Texas A&M Aggies

Inspired by Florida's "#ComePlayWRFortheJoker" campaign, our recruiting writers looked at other ways schools can sell themselves on the trail. Here's a look at recruiting pitches for the SEC:

Alabama Crimson Tide
What they are selling: What's not to sell? Alabama is coming off back-to-back national championships, and the Crimson Tide had nine players taken in April's NFL draft, including three in the first round. For the critics who say you won't play early at UA, ask T.J. Yeldon and Amari Cooper how much they contributed as freshmen.

What they are missing: Although they won a national championship, the Tide didn't generate much pass rush last fall, and they had trouble containing freshman sensation Johnny Manziel. Also, they need to rebuild the offensive line, a unit that anchored the offense last year.

Arkansas Razorbacks
What they are selling: New head coach Bret Bielema runs a completely different offensive system than the previous two Arkansas coaches. The Razorbacks are selling an opportunity for freshmen to come in and earn playing time early in their careers.

What they are missing: The Razorbacks signed only one offensive lineman, Denver Kirkland, who was rated a four-star prospect or higher last year. In this run-heavy system, look for Arkansas to focus on landing talented players along the offensive line.

Auburn Tigers
What they are selling: It's a new regime for Auburn, but there's a familiar face running the show. New head coach Gus Malzahn knows the program from his days as offensive coordinator. He's already shown the ability to recruit, stealing ESPN 150 linebacker Tre Williams away from the Tide. There's a sense of excitement on The Plains again.

What they are missing: Malzahn filled out his first recruiting class with playmakers, but Auburn needs to build up front on the offensive and defensive lines. No matter what offense you run, if you want to win in the SEC, you need to be able to compete up in the trenches.

Florida Gators
What they are selling: With no proven wide receivers on the perimeter, Florida is attempting to sell early playing time at the position. A chance to play for one of the best defensive minds in college football in Will Muschamp is another selling point to defensive prospects.

What they are missing: Production on offense. After finishing 114th nationally in passing offense, it will be hard to sell playing time to wide receivers without an explosive passing game in place.

Georgia Bulldogs
What they are selling: Freshmen, if they're good enough, play early at Georgia. From running backs Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall to offensive tackle John Theus to defensive end Jordan Jenkins, several freshmen Bulldogs made major contributions on a team that was a few yards away from making the national championship game.

What they are missing: Georgia has brought in four top-12 recruiting classes in the last four years. Depth might become an issue for some recruits, but Georgia has certainly shown a willingness to play younger players.

Kentucky Wildcats
What they are selling: After finishing 2-10, Kentucky fired coach Joker Phillips. New head coach Mark Stoops is offering a fresh start and a chance to help build Kentucky in to a contender in the SEC East.

What they are missing: Plain and simple -- tradition. Sure, Kentucky is full of basketball tradition, but the success on the hardwood completely overshadows the football program. A record 50,831 fans attended the Wildcats' spring game, so the interest level is certainly headed in the right direction.

LSU Tigers
What they are selling: An unprecedented 10 underclassmen declared for the NFL draft. LSU is selling the opportunity, not only for early playing time because of the departures, but a chance to make it to the NFL in three years.

What they are missing: Because of all the departures, there are some holes on both sides of the ball. Depth is now an issue at running back and LSU will need to replace Eric Reid, Kevin Minter, defensive ends Sam Montgomery and Barkevious Mingo, defensive tackle Bennie Logan and linebacker Kevin Minter.

Ole Miss Rebels
What they are selling: Ole Miss landed the No. 5-ranked class in the country, including No. 1 overall player Robert Nkemdiche and No. 1 offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil. Look for Ole Miss to sell recruits on the opportunity to help build something special under head coach Hugh Freeze.

What they are missing: Freeze brought a creative and innovative offense to the SEC, but the defense is still a work in progress. Ole Miss finished 12th in the SEC in pass defense and will need to continue to build depth in order to compete for the SEC West championship.

Mississippi State Bulldogs
What they are selling: Only 11 of 22 starters return for a team that finished 8-5 last year. The Bulldogs offer recruits a chance to play early and play in the best division in college football.

What they are missing: Mississippi State returns its starting quarterback Tyler Russell, but who will he be throwing to? Last year's four leading receivers, including Chad Bumphis, are gone. Look for the Bulldogs to focus on offensive weapons in this recruiting class.

Missouri Tigers
What they are selling: The Tigers return 14 of 22 starters on a team that went 5-7 in its first year in the SEC East. Missouri runs a fun and innovative offense that is sure to attract recruits, and there is certainly an opportunity to play early.

What they are missing: The defensive line is probably the most critical area on any defense in the SEC, and the Tigers lost their best lineman in Sheldon Richardson. Mizzou must find a viable replacement for Richardson and linebackers Zaviar Gooden and Will Ebner.

South Carolina Gamecocks
What they are selling: The Gamecocks have been dominant on defense over the last few years, and a strong line is a big part of their success. South Carolina is selling an opportunity to be the next Jadeveon Clowney and be a part of one of the top defenses in the SEC.

What they are missing: Hard to believe, but head coach Steve Spurrier needs help at wide receiver. The Gamecocks signed only one wide receiver in their 2013 class. They have young bodies, but not much depth or production from the returning group.

Tennessee Volunteers
What they are selling: A fresh start under new head coach Butch Jones. Since 2011, Tennessee has finished with the No. 13, 21 and 29 recruiting classes in the country. There plenty of holes to fill, and any incoming freshman will have plenty of opportunities to earn a starting spot.

What they are missing: Tennessee lost wide receivers Justin Hunter and Cordarrelle Patterson to the NFL draft and must replace their production on the outside. The Volunteers are also thin in the secondary and will look to recruiting to plug some key holes on defense.

Texas A&M Aggies
What they are selling: There is a lot to sell a recruit on at Texas A&M right now. An explosive offense which led the SEC in total offense by more than 100 yards a game, Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel and a team that went into Tuscaloosa and handed Alabama its only loss last season.

What they are missing: There are still some holes to fill on defense. The Aggies finished with the No. 8-ranked defense in the SEC and the No. 10-ranked pass defense in the league. They also need to replace talented defensive end Damontre Moore, who is now in the NFL.

Vanderbilt Commodores
What they are selling: Head coach James Franklin has taken Vanderbilt to a bowl in two consecutive years, and the Commodores are bringing in a solid recruiting class. Selling recruits on an opportunity to play at Vanderbilt during one of the best eras in the school's football history is enticing to high school recruits.

What they are missing: Vanderbilt is not yet on par with other SEC schools as far as facilities. The Commodores, though, are certainly headed in the right direction. A new indoor practice facility is being constructed, and stadium renovations are in the planning stages.

Now that we’ve seen Edward’s Christmas wish list for the Eastern Division teams, let’s see what might be under the tree for the Western Division teams:

Alabama: Another crystal trophy. Is there anything else that could possibly be on Alabama’s wish list? The Crimson Tide already have two crystal footballs in their trophy case courtesy of Nick Saban. Winning a third national championship in the past four years would make this one of the greatest runs in college football history.

Arkansas: Case of amnesia. Really, one of the best things for the Hogs and their fans would be to have their memories zapped going all the way back to April 1 when Bobby Petrino crashed his motorcycle. It’s been a long nine months in the Ozarks, starting with Petrino’s ouster and ending with a 4-8 season that was a huge disappointment. But with Bret Bielema now running the show, the focus is squarely on the future.

Auburn: Gus Malzahn’s offense of old. Any offense would do after this past season, which saw Auburn finish 115^th nationally (out of 120) teams in total offense. The Tigers were shut out in each of their last two SEC games and scored 13 or fewer points in six of their eight league contests. Malzahn has proven he can put a dynamic offense on the field. Of course, given how hard the Tigers were to watch this season on offense, Auburn fans will take points any way they can get them in 2013.

LSU: Redo of Alabama’s last drive. If not for the final 1:34 of the Alabama game, LSU might be the one playing in the Discover BCS National Championship Game. The Tigers would love to have that last drive back. They were dominant defensively in the second half of that game, but gave up too much cushion on Alabama’s game-winning drive and then got caught in a blitz on the screen pass for a touchdown.

Mississippi State: Defensive line help. The Bulldogs could use some more muscle in the interior of that defensive line, not to mention a game-changer or two on the outside. They’re 11^th in the SEC in rushing defense and next-to-last in sacks with only 18 in 12 games. In their four losses this season, they gave up an average of 223 rushing yards.

Ole Miss: More depth. Nobody expected the Rebels to be in a bowl game in Hugh Freeze’s first season, so this is a team that definitely overachieved after coming into the season dragging around a 14-game SEC losing streak. What the Rebels need now is more depth, especially more quality depth. It’s a big reason they had such a hard time finishing games this season. They ran out of gas a lot of times, but that’s going to happen when you take on the teams in this league with 60 scholarship players.

Texas A&M: Top juniors to return. Maybe it’s one of those wishes that’s a bit unrealistic, but imagine this Texas A&M team next season if offensive tackles Luke Joeckel and Jake Matthews, and defensive end Damontre Moore all decided to stay in school. All three are projected as first-round picks. Joeckel and Moore could be top 10 picks.

GigEmNation is counting down the top five moments of Texas A&M’s 2012 season this week. No. 4 ...

After starting the season by taking care of the ball as well as could be expected (three turnover-free games in the first four), Texas A&M had a poor showing in that department when it traveled to Oxford, Miss., to face Ole Miss. The Aggies turned it over six times against the Rebels, including three that were committed by quarterback Johnny Manziel, marking the first night he looked like a freshman.

Trailing by 10 points in the fourth quarter, the Aggies seemed doomed for defeat, facing a third-and-19 in the shadow of their own goal line with fewer than eight minutes remaining. That's when the seemingly impossible began to occur. Manziel hit Mike Evans for 32 yards, Ben Malena rushed for 36 than Manziel danced into the end zone from 29 yards out to pull to within four, 27-23, with 6:24 left.

The Aggies stopped the Rebels on fourth down on the ensuing possession, and just four plays later the Aggies took the lead as Manziel found Ryan Swope in the back left corner of the end zone for a 20-yard touchdown pass and a 30-27 lead at the 1:46 mark. Ole Miss tried to tie or win it, but A&M junior defensive back Toney Hurd intercepted quarterback Bo Wallace at the Aggies' 22-yard line to seal the win.

The seemingly improbable come-from-behind win was a confidence booster for the Aggies, who made mistakes and played a flawed game yet were still able to pull the victory. Eventually, they put together an undefeated road record in their first SEC season.

We knew the Coach of the Year debate in the SEC this season would be a hot one, and that's reflected in the number of votes that have been cast in our SportsNation poll.

We asked you last week who deserved the SEC's top coaching honor, and with more than 24,000 votes cast, Texas A&M's Kevin Sumlin is a runaway winner with 52 percent of the vote.

Sumlin guided the Aggies to a 10-2 record in his first season at Texas A&M, which was playing its first season in the SEC. Texas A&M will face Oklahoma in the AT&T Cotton Bowl.

The real race is for second place. Ole Miss' Hugh Freeze has garnered 14 percent of the vote. Vanderbilt's James Franklin has 13 percent, Florida's Will Muschamp 11 percent and South Carolina's Steve Spurrier 10 percent.

Earlier Monday, both Sumlin and Muschamp were named as finalists for the 2012 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award.

Texas A&M has added to its 2013 class.

The Aggies received a commitment from City College of San Francisco offensive tackle Jeremiah Stuckey, who made an official visit for the Sam Houston State game. Stuckey, who is 6-foot-6, 280 pounds, will be a mid-year transfer as a full-qualifier, joining the Aggies in time for the spring semester. Stuckey, who confirmed the news via text message to GigEmNation, will have four years to play three.

The 18-year-old Stuckey had offers from Mississippi, Nevada and Oregon in addition to Texas A&M and was recruited by Aggies linebacker coach Matt Wallerstedt. Playing offensive tackle in a spread offense for City College of San Francisco, he appears to be a good fit for the Aggies and can help with depth at the tackle position should one or both current junior tackles Luke Joeckel and Jake Matthews, decide to declare for the NFL draft.

Stuckey played his high school ball at Pacifica (Calif.) Terra Nova. He and his City College of San Francisco teammates are 9-1 and will play American River College in the Northern California Football Association championship game on Saturday.

Stuckey is the 31st commitment for Texas A&M in the 2013 class.

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- When Texas A&M defensive back Toney Hurd stepped in front of a Bo Wallace pass last Saturday and slid safely to the turf to secure one of the Aggies' most thrilling wins in recent memory, teammate Steven Terrell wasn't surprised.

The senior safety has seen Hurd do his due diligence when it comes to film study. It's paying dividends, with Hurd's game-clinching interception being the latest piece of evidence as the Aggies pulled out a 30-27 come-from-behind victory at Ole Miss last week.

"He's been really studying the game," Terrell said. "He really watches a lot of film ... so it's almost like he's out there cheating. He knows exactly when teams are going to stuff and things like that. He's done a great job of triggering and letting go and throwing his body around and things like that. He's been making plays for us since the spring, so it doesn't surprise me that he came up with that game-winning interception."

Hurd, a junior from Marshall High School in Missouri City, Texas, said he looks at each game like an exam. Taking that approach when looking at video helps him prepare.

"Honestly, I feel like it's like studying for a test," Hurd said. "If they're going to give you the answers, you might as well study them and figure them out while you can. It gets you ahead and it gives you an edge going into the game."

Going back to his Marshall days, Hurd has been a student of the game. He attributes his improvement in that department to former Aggies cornerback Terrence Frederick, another Houston-area product, who was Hurd's teammate for the last two years.

"Honestly, T-Fred taught me how to watch film," Hurd said. "I kind of look at it from a receiver's point of view. What are they thinking? When they see me in front of them, inside or outside leverage, what are they thinking? Then from there, I make my game plan of what I want to do and how I'm going to try to trick them, because all they're trying to do is line up and trick us. So I try to figure out, according to the formation and where the back is aligned and where they're at on the field, what I can do to get an edge."

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They committed six turnovers. They had five penalties, as many as their two previous games combined. They trailed by 10 points with fewer than eight minutes to go on the road against a Southeastern Conference opponent.

And even with all that, the Texas A&M Aggies still came away with a victory on Saturday.

There's little doubt that the Aggies have played better overall games in their first four games of the season -- which includes a 20-17 home loss to Florida -- than they did against Mississippi, against whom they pulled out a 30-27 come-from-behind victory. And while the Rebels might not be of Florida's caliber, they are still a respectable SEC squad, and road wins in the SEC aren't easy to come by.

Considering that the Aggies made it harder on themselves than they had their previous four outings, there's a lot that can be drawn from the fact that Texas A&M still pulled out a win.

"For us to turn the ball over like that and go on the road in the SEC and win is something I think our team can build confidence from," coach Kevin Sumlin said after the game. "We'll be very very honest with ourselves on Monday as we always are and we'll fix some things that need to be fixed. But the confidence of the team that really in these situations a year ago, didn't close them out, and some young guys who it's their first time in this situation, there's a lot of things you can draw from that will help us the rest of the year."

Perhaps that is the biggest difference between this year's Aggies and the previous installment. In 2011, the Aggies had trouble closing out games. Six times last season, they lost a game in which they at a double-digit lead at some point.

The tables were turned on Saturday, with the Aggies trailing by double digits, but they closed with authority.

"What you can draw from this is that you have to believe and you have to keep playing. Period," Sumlin said. "Sooner or later, if you do your job and you just keep playing and believing, good things are going to happen to you."

That holds true for the entire team, including redshirt freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel, who committed his first turnovers of the season on Saturday. He threw two interceptions and fumbled twice, yet still showed the confidence to engineer two fourth-quarter scoring drives to fuel the comeback.

"He never hangs his head," Sumlin said. "That's a learning situation, and again, every situation that he's in is new at this level, particularly playing in this league, going on the road. It had gone for four weeks without giving the ball to the other team. He may have been pressing a little bit, he may have been pressing a little bit in the second half and we talked to him about the same thing. We've got 10 other people out here that can help us win games and the more he plays, the more he'll understand that. He made plays to help us win also."

The Aggies defense also got key stops in the fourth quarter, particularly a fourth-and-short stop at the Ole Miss 39-yard line that gave the Aggies the ball back for the go-ahead score and an interception by Toney Hurd that effectively ended the game, killing the Rebels' final scoring chance.

"That gives us great confidence as a team," Hurd said. "Special-teams wise, offensively and defensively, it took every piece of the puzzle to get this win. Offense went on a long drive, kickoff came down and stuffed them, defensively we gave up a few yards but in the end, we held and we got the win. A great team win."

There was also plenty of players redeeming themselves after making mistakes early in the game, a big point of emphasis for Sumlin, who often says "It's not what happens to you, it's how you react to it." One example was senior receiver Ryan Swope, who fumbled in the second quarter to kill a potential Aggies scoring drive but caught the game-winning touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.

"I think we're just going to use this as momentum going into next week," Swope said. "We did not play good football today, including myself. I had a poor first half. ... We really didn't play good today and we didn't execute really well, so we've got to take a look at this film and be real critical of ourselves and we've got to fix those little things and come back and work hard in practice. We're better than that and we have some improvement to work on. That's why we practice and we've got plenty of time to watch this film."

As the Aggies move forward in the rough-and-tough SEC, they have the confidence to know that they have a team talented and poised enough to stay within striking distance of winning any game, even when faced with dire situations. That's particularly key for the younger players on the squad, of which there are many playing starting or key roles.

"They learned that anything is possible," senior linebacker Sean Porter said. "They learned to keep pushing. We can win games. We have enough talent to beat a lot of teams. We can compete with anybody. I think these young guys learned just never quit, keep pushing and eventually, something good will happen."

Texas A&M redshirt freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel was named Southeastern Conference Co-Freshman of the Week by the league office on Monday for his performance in the Aggies' 30-27 win over Mississippi on Saturday.

Manziel was 17-of-26 passing for 191 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 129 yards and a score on 20 carries. He turned the ball over three times but overcame the miscues to lead a comeback from a 27-17 deficit in the fourth quarter, engineering two scoring drives in the final eight minutes.

Nationally, Manziel ranks as the top freshman quarterback in rushing, passing efficiency, total offense and points responsible for. For the year, Manziel has thrown for 1,285 yards and 11 touchdowns and rushed for 495 yards and seven more scores.