As college sports season ends and the doldrums of the college football offseason swing into full force, the recruiting trail is still being used as much as the Silk Road in China, especially in the wake of the Baylor football scandal.
More information related to the scandal seems to come out every day and some of Baylor’s most prized commits have abandoned the sinking ship in Waco. Granted releases from National Letters of Intent have sparked a full-fledged recruiting war and it has become a revolving door of de-commitments from the Bear program.
A&M’s arch-rival Texas has managed to snag the majority of the Baylor cast-offs but ultimately, A&M landed one of the most important ones Monday afternoon.
Four-star quarterback and No. 1 rated 2017 dual-threat Kellen Mond made a surprising choice Monday night, choosing to commit to A&M over Auburn, the presumptive favorite going into the announcement.
Obviously, with all the brouhaha concerning quarterback transfers and inability to keep top-rated talent endured in the last six to eight months, Mond is a huge pick-up for Sumlin and the Aggies.
And should he stay committed, he has the tools to become top of the class, my dude. Previously committed to Baylor, Mond will be playing his senior year at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. As a junior, he played at Regan High School in San Antonio and during that time, he put on quite the show.
Accumulating a 57 percent completion percentage, he threw 24 touchdowns against just three picks and punished teams with his legs, rushing for 918 yards and five touchdowns on the year. In fact, a few people have already compared him to Johnny Manziel, which is a bit extreme this early in the process.
However, the stats and comparisons are not what are most impressive about Mond.
When watching his tape, he does not mold to the stereotype of a dual-threat quarterback. Most will run at the first sign of trouble and are typically “run-first” minded.
Mond is different.
His six foot two frame gives him enough height and size to stay in the pocket, which he does brilliantly. When Mond sees trouble, he stands in and goes through his progressions, running only if he has to. He makes accurate, deep throws from the pocket which is something A&M has not seen at the quarterback position since Ryan Tannehill or even before that.
Along with all his tangible assets, Mond brings a sense of stability to the quarterback position. When Trevor Knight departs, 2017 will become a three-way quarterback position battle between Jake Hubenak, Kellen Mond and Nick Starkel. Ultimately however, Mond fits the prototypical “mold” of an SEC quarterback and could be the starter come opening day of the 2017 season.
Due to his size, speed, football IQ and arm strength, Mond has the physical tools and athletic potential to become a monster in A&M’s tempo-based spread offense. Should he honor his commitment, tag teamed alongside Christian Kirk and the Aggie receiving corps, Mond could lead A&M to big things in 2017.
So, as Baylor’s sinking ship takes on water, A&M and Texas continue to benefit. And while Texas landed the majority of players, and put together a very solid roster, A&M might be the biggest “winner” thus far from an ugly, ugly situation unfolding in Waco.