerback room quicker than many of us anticipated.

So far, five players in the secondary will depart, including senior safety Demani Richardson and senior cornerback Josh DeBerry, who have used up their remaining eligibility.

Elko and his staff are poised to add several starting-level secondary players from the portal in the coming weeks. However, potentially holding on to Harmon, who really began to come into this own in the final three weeks of the 2023 season, should remain a top priority.

In his Aggies career, Harmon has accumulated 46 tackles, eight pass breakups, and two interceptions. He has two seasons of eligibility left.

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Texas A&M CB Deuce Harmon will enter the transfer portal

Joining cornerback Tyreek Chappell, sophomore CB Deuce Harmon will reportedly enter the transfer portal.

Amid hiring new Texas A&M Football head coach Mike Elko, most of Texas A&M’s defense, including nearly every Aggies’ historic 2022 recruiting class member, was familiar with Elko during his four-year career as A&M’s defensive coordinator.

However, after the news that beloved defensive line coach Elijah Robinson would be leaving the program to take the defensive coordinator position at Syracuse, eleven players have now entered the transfer portal, including starting cornerback Tyreek Chappell and now, his starting companion, sophomore cornerback Deuce Harmon entered his name on Friday afternoon.

Harmon recorded 18 tackles, 13 solo tackles, one interception, and seven pass deflections in nine games this season. Overall, Harmon was a consistent force on the outside when healthy, but due to the lack of depth and size in the secondary, he was left on an island too many times.

With both Chappell and Harmon at least considering new destinations, the Aggies’ cornerback room is paper thin, meaning Elko and new CBs coach Ishmael Aristide will need to scour the portal for quality starters to avoid a complete turnover.

However, things may be looking up after former Kansas State cornerback Will Lee Jr. reportedly visited College Station on Friday, as the 6-3 shutdown defender would be an immediate starter in 2024.

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Five players to watch ahead of Texas A&M vs. No. 14 LSU

Can QB Jaylen Henderson shine? Here are five players to watch ahead of Texas A&M’s season finale vs. No. 14 LSU.

We’ve sadly reached the end of the 2023 college football regular season.

Texas A&M, despite the recent turmoil stemming from former head coach Jimbo Fisher’s firing, is 7-4 and 4-3 in the SEC. It heads to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to take on the 14th-ranked LSU Tigers for an early Saturday kickoff.

In interim head coach Elijah Robinson’s first game at the helm, the longtime assistant earned his first win. The Aggies defeated Abilene Christian, 38-10, behind a solid second-half performance, which included seldom utilized wide receiver Moose Muhammad II’s 104 receiving yard performance that galvanized A&M’s offense.

This Aggie team is playing free and loose, knowing Texas A&M’s new head football coach could be announced anytime.

The Aggies are facing the best offense in college football this season. LSU’s Jayden Daniels has been lights out in SEC play, producing 4,591 total yards and 46 total touchdowns in 11 games. He deserves the Heisman Trophy. To keep him contained in the pocket, the Aggies’ competent defense will need to play its best game of the season. The offense will likely need to score 30 to 35 points to have a chance.

Who will need to step up for the Maroon & White? Here are five players to watch before Saturday’s matchup vs. No. 14 LSU.

Jimbo Fisher provides several injury of updates ahead of Texas A&M vs. Mississippi State

Ahead of Texas A&M vs. Mississippi State, Jimbo Fisher provided several key injury updates during Wednesday’s SEC Teleconference.

On Wednesday, Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher made weekly SEC Teleconference appearance ahead of the Aggies’ Saturday night game vs. Mississippi State.

A&M must accomplish the bare minimum goal of earning bowl eligibility for the first time in two seasons. With a win against State, next weekend’s cupcake matchup vs. Abilene Christian should net them a 7th win and possibly their last before finishing the year against LSU on the road.

Making headlines earlier this week, Aggies’ starting quarterback Max Johnson, who reportedly suffered a somewhat significant upper-body injury in last weekend’s loss to Ole Miss, Fisher stated on Monday that Johnson was healthy enough to practice. As of Wednesday, Johnson is still set to start against the Bulldogs.

“Yeah. He’s practicing. They’re at practice and doing what we need to do.”

Outside of Johnson’s status, Texas A&M starting cornerback Tyreek Chappell and Deuce Harmon and star sophomore wide receiver Evan Stewart, who also sat out against Ole Miss, are on track to return this weekend, according to Fisher, barring any last-minute changes.

“We will see. Those guys are at practice. Some of those guys are practicing back and getting back into a groove.”

Lastly, Fisher’s son Ethan, who recently announced his verbal commitment to Samford University (Jimbo’s alma mater), brought a smile to our collective faces when discussing how proud he was as a Father, especially dealing with Ethan’s health issues over the years.

“I am extremely proud and very happy. There were some times (doctors were) not only saying he could never walk on a football field, but was he going to be here? … Very proud and love him so much.”

Texas A&M will return to Kyle Field to take on Mississippi State on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 6:30 pm. CT. The game will air on ESPN2.

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Texas A&M 2023 college football season countdown: No. 11 Deuce Harmon

As Texas A&M seeks reliable depth in the secondary, sophomore Deuce Harmon will look to battle for a rotation spot after injuries threw a wrench in his 2022 campaign.

Fear not, Aggie fans, meaningful college football is just around the corner, with the start of the 2023 season under two weeks away! Here at Aggies Wire, we’ll be counting down by looking at each Texas A&M football player that corresponds to the number of days left till the start of the football season.

With 11 days until kickoff, we’re looking at No. 11 for the Maroon and White: sophomore defensive back Deuce Harmon.

Harmon returns to Aggieland after appearing in four games for the Maroon and White last season, logging eight total tackles, one assisted tackle, a forced fumble, and one pass breakup across 112 total snaps. He lined up primarily as an outside corner (76 snaps) while splitting the rest of his time in the slot (19 snaps) and as a box safety (15 snaps).

Coming into College Station the expectation was that he would be best situated as a slot or nickel corner, but his freshman year experience in lining up outside speaks to how defensive coordinator DJ Durkin can leverage his versatility. That being said, Harmon struggled in his minimal playing time before suffering a season-ending injury, having finished with an overall 49.4 defense grade and a 51.5 coverage grade according to Pro Football Focus.

After undergoing surgery before the 2022 season concluded, which forced him to miss time throughout the spring, Harmon will look to take advantage of fall camp to compete for a rotation spot in the secondary. Early rumblings indicate that Tyreek Chappell may have a lock on one of the starting cornerback jobs, while transfer Tony Grimes and freshman Jayvon Thomas are battling it out for the other.

Given that the Aggies will lean heavily on new transfers such as Grimes, Sam McCall, and Josh DeBerry to lead the backend unit, having ample depth behind them will be essential to ensure the injury bug doesn’t throw a wrench in the secondary. That means players such as Harmon will need to be ready if called upon at a moment’s notice, which speaks to how vital he will be for Texas A&M’s defense to see success in the fall.

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Texas A&M Aggies cornerback unit shows promise, but questions still remain following spring football

Plenty of questions surrounded the Aggies cornerback group heading into spring. But with a key transfer addition, is there clarity with the 2023 season just months away?

Heading into their spring football program there were plenty of questions surrounding Texas A&M‘s cornerback unit, following a handful of key departures. But now with the Aggies’ Maroon and White game in the books and the transfer portal nearly closing, did the unit provide some clarity heading into next season?

Let’s quickly recap how much of an overhaul this unit has dealt with since the close of the 2022 season. First off, the Maroon and White lost five corners to either the NCAA transfer portal or via the NFL Draft heading into the spring. To remedy those losses, the Aggies added Tony Grimes from North Carolina and Sam McCall from Florida State, along with early enrollee Jayvon Thomas.

The aforementioned three joined the reliable Tyreek Chapell, who appeared in 11 games for A&M last season and recorded 44 tackles (31 solo) with eight pass breakups and one fumble recovery.

Still, those additions alone couldn’t soften the blow of losing reliable talents like Antonio Johnson and Jaylon Jones. More reinforcements would have to be on the way, and the fact that many of the new faces were sidelined through spring football only heightens the ambiguity at the position.

Chappell, Grimes, and Thomas all missed large parts of the Aggies’ spring football program, and all three, coincidentally, missed the spring game as well. From what has been observed in practice, Chappell remains the best cover option due to his physicality and refined form in tracking the ball. Grimes has quick feet and a nice recovery speed that should help in defending against wideouts over the top, while McCall possesses even better speed and length.

Yet the biggest x-factor could be the addition of Boston College transfer Josh DeBerry, who committed to the Aggies back on April 18. The former Eagle saw playing time as both a slot corner (286 snaps) as well as on the outside (364) according to PFF, although he graded better at the nickel position during the 2021 season versus last year.

DeBerry’s veteran experience and ability to slide into the slot could prove huge dividends for a backend unit that, while not inexperienced based on age, still boasts a handful of unknowns given the new faces on the roster.

Additionally, there remains an opportunity for some of the younger talents to see playing time like Class of 2022 four-star prospect Bobby Taylor, who recently opted to stay with the Aggies after removing his name from the transfer portal.

Ultimately, this backend unit has plenty of promise heading into next season, but questions still linger given the lack of time on the field through spring. At the of the day, those questions will only be answered once the 2023 season officially kicks off, which makes it a reality that the Aggies will have to swallow for now.

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Texas A&M Spring Football 2023: Cornerback position breakdown

As spring football for the Aggies nears its end, we assess the current state of the cornerback unit which spotlights as a big question mark for the Maroon and White.

Spring football for Texas A&M is well underway, which means it’s every fan’s obligation to parse through the depth chart ahead of what will be an important 2023 season. Thankfully, we’ve got you covered by breaking down each positional battle, and up next is taking a look at what arguably is a big question mark for the Maroon and White in their cornerback unit.

It’s amazing how quickly the narrative can change over the course of 12 months. A season ago the Aggies boasted a unit of loaded talent on the backend, and that belief translated into production on the field. A&M finished the 2022 season allowing the fewest passing yards per game (156.2) through the air in the FBS.

Now that once highly-lauded unit is arguably one of, if not, the biggest question mark for Jimbo Fisher and this football program as spring football nears its end.

The departure of Jaylon Jones to the NFL certainly stings, and an inconvenient timing of injuries means that valuable snaps could be given to the newcomers and transfers to College Station. Unless some big moves are taken, it could spell early-season trouble for the Maroon and White.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at how the current cornerback group is shaping up for the Aggies:

Returners (2022 season stats)

  • Junior Tyreek Chappell (11 games, 44 total tackles, 8 pass breakups)
  • Redshirt sophomore Deuce Harmon (4 games, 9 total tackles)
  • Sophomore Bryce Anderson (11 games, 28 total tackles, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 forced fumble)
  • Sophomore Jarred Kerr (11 games, 22 total tackles, 2 pass breakups)

Departures

  • Junior Jaylon Jones (declared for the 2023 NFL Draft)

New additions

  • Transfer senior Tony Grimes
  • Transfer sophomore Sam McCall
  • Freshman Jayvon Thomas
  • Freshman Bravion Rogers

With Chappell and Thomas not being on the field since the start of spring training, and with Harmon rehabbing from ankle surgery, the Aggies are greatly lacking experienced players at the cornerback position. That spells trouble heading into next season, and if the injury bug continues to persist, then that would mean defensive coordinator DJ Durkin would be handing the starting reigns over to the likes of transfers Tony Grimes and Sam McCall.

To put it gently, that’s very much less than ideal for an Aggies team heading into a significant 2023 season. Jimbo Fisher would be wise to explore every avenue possible when the transfer portal reopens in May, and offering former Boston College corner Josh DeBerry only illustrates how this position group is likely top of mind for Fisher.

It’s not a stretch to claim that the state of the cornerback room today makes it the most uncertain positional group for the Maroon and White. Thankfully there’s still some time ahead of the fall season, and the Aggies will likely need a combination of good health and transfer portal additions to bring some added assurance to this unit.

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 Pete on Twitter: @PeteThreee

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2021 four-star CB Deuce Harmon picks Texas A&M over Texas

Texas has lost an in-state battle to Texas A&M for Deuce Harmon. Coming out of Denton Guyer, Harmon picked the Aggies over six schools.

A couple of days after picking up a new crystal ball prediction for 2021 cornerback Ishmael Ibraheem, Texas has a lost an in-state recruiting battle to Texas A&M for another cornerback, Deuce Harmon. Coming out of Denton Guyer, Harmon picked the Aggies over Notre Dame, Oregon, SMU, Texas, TCU, and USC.

Back on April 6, Harmon released a top 10 list which did not include the Longhorns. Despite being one of the best in-state cornerbacks, Texas had not extended an offer. Three days later on April 9, Chris Ash offered Harmon. Despite the offer and making his top seven list, it was too little too late, as Texas A&M had been recruiting Harmon consistently throughout the year.

Harmon left his recruitment open though, saying he would “still plan on taking visits,” when everything reopens in the fall. Texas could have the opportunity to flip the Texas A&M commit, something that has only happened twice since 2010.

Listed at 5-9 and 185 pounds, what Harmon lacks in size, he makes up for with athleticism. Seen as a good defender in man to man situations, he would fit ideally into Ash’s new system.

For now, Harmon is committed to the Aggies and will be spending his college years in College Station. The door is still open for the Longhorns though, as spending more time with the cornerback could see him make an unusual flip to Texas.

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Notre Dame in Top 11 For Top ’21 Corner

Deuce Harmon of Guyer HS in Denton, TX cut his potential school list to 11 this weekend. See who else joins Notre Dame in making the cut.

Deuce Harmon, a play-defensive back from Guyer High School in Denton, Texas is one of the most sought after defensive backs in the entire 2021 recruiting class.  With 23 offers to his name, Harmon cut his list of potential suitors to 11 over the weekend.

The good news for Notre Dame?  They made the cut for the four-star prospect as he announced his 11 schools of interest on Instagram.

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As you can see on the list it appears that Harmon is rather interested in staying in his home state as six of the eleven schools call Texas home.

Baylor, Southern Methodist, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech are the home state schools he keeps an interest in while Notre Dame is joined by Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, Oregon and USC out of state.

Guyer is listed at 5-9, 185 pounds and was a first-team all district player as a junior.  He also helped guide Guyer to a 14-2 overall record and runner-up finish in Texas 6A Division-II.

As it stands right now, Justin Walters of Bolingbrook, Illinois remains the only defensive back commitment in Notre Dame’s 2021 recruiting class.