In the glory of days of Aggie football during the 80's and 90's, coaches Jackie Sherrill and R.C. Slocum would regularly land top high school football prospects from the state of Louisiana, a traditionally tough place for out of state schools to recruit from. Many great players, such as legendary quarterback Bucky Richardson, were plucked right from LSU's backyard. In more recent years, the dwindling of the Texas A&M football program in the last decade, coupled with the rise of the LSU program, had almost buried A&M's recruiting presence in the Pelican State. However, the recent commitment of Crowley, Louisiana running back Davante Bourque, along with previous pledges from top Louisiana prospects Darion Monroe and Alonzo Williams, appear to have re-established Texas A&M as a recruiting power in the state.
Head Coach Mike Sherman, as many know, cut his teeth as an assistant under R.C. Slocum in the early 90's. Since his arrival on campus, Sherman has had a plan to return A&M to glory by reviving much of what was done in that era, and extending his recruiting roots back into Louisiana was a major part of that plan. The commitment of Bourque is a significant victory for Sherman. It has always been tough, if not impossible, to pry a kid with an LSU scholarship offer away from the bayou. There is something in the water down there that keeps their kids at home. Not only does Bourque have a standing scholarship offer from LSU, but he also has offers from fellow SEC powers Arkansas and Tennessee, an impressive list for a kid who is a junior, and winning a head-to-head recruiting battle with a championship program like LSU is a major step for Sherman's staff.
Getting players like Bourque to A&M symbolizes that the Aggies are finally starting to get interest from the kinds of athletes that top programs covet. Guys that could eventually play on Sundays. If Sherman can put it together wins ON the field, these type of off the field wins will become a lot more common.