College football: 10 teams that could be the next Georgia

After Johnny Manziel and Kevin Sumlin exploded onto the national scene in 2012, Texas A&M looked like the next Alabama. Sumlin elevated the Aggies’ recruiting to a point that when he left, the program ranked No. 15 in the 247Sports Team Talent Composite, though that doesn’t include a few five-star prospects that either transferred or left school early for the NFL.

Unfortunately for A&M, Sumlin wasn’t able to take the next step and the Aggies averaged eight wins per year in his final five seasons. After the program grew stagnant, Texas A&M fired Sumlin and went all-in to land Jimbo Fisher, a national championship winning coach who posted a worse record in the regular season (6-6) than Sumlin did (7-5).

However, Fisher was an even better recruiter than Sumlin. The Seminoles ranked fifth in the Team Talent Composite and were one of just three FBS programs with 10 five-star prospects on the 2017 roster. He also won more. Florida State averaged 10.4 wins with Fisher on the sidelines from 2010-17.

Texas A&M also checks a lot of the boxes for a team aiming to make a jump to national championship contender. The Aggies are experienced at quarterback and all five starters return on the offensive line. There are playmakers at the offensive skill positions as well, including a host of talented young receivers. Defensively, nine of the team’s top 10 tacklers are back from last year, and the linebacker corps returns intact. Plus, Fisher landed defensive coordinator Mike Elko — one of the most respected defensive minds in the nation — from Notre Dame.

As always, the SEC West poses a huge challenge, and this year’s slate includes trips to Tuscaloosa, Auburn, and Starkville. Plus, playoff fixture Clemson visits College Station in September. However, on the flip side, such high profile contests create opportunities for what could be a new and improved Aggies squad.