Texas A&M Aggies

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Some people might not believe it, but Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin says he knows the rules.

As the Aggies' recruiting class swells on the heels of its first year as a Southeastern Conference member -- an 11-2 campaign capped by a 41-13 whipping of Oklahoma in the AT&T Cotton Bowl on Saturday -- observers continue to ask how the Aggies can have so many players in their 2013 recruiting class.

Currently, Texas A&M has 35 commitments in the class, picking up two over the weekend in the form of ESPN 300 receiver Tony Stevens, who announced on Saturday at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl that he was A&M-bound, and ESPN 300 inside linebacker Jordan Mastrogiovanni, who was committed to Oklahoma since June before flipping to the Aggies on Sunday night.

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Texas A&M already has some big targets added to this class and believe it or not, despite Tony Stevens' (Orlando/Evans) size, he is on the smaller side. A slender, sleek player with a wide catch radius, Stevens is straight-line fast with the size to make plays in contested match-ups on the outside. Kevin Sumlin continues to add offensive skill to this class that should see early playing time with their four and five wide offensive sets.

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Welcome to the new world of Texas A&M recruiting.

It's a world where the Aggies can seemingly go anywhere and have a real shot to get a player they want. Head coach Kevin Sumlin spoke in the offseason of expanding his team's recruiting footprint beyond just Texas and Louisiana and into states that are considered "SEC country," and even nationwide.

SEC country is precisely from where ESPN 300 receiver Tony Stevens (Orlando, Fla./Evans) was plucked. Texas A&M got involved with the former Florida State commitment earlier this fall, secured an official visit then blew the 6-foot-4, 184-pounder away when he took in Aggieland.

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GigEmNation's Sam Khan Jr. took questions from fans on Twitter for a mailbag in advance of today's AT&T Cotton Bowl clash between Texas A&M and Oklahoma. Here it is:

From Manziel Fan Club (@JFFootball2): Who do you think replaces EZ [Uzoma Nwachukwu] and Ryan Swope next year as starters. And [what will be] the role of Tra Carson and Brandon Williams next year?

Sam Khan Jr.: I think Malcome Kennedy's emergence throughout the season means he'll certainly be a candidate to take Swope's role next season. The Aggies have a ton of receivers coming in the current recruiting class but I think Kennedy has already proven that he deserves time on the field and as long as he continues to show progress in the spring, summer and fall camp, it should be his job to lose. As for Nwachukwu's spot, I imagine Sabian Holmes, Ed Pope and Derel Walker are all possibilities. They're all young and unproven but they all have ability. That could also be a spot where one of the new recruits has a chance to fight for a job, perhaps someone like Ja'Quay Williams or Ricky Seals-Jones. As for Carson and Williams, my guess would be that Williams steps into a role similar to what Christine Michael had this year as the secondary back and a guy who can go between the tackles or hit the outside. I expect Ben Malena will still be the starter next year. Williams has a ton of ability though and if he can hold on to the football, I could see him push for a decent amount of carries. He's an explosive player. Carson, with his big body, my guess is he could have a role as a short-yardage guy.

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SAN ANTONIO -- Wednesday was a day off for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl teams. Instead of working out and participating in drills, the players took in visits around the city -- including a stop at the Alamodome for photo opportunities and to see their game apparel -- and used the day to recover from two days of practice.

The teams will return to the fields on Thursday in arguably the most important practice of the week. Here are five things to keep an eye on for Thursday’s practice:

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SAN ANTONIO -- ESPN 300 wide receiver Tony Stevens (Orlando Fla./Evans) knows where he wants to go to school, but he’ll wait until Saturday’s U.S. Army All-American Bowl to announce it.

Florida State, Texas A&M and Ohio State are the three schools Stevens will choose from.

“I know where I want to go,” said Stevens, the No. 29 receiver and No. 207 player overall. “Basically [it came down to] how I felt when I went to the school and how they treated me.”

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Earlier this week, when speaking about the impact the current buzz around Texas A&M's football team after its win over Alabama, head coach Kevin Sumlin uttered a handful of interesting words.

"Our phone is ringing off the hook at this point," he said.

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