By ROBERT CESSNATexas A&M used to have no problems finding linebackers. They were banging heads on the practice field, trying to show their worth to join the Wrecking Crew. Lately, it's been the Aggie football coaches banging their heads trying to find linebackers.
A&M (2-2) has only eight scholarship linebackers, including a redshirt freshman and three true freshmen. The group came into the season with a combined four career starts.
The unit got a boost Saturday from freshman Ricky Cavanaugh, who made three tackles in a 21-17 victory over Army.
"He wasn't challenged a whole lot, but he didn't make any major mistakes," A&M head coach Mike Sherman said. "He did his assignment. He got caught up inside one time, but overall I thought he did a good job. He still has a ways to go, but he did a good job."
Cavanaugh played about 16 to 18 plays against Army, which rushed the ball 65 times. A&M's first three opponents averaged only 37 carries a game by comparison, and the heavy dose of running forced the Aggies to use more three-linebacker sets.
Cavanaugh is A&M's seventh true freshman to play this season. He joins defensive tackles Eddie Brown and Tony Jerod-Eddy, defensive back Terrence Frederick, wide receiver Jeff Fuller, running back Cyrus Gray and defensive back Trent Hunter.
Sherman said he's reluctant to give up a freshman's chance at redshirting.
"I want to make sure if we take it off he's going to play," Sherman said. "[Cavanaugh] can contribute so much on special teams and also as a linebacker. We're very thin at that position right now. We're hoping to get him ready to play next season, so to hold him back would be a disservice to him and to us I think. We decided at this point to just accelerate his learning."
The Aggies' most experienced linebacker is junior Matt Featherston, who leads the team in tackles with 40. He was flanked in the starting lineup Saturday by redshirt freshman Garrick Williams and sophomore Von Miller, who played end last season in a 4-2-5 alignment.
The Aggies had a pair of seniors at linebackers last year in Mark Dodge and Misi Tupe, who combined for 38 career starts. The junior college players were signed by former head coach Dennis Franchione to fill a void.
Sherman will have to recruit more linebackers running a 4-3 alignment.
The Aggies' last All-American at linebacker was Dat Nguyen, who helped A&M win the Big 12 championship in 1998. Nguyen had to wait his turn to become one of A&M's most celebrated football players, winning the Lombardi Award and the Chuck Bednarik College Defensive Player of the Year Award presented by the Maxwell Football Club.
Nguyen redshirted in 1994, when A&M's starting linebackers were Antonio Armstrong, Reggie Brown, Reggie Graham and Larry Walker. That quartet started every game and helped A&M lead the Southwest Conference in total defense. The Aggies finished with a 10-0-1 record.
Nguyen was the Aggies' 10th All-American at linebacker, a legacy that began with Bill Hobbs in 1968. But the Aggies' talent at linebacker has declined over the last decade. Jason Glenn is the only Aggie linebacker to make the coaches' all-conference first-team since Nguyen.
A&M's low point came five years ago when the defense allowed 225.1 yards rushing per game, which ranked 112th nationally. The inability to stop the run led to a 4-8 season.
The Aggies haven't been in the Top 20 against the run since finishing 19th in 2001. A&M allowed 1,247 rushing yards that year. This year's team already has allowed 910, which includes four straight 100-yard rushers. The Aggies rank 115th against the run, allowing 227.5 yards per game.
Help might be on the way for Sherman and defensive coordinator Joe Kines, who also coaches linebackers. A&M has four linebacker commitments for the 2009 recruiting class, including Louisiana's Michael Lamonthe and Jonathan Stewart, who are rated in the state's Top 40 by Rivals.com. They'll join the current group, which doesn't have a senior.
"We have probably the best linebacking coach in the country working with them, so from that standpoint, there's a comfort level there," Sherman said. "I think Matt Featherston has really made a lot of progress. Joe and I watched the tape Sunday morning, and Matt has really come a long way as a linebacker. I'm excited about his prospects.
"Von Miller is growing. Here's a guy who has had his hand on the ground, and when you move yourself back, it's just a different ball game. He's growing there, as well as Garrick Williams. It's a position that needs to keep getting better."
It could get worse before it gets better.
On Saturday, the Aggies play Oklahoma State, which lead the nation in rushing at 340.3 yards per game.
It will be the first road game for Cavanaugh, who Sherman added to last year's recruiting class along with six true freshman who also are playing.
"I don't care what you say, when you're being redshirted as opposed to not being redshirted, you learn a lot faster when you're not being redshirted," Sherman said. "You pay a lot better attention. Your attention to detail is more intense. We're hopeful that will happen with him, and we're just trying to get him ready to go. He has done some nice things in practice that warranted the fact that he could possibly contribute this year."
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Posted by: On: 10/2/2008
Comment Title:
Uh......that would be you JimBob !!! Hard to face the facts miller posts. Upsetting but factual. This is real JimBob.
Posted by: JimBob78 On: 10/2/2008
Comment Title: Well Said Whoop87
Who-uh! Whoop86 and Urethane100! About time some real Ags posted on this website! Yes the team is not playing well. It looks like the convergence of everything that could go wrong has gone wrong. Yes Fran could not identify defensive talent or defensive coaches. All you haters go post on your own teams (TT/tu) websites. How about some real sports talk on this thing and get rid of the whining crap!
Posted by: miller58 On: 10/2/2008
Comment Title: A&M recruited 20 difference makers last year!
My personal opinions: Dear pull your head out, A&M recruited over 20 difference makers last year. Three of those were great linebackers with 4.5 speed that committed to A&M. That nfl phenom Mike Sherman, wasn't able to hold/re-recruit any of them. They chose not to play for Sherman, but to commit to play for some one else. The cupboard was full until Sherman faied as a coach to hold/re-recruit some 17 A&M commits, so quite making whinny excuses that aren't true! The names and detail on the 3 great linebackers can be read below, and you can get a clue! miller58
Posted by: whoop86 On: 10/2/2008
Comment Title: Pull your head out
Did you read the article? Defenses revolve around great linebackers. Look at the great defenses around and they have all american linebackers. Look at great offenses around, and they have amazing offensive lines. What do we currently have: weak offensive line, inexperienced linebackers. It's been basically 10 years since we've brought in a great linebacker. Blame Fran for that (and inability to identify D talent). Looks like we're finally going to pull in talent (thanks Kines). Why do we have no offensive line? Again blame Fran. When we hired Sherman, the only thing that came to mind was that we will finally have a great O-Line again (for his sake, that better come next year). To think Sherman can produce (at a high level) with a weak O-line and 'fresh' linebackers is insane. Even look at Alabama, they already had talent and experience at those positions before Saban. Do I honestly expect us to win another game this year.... Let's just say I'm hopeful (and realistic).
Posted by: On: 10/1/2008
Comment Title:
hey urethane. can't believe i read that. guess what !!! there are magic coaches who win with limited talent every year. we just haven't seen one in a while. don't fret. maybe next year. (boy my psychologist was right. i do feel better).
Posted by: On: 10/1/2008
Comment Title: TO URETHANE 100
We too have followed this team for quite a while and some of us have never heard such unconditional LOVE spewed by those who keep stating "after only 4 games" and blind themselves to what is happening long term to our program. You need to keep in mind this just may not have been byrnes hire. It's not his style. We who post these thoughts do not "hate" anyone. We just do not need to watch you play 18 holes to evaluate your basic skills as a golfer......and more than anything else, WE CARE !!!! We who post on this site will not cause all the talent to come rushing in to sign nor will we prevent it. You tell us there urethane 100, what EXACTLY do YOU see from a COACHING or RECRUITING standpoint that gives you this apparent warm fuzzy feeling that we are on the right track. (that was EXACTLY....you know, like miller posts).
Posted by: urethane100 On: 10/1/2008
Comment Title: Whining Aggies
I have been following Texas A&M sthletics for 60 years and I have never seen such hate being thrown at coach Sherman and Bill Byrne. The criticism started when coach Sherman was hired and has intensified after only 4 games. A lot of Aggies think that there is a magic coach somewhere out there that can make a winner with limited talent. Bill Byrne has brought our athletic programs out of the abyss that Wally Groff created and he is still being criticized. The old saying that the only happy Aggie is an unhappy Aggie has never been more appropriate. I realize that many Aggies are great coaches, talent evaluators and recruiting experts but they are not accomplishing anything with all of this whning. Maybe it serves as good therapy for them.
Posted by: Seeing Stars On: 10/1/2008
Comment Title:
There are those who want to wait this out (give the guy a chance) but I believe we have seen about 80-90% of the available recruiting results that we can expect over the next few years. We just can't afford to dig the hole deeper and deeper to the point where even a great coach (if we could get one) could not get us out with the accumulated lack of talent on the squad. I also, cannot see evidence the current staff can produce competitive results with what it has onboard now.
Posted by: On: 10/1/2008
Comment Title:
........and how long will it take before no 4/5/3 will even look at your program because of it's losing season history in a town with no bling !!!
Posted by: On: 10/1/2008
Comment Title:
I don't care what they do, but we need to put The Texas Aggies back on the Top 25. Do something, where is my WRECKING CREW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: miller58 On: 10/1/2008
Comment Title: How Long Does it take to recognize A Good Recruiter? Not Long!
My personal opinions: How would you rate these recruiters their first year just out of the nfl? (1) Weis committed 12 4/5 star difference makers? (2) Saban committed 22 4/5 star differences? (3) Sherman committed only 4 4/5 star difference makers? Sherman already has 3 4/5 star difference makers decommitted this year and a fourth difference maker is visiting Alabama, soon to decommit? With 17 decommits last year that Sherman couldn't hold/re-recruit, over 40 offers out to 4/5 star difference makers this year, you pick out the complete dud at recruiting? miller58.
Posted by: On: 10/1/2008
Comment Title:
......and in terms of novice, intermediate, or advanced, how long do you have to watch a recruiter (salesman) to tell how good he is ??
Posted by: miller58 On: 10/1/2008
Comment Title: THE cupboard was full of four and five star players committed to A&M last year!
My personal opinions: These are linebackers with 4.5 speed that committed to A&M Last year: Four star linebacker Johnson 6-2 230 4.5 ? --- Four star linebacker Emanual Stephens 6-3 225 4.5 ? --- Three star linebacker Harper 6-4 220 4.5 ? I have to Ask , " what is wrong with Sherman that over 40 four and five star players offred this year and 17 A&M commits last year, chose not to play for him?" miller58