By Matthew Osborne
SouthernPigskin.com

Follow us at Twitter.com/SouthernPigskin.  Become a fan at the SouthernPigskin.com Facebook Page

Texas A&M and new head coach Kevin Sumlin have been dealt a very powerful hand by being the lone Texas representative in the SEC.

Despite being located in the state that typically produces the most FBS football recruits in the nation, the Texas A&M Aggies have never been considered one of the truly elite recruiting powers nationally.

A quick look at the dynamics that have been in play for the Aggies over the past decade makes it easier to understand why this has been the case.

As a Big 12 program, the Aggies were competing with three other in-state conference rivals for the state’s top recruits. Additionally, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State frequently found tremendous success poaching elite recruits from the Lone Star State. Program prestige was also a difficult sell for the Aggies, as Texas and Oklahoma were bigger household names when it came to recruiting.

Fortunately for Texas A&M fans, those dynamics which hindered recruiting in the past have now been minimized with the Aggie’s move to the SEC.

Now in the nation’s most powerful conference, the Aggies can stake claim to being the only Texas program in the SEC. Texas high school prospects that wish to play SEC football, but also hope to stay close to home, now have the option to play their college football in nearby College Station.

As expected, this move to the SEC has paid immediate dividends for the Aggies on the recruiting trail.

Barely two months into a new recruiting cycle, the Aggies have already landed 13 verbal commits for the class of 2013. To this point, only Michigan has more verbal commitments for the 2013 class (15).

The Aggie’s early success hasn’t solely been predicated on their quantity of recruits, however. According to Scout.com, the Aggie’s average star rating for the 2013 class currently sits at an impressive 3.54, which includes WR Quincy Adeboyejo, who has yet to be ranked. Assuming that Adeboyejo ends up as a three-star recruit, which is a fairly safe bet, the Aggie’s average star rating would then increase to 3.77. That star rating would have been good for the fifth-best average in last year’s class, trailing only Alabama, Florida State, Texas and USC.

The star of the class is WR Derrick Griffin, who is ranked as a five-star prospect and the No. 4 wide receiver in the nation. He is not the only elite prospect, however, as each of the Aggie’s current commits have been ranked as one of the 37 best players at their respective position, again with the exception of Adeboyejo.

Texas A&M and new head coach Kevin Sumlin have been dealt a very powerful hand by being the lone Texas representative in the SEC. Being a member of the nation’s top conference is obviously a very strong selling point, and it is apparent that the Aggies are doing their best to take advantage of the situation.

Expect Texas A&M to be near the top of the recruiting rankings on Signing Day next year.