Stewart’s stupidity another black eye for a cursed class

Early Monday morning, Oregon receiver Evan Stewart was arrested on a DUI (driving under the influence of intoxicants) charge. He and other Oregon receivers are rumored to have fled from Springfield (Ore.) police in a high speed chase before Stewart was arrested. The others haven’t been arrested yet, and maybe they won’t be.

But the word that Stewart (27 catches, 352 yards, 4 TD) had been arrested brought three related thoughts to mind. First, what a shock it is to see one of Texas A&M’s 2022 signees doing something stupid behind the wheel of a car! Second, what an incredible disaster that class turned out to be and third, how that class ended up screwing Mike Elko almost as much as Jimbo Fisher.

I’m not surprised Stewart got arrested. He had made sure he was labeled a diva and a punk long before he left Aggieland, to the point where he went into newly-hired coach Elko’s office and demanded a pay raise, only to be told to take a hike (allegedly). I have never heard another player discuss Stewart. Nothing good, nothing bad – just like he didn’t exist. That’s the highest level of contempt. But he’s a million miles from being the biggest problem child in that 2022 class.

I don’t think I’ve done this on The Huddle, but let’s take a look at that horror that was the 2022 class – the greatest in history.

5-star DE Shemar Stewart: Didn’t fill the stat sheet at A&M, but stuck around and became a first round pick.

5-star CB Denver Harris: In his fifth college season, Harris has become a force with 18 tackles and 2 forced fumbles for UNLV – his third team. Still probably best known for his Knight Rider imitation in the Koldus parking garage.

5-star S Jacoby Mathews: On Auburn’s roster. Does not play.

5-star Walter Nolen: Not bad, when he played. Also developed a diva reputation and was frequently “hurt”. Wanted a pay raise, didn’t get it, went to Ole Miss, played well, got drafted in the first round and he’s been a disappointment.

5-star LT Overton: Not a bad person, just poorly used by DJ Durkin. Transferred to Alabama and is now in the NFL.

5-star DT Gabe Dindy: Barely made an impact at A&M. Transferred to South Carolina where he has…one tackle this year.

5-star QB Conner Weigman: Got hurt and didn’t help himself off the field at A&M, but finally has turned the corner in his fifth season at Houston.

4-star DE Anthony Lucas: Transferred to USC after one season at A&M. Didn’t do anything until his senior year, when he had 31 tackles and 3.5 sacks – 2 against Georgia Southern.

4-star DE Enai White: Has three tackles this year for Oklahoma State. That ties his 2023 and 2025 totals at Penn State. His career high in tackles remains 8, with A&M in 2022.

4-star DB Bryce Anderson: Still around, but only on special teams.

4-star OL Kam Dewberry: Part-time starter, couldn’t pass Chase Bisontis or Ar’maj Reed-Adams, so he transferred to Alabama for a year. Started there, but now out of football.

4-star OL PJ Williams: Got busted for felony drug possession and kicked off the team his freshman year. Transferred to SMU, got his act together and is now a potential first round pick as a right tackle. Which would have been nice to have at A&M.

4-star TE Jake Johnson: 9 catches for 67 yards this year at Auburn, his third school.

4-star CB Smoke Bouie: Kicked off the team at A&M, went to Georgia, got kicked off the team there and the last time he made any headlines was as a fugitive from justice in Georgia.

4-star WR Chris Marshall: Superstar talent was kicked off the team at A&M, went to Ole Miss, got kicked off there, went to JUCO, then to Boise State and now is one of the SEC’s leading receivers at Arkansas.

4-star RB Le’Veon Moss: Very good running back when healthy and beloved by the Aggie fanbase. Forced to retire due to injuries. Has still caught two charges, including a felony after a shooting incident involving his son over the summer in Baton Rouge.

4-star DE Malick Sylla: Didn’t do much at A&M, had a decent 2025 at Mississippi State, career over.

4-star DE Marquis Groves-Killebrew: Did nothing at A&M. Had a really good 2024 at Arizona after not playing in 2023; transferred to Cal this season and has 5 total tackles.

4-star TE Donovan Green: Good freshman year, then an ACL Injury wrecked him. Was at LSU, now at Oklahoma State and not playing.

4-star TE Theo Ohrstrom: Finally developed into a solid tight end last season, then transferred to SMU and is having a great season there, with 13 catches, 138 yards and 4 TD.

4-star OL Hunter Erb: Two-year starter at Tulsa. Played in four games, all starts, this year.

4-star CB Bobby Taylor: Never played.

4-star LB Martrell Harris: Never played, left school, and literally dropped off the face of the Earth.

4-star DL Jadon Scarlett: Played infrequently, retired and is now trying to get started as a scout.

3-star WR Noah Thomas: Would have been a starting WR with KC Concepcion and Mario Craver last year after leading the team in receiving yards in 2024, but transferred to Georgia in a move that backfired terribly. Is on the Bengals’ roster.

3-star OL Mark Nabou: Three year starter. The only real success story.

3-star S Jared Kerr: Played for four years, got his ring and degree.

3-star LB Ish Thomas: Flunked out of both A&M and UH and poof! Vanished.

3-star PK Ethan Moczulski: Transferred to Illinois where he lost the kicking job to a guy named David Olano.

This is, without question, the class that killed Jimbo FIsher and may have ended his chances at getting another job, because this was not only a class that flipped, it showed a lack of emphasis on character evaluation. It’s hard to win when you sign a bunch of idiots.

It may also be the class that cost A&M a national championship last year. Ifs and buts and all that, but look at this: add Thomas back with Concepcion and Craver. Even Marshall, if you want, if it’s the 2025-26 model. PJ Williams probably starts at right tackle. Walter Nolen would have been nice along with Tyler Onyedim, Albert Regis and DJ Hicks, but he would have gone pro already. And what if they had the 2026 version of Weigman?

But I wouldn’t want Stewart back. Ever.

The Aggies got four years (or more) of service from Ohrstrom, Moss, Scarlett and Kerr. That’s it. They got three good years from Stewart and one really good one from Thomas.

What an absolute waste of a class. They’re why Elko is here and why the 2027 recruiting class will be the most closely scrutinized in program history.

Has Wiggins had an epiphany?

I think it’s pretty safe to say now that the Holomon Wiggins as OC experiment has been a failure to this point. The season isn’t over, but Wiggins is probably coaching the final five or six games to avoid a “co-” tag in 2027.

The problem with Wiggins honestly hasn’t been his playcalling, per se; it’s that his playcalls don’t really fit the guys he’s working with. Marcel Reed has been at his best, in the past, using the middle of the field. He really hasn’t been a guy who does a lot in the horizontal offense. Honestly, I can’t remember any Aggie offense that has run quick passes at the line of scrimmage or bubble screens effectively. Without Mario Craver at 100% and no Terry Bussey and Ashton Bethel-Roman, two-receiver routes trying to get deep aren’t working well either. Some of that is on Reed; some of that is on the offensive line. But they just haven’t been effective.

Reed has two other problems. He still struggles against zone coverages and he does not operate well running RPOs. I don’t think you can do much with the first one right now. You can do something about the second.

I’ve also had issues with the running game and how it’s been blocked. There have been too many counters, too many linemen pulling and there just being a jame at the line of scrimmage. I didn’t see much of that at all against The Citadel. It was just simple zone blocking, taking on the guy in front of you. With the size of A&M’s offensive line, that sounds like a pretty good way to go about doing business.

I also really liked the use of tempo Saturday. Going 98 yards in 11 plays in two minutes, 17 seconds is moving fast. All of the touchdown drives under Reed were moving at a good pace. None of them lasted longer than three minutes, 55 seconds. That’s how you have to work with Reed – work fast, make him get rid of the ball quickly or get to running. Protect him from himself.

Obviously, The Citadel is the easiest opponent on the schedule. But that’s the type of team you try things against in live fire. I liked the new things they showed and, if they’re smart, they’ll use them again in Tuscaloosa Saturday.

The biggest disaster in Texas?

Ok, blind team test. This team is in the SEC. They entered the year with high expectations. Currently, they are:

93rd in total offense

64th in scoring offense

102nd in rushing offense

134 in tackles for loss allowed

120th in sacks allowed

74th in passing offense

103rd in turnover margin at -3

Their head coach is catching hell for not making adjustments. The fanbase wants the starting multi-year starting quarterback benched for an 18-year-old. The offensive line, which was the beneficiary of a whole lot of money in the offseason, stinks.

So you know who it is, right? I mean, it’s obvious. You’ve been watching the offensive ineptitude all season.

That’s right – Hook ‘em.

Those stats, which are very similar, if not worse than, A&M’s stats, belong to the team that was number one in the nation three weeks ago.

A&M fans have been giving Rueben Owens crap about his subpar season, as he’s only averaging 4.1 yards a carry – which is not good. But Texas spent millions, literally, to bring in Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown, and they’re averaging 4.4 and 4.3 YPC. And Owens has rushed for more yards. Marcel Reed has had a horrible season, and has thrown for just 1,227 yards. Arch Manning has thrown for 1,295. Now, to be clear – Manning has been better in every statistical category, but when you’re being compared to Reed at his absolute worst? Yeah, that’s not good.

Last year, Manning completed 62% of his passes. He’s up to 64%. He threw 7 interceptions all season; he’s already thrown 5. He was only sacked 23 times last year; he’s already been down 17 times this year. As is the case with A&M, not all of that is on the line.

Yes, Manning has played better than Reed. But Marcel was not a 5-star, God Amongst Men top player in the nation. He’s the reason that Texas went out and got Cam Coleman, Smothers and Brown. They were a step away. Instead, he’s regressed and his line isn’t nearly as good as it was made out to be. Again, sounds familiar.

Every single Texas starter one offense is draft-eligible. All of them. Of course, with the exception of KJ Edwards (who is averaging more than 2 yards a carry more than either Texas big ticket item) and Kiotti Armstrong, all of A&M’s starters are too. But Marcel Reed wasn’t supposed to win the Heisman and be the first pick in the draft. That was Arch.

So is it all Manning’s fault? Maybe not. There’s a whole lot of griping amongst people who watch them closer than me that say Steve Sarkisian should get the lion’s share of the blame. They’re saying the offense has gotten stale, too predictable, he shouldn’t be calling the plays and the quarterbacks have little to no control over the play once it’s called.

Now, if that doesn’t sound familiar, I don’t know what does. And I’m not talking about Elko, Collin Klein or Holmon Wiggins.

For all his troubles, Marcel Reed has the ability to audible and has done so frequently. One person on X, who watches Manning closely, said he couldn’t remember Arch making a line check once in his Texas career. That’s insanity (if true).

The Texas offense has been, to this point, a disaster. But they’re not running a new scheme with a new coordinator. They’re running the Sark offense with Sark calling plays. And they suck. That’s like getting all the toys you wanted for Christmas and then leaving them out in the rain to rust. It’s all on you and it’s a waste of money.

In the span of two weeks, Texas has gone from number one to being one of only three teams in history to be the top-ranked team in the country and lose two straight to unranked teams. Their next four: Ole Miss, Mississippi State, at Missouri and at LSU. And they will likely not have Colin Simmons for any of them. Texas 8&4 may not be the Aggies. Hell, it may not even be Texas if something doesn’t change. And this was the year. All the stars aligned.

So if this isn’t the year, what about next year? Right now, Texas’ 2027 recruiting class is pretty good. They have a 5-star and 12 4-stars. A&M has five 5-stars and 14 4-stars. Elko will likely have more to work with coming in. Texas is going to have to spend heavily again, and are they going to want to do that if Sark misses the CFP again?

Aggies are upset about the issues in year three under Elko. Texas is in year six of Sarkisian, and I’m really beginning to think he’s going to be out of a job at the end of the year.

After all, his buyout will only be $50.15 million. That’s child’s play in these parts.

Looking ahead to A&M’s 2027 roster — Buy or sell?

Now, let’s flip this on its head. We’ve talked about Texas having to spend heavily, so what do you do in A&M’s case? I discussed this somewhere last week, but let’s just mess around with my theory that most Aggies who are draft eligible or would have been out of eligibility return because it’s the smartest move for them. Let’s also presume there’s a change at quarterback, which seems very likely at this point. With all these hypotheticals, let’s look at what they’d have starting (barring transfers):

A * are for guys who remain eligible thanks to 5 for 5.

QB: TBD (Brady Hart, in this case)

RB: KJ Edwards

TE: Kiotti Armstrong

WR: Terry Bussey

WR: Ashton Bethel-Roman

WR: Mario Craver (yeah, I said it. If he can’t get healthy, it’s hard to rationalize him leaving – especially early)

LT: Tyree Adams*

LG: Trovon Baugh*

C: Sam Roseborough

RG: Wilkin Formby*

RT: Lamont Rogers

DE: Marco Jones

DT: DJ Hicks* (same as Craver – he has to have a big second half)

DT: Landon Rink

DE: Bryce Perry-Wright

LB: Daymion Sanford*

LB: Ray Coney*

NICKEL: Jordan Shaw*

CB: Rickey Gibson*

S: Dalton Brooks*

S: Tawfiq Byard*

CB: Brandon Arrington?

I think you can invest in this group and win big. I really do. You need stability at quarterback and maybe another experienced receiver, but TK Norman and Aaron Gregory have to factor in here. I would be looking for a new left tackle and left guard, in particular, and depth at guard. With Mark Matthews, Zaden Krempin, Kaeden Scott and (hopefully) DeMarrion Johnson, they should have some talent at tackle that’s a year away. With Kennedy Brown currently the only guard committed, I’m not sure they have that luxury on the interior.

On defense, they need a pass rusher. If Hicks does leave, they’ll need another experienced big body, but Rink, Brandon Davis-Swain and DJ Sanders look like the top three of the future. They’ll definitely need an experienced corner, though I do think Arrington, Adonyss Currie, Vic Singleton, Kamarui Dorsey, Loia Valade and Hakim Frampton give them something to work with.

So, BMAs: What they have is a very experienced roster for 2027, even if some of these guys don’t stick around. They need a quarterback and that should be the bank breaker. Then a bigtime offensive tackle, some guards and explosive receiver. Improve your pass rush and get a corner.

Did I miss anything?

Where’s the Bottom 10? You’ll find out shortly.

OUr SPonsor

Owned by two Texas Aggie lettermen, Crystal Creek Partners specializes in commercial and residential real estate properties in the College Station area. Their properties are all custom newer construction in prime locations, including homes in The Estates of College Station and Commercial Spaces in South College Station’s Tower Point and Tower Center. If you’re looking for a single-family home for 4 students or flexible space for your growing business, reach out to Crystal Creek Partners to learn more.Crystal Creek Partners is looking to expand their property portfolio in the College Station area to include additional student rentals and VRBO properties. If you are interested in selling a property, we’d love to talk.

Doug Brown, an owner in Crystal Creek Partners, is also an acclaimed real estate agent with Compass Realty specializing in The Woodlands, Tomball, Magnolia, and Montgomery markets. He is also well versed in the Bryan/College Station market if you are looking to find the perfect game day second home or investment property.For more information, Email doug@tammyhendricksteam.