Texas A&M football recruiting won't reach its potential without big on-field results

Texas A&M football needs to display results on the field in order to regain recruiting success

Now, before I get into things, I'll say this: the class that this Texas A&M football staff has built so far is already impressive. Longstreet, Mikhail, Armstrong, even guys like Beal-Goines—the way the staff has gone about addressing needs and finding diamonds in the rough has been very impressive so far.

But if I had a nickel for every time I had written about how deep the class is in the state of Texas this year, I'd have... well, maybe a dollar? I went into that one without doing the math beforehand. I've said it several times, is the point. And you won't be snagging the five-stars if you don't show big results on the field.

Nearly every single player of note in the state has made their way to campus this spring and summer, with Dakorien Moore and Devin Sanchez the only exceptions I can think of off the top of my head. That includes guys like Michael Fasusi, Lamont Rogers, Ty Haywood, Jonah Williams, Michael Terry, Kaliq Lockett, Riley Pettijohn, and more.

Well, Rogers and Pettijohn are off the board, to Mizzou and Ohio State, respectively. They won't stop recruiting these guys, of course, but it's a blow to not be the choice out of the gate. Especially so when you consider that none of Fasusi, Haywood, Terry, and Lockett, all of whom should announce soon, seem to be a strong Aggie lean at this point, and Oregon is looking to make a big challenge for Williams.

The fact is this: there's only so much you can do before you have a proof-of-concept. Football needs to be played in order for this staff to have their full recruiting arsenal. By that, of course, I mean a good, solid brand of football—unlike what we've seen over the past two years.

Think about the series of events that led to the greatest recruiting class ever assembled. The 2020 season and Orange Bowl win was followed up by a 2021 that, while it ended disappointingly, saw some huge highs with the Alabama and Auburn wins. Even the huge victory over South Carolina displayed Kyle at full might.

With four huge home games on the docket this year, the Aggies will have to make some hay. It won't be enough to go 1-3 in those top matchups. The Ags will have to make a run—and a serious one—at a College Football Playoff spot if they want not only to land some of these top names, but retain the ones already in the boat.

I'm sure Oregon, who has been eating the Longhorns' lunch this cycle, would love a piece of the Aggies' recruiting pie as well. You think that the Ducks wouldn't love to flip Husan Longstreet, Adonyss Currie, and Noah Mikhail? They are, I might add, much closer to Eugene geographically than they are to College Station.

Top-five classes are the lifeblood of championship programs. Nick Saban succeded due to a combination of his program culture and the talent he was able to pull in year after year. It doesn't mean you will win without any doubt, but you certainly can't win without it. The Aggies need to start off the Mike Elko era in the right way on the field so that they can build even more momentum off of it.