05-13-2016, 12:10 AM
|
#19
|
|
All Star
OVR: 36
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: On The Hardwood
|
Re: There & Back Again [RTG]
2016 running back T.J. Joyner verbally commits to Texas A&M
T.J. Joyner joins the Aggies' recruiting class as the first five-star recruit.
Sept. 17, 2015
T.J. Joyner, a Las Vegas running back rated among the nation's top 50 prep players, became the third verbal commitment of Texas A&M’s football's 2015 recruiting class by announcing the Aggies as his choice Thursday evening via Twitter.
Joyner wrote: “Officially committing to Texas A&M, the guys told me the Truck could be even bigger down there in Texas.”
Athlete Mike Davis and kickers Derek Morris and Matt Graham previously gave non-binding verbal commitments to TAMU, but neither carry the fanfare of the 6-foot-2, 235-pound Joyner.
Out of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Joyner is ranked the 33rd-best player in the country by Rivals and No. 3 among running backs. Another rating, by 247Sports, lists him as the nation's top "all-purpose back" and No. 21 overall.
“This is a kid that had all those Pac-12 and SEC offers,” said Brian Patterson, a recruiting analyst for 247Sports. “It's really a statement for A&M, who despite running an Air Raid offense, is still able to grab a running back of [Joyner’s] caliber.”
The university announced Tuesday that Joyner was amongst the 23 who would be hosted on official visit during week 11’s match against Mississippi State. Joyner previously took an unofficial visit to College Station back in mid-March as a junior.
“I really liked it out there,” Joyner told the Las Vegas Sun following the visit. “The SEC, the great tradition, the only stretch is with them being out in Texas.”
If his commitment sticks through signing day in nine months it would mark a rare TAMU recruit brought in from the West Coast. Texas A&M – who solely recruits through their Texas pipeline – has only seven players from western coast states. Joyner would be the only player on the current roster from Nevada.
“T.J. is an exact product of Texas A&M’s likings,” Patterson said. “Right now they’re looking for Tra Carson’s replacement and it doesn’t take rocket science to see that Joyner and Carson are nearly identical in terms of physicality and play style. [Kevin] Sumlin likes the power-backs and he got just that with Joyner.”
Along with TAMU, Joyner held scholarship offers from USC, Auburn, UCLA, Stanford, California, among others.
Rivals.com as well as numerous other recruiting sites claims that A&M has also pursed running back Chris McNamara, who is ranked above Joyner as the nation’s No. 2 running back. The South Carolina native announced on Twitter last week that he had cut his college list down to two with Texas A&M and Florida.
“I would expect it to be a first come, first serve basis,” Patterson said, “but Joyner’s commitment is still non-binding, A&M isn’t sure if he’ll be there in February so I can imagine the staff continuing to pursue both options.”
Joyner could see the field rather sooner than later should he sign with the Aggies next February. TAMU returns just three of its four backs with only one receiving quality playing this season.
The No. 14 Aggies have used their four consecutive home games to pick up steam early in the season with a 4-0 record. They upset a top-five Alabama squad 27-24 two weeks ago and defeated SMU 27-23 last Saturday. This week they hit the road to Fayetteville for ESPN’s Game of the Week against Arkansas.
Last edited by beast10; 05-17-2016 at 12:14 PM.
|
|
|
