Where will Texas A&M football turn after losing Husan Longstreet to Lincoln Riley and USC?
The first big recruiting loss for Texas A&M football under Mike Elko has arrived under unexpected circumstances. The 8-2 Aggies are having a great season, showcasing an improved offense and still controlling their own destiny for the SEC championship—and, therefore, the playoff as well.
And yet, now is the time that five-star QB Husan Longstreet out of Corona, CA, chose to flip to the USC Trojans, who currently sit at 5-5 in a very disappointing year. Longstreet had been committed to the Aggies since April, when A&M turned up the heat for the then-four-star.
As I say, the timing here may be the biggest head-scratcher. USC is currently lacking in fan support, flagging in several on-field areas, and Lincoln Riley might just be on the hot seat. In contrast, the Aggies have an arrow firmly pointed up.
The most likely contributor is probably the shifted depth chart for the Aggies. Previously, it seemed that Conner Weigman was the no-doubt starter for the Ags until he headed to the NFL, at which point it would be an open competition. Now, it looks like the younger Marcel Reed has entrenched himself as A&M's starter.
So where do the Aggies look to replace Longstreet? A five-star substitute would be Keelon Russell out of Duncanville, currently committed to Alabama. That is pretty unlikely, though, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the Ags put on the full court press if possible.
If not him, then I expect them to take a look at some guys around the state committed to smaller programs like Baylor or TCU. They have a bit of a longer timeline now with Marcel Reed as the guy—and I did like what we saw out of Miles O'Neill last night—but you'd still like to take a guy who's not a total project. There are several of those players out there who are gettable for the Aggies, but they'll have to move fast.