The decommitment of one highly regarded quarterback prospect led to an eventful night -- and not in a good way -- for the Texas A&M Aggies.
ESPN 300 quarterback Tate Martell, the third-ranked dual-threat quarterback in the 2017 class, announced Wednesday that he was reopening his recruiting process, ending his longtime commitment to Texas A&M.
Martell, who plays at Las Vegas high school powerhouse Bishop Gorman, committed to the Aggies last August but gradually softened on Texas A&M in recent months, announcing last month that he was planning to take visits and was still listening to other schools. He made his decision public via Twitter on Wednesday:
After talking with my family about
— Tate Martell (@TheTateMartell) May 5, 2016
what is best for my future, I have
decided to reopen my recruiting
process.
Things got interesting when minutes after Martell's announcement, Texas A&M receivers coach Aaron Moorehead tweeted about "loyalty."
I feel sorry for ppl who never understand loyalty. I can't really even vibe with u. At the end of the day trust is 💯 & everything else is BS
— Aaron Moorehead (@Amo8685) May 5, 2016
More tweets of a similar theme followed that one shortly thereafter, including one claiming that Moorehead "wasn't even talking about who everyone thinks I'm talking about." (NCAA rules dictate that college coaches cannot publicly mention a prospective student-athlete by name until he signs a letter of intent or financial aid agreement with the school.)
I wasn't even talking about who everyone thinks I'm talking about. I didn't even know #badtiming #relevanttho #stillnoloyalty
— Aaron Moorehead (@Amo8685) May 5, 2016
Later on, receiver Mannie Netherly, the No. 181 overall player in the ESPN 300, announced he decommitted and referenced the tweets from his "future coach" in his Twitter post. Netherly originally committed to the Aggies in November but recently visited LSU and even sported LSU gloves at The Opening Houston Regional. But he had maintained he was committed to Texas A&M.
‼️‼️ pic.twitter.com/2g0ee2pRkA
— Mannie Netherly (@yovng_netherly) May 5, 2016
Moorehead didn't back off his original comments.
People act like the truth is all the sudden a bad thing. Society is too sensitive. Y'all boys soft. #texastough
— Aaron Moorehead (@Amo8685) May 5, 2016
I love Texas A&M football. I guard it and respect it with my life. I don't take that lightly day to day
— Aaron Moorehead (@Amo8685) May 5, 2016
Wednesday night's events, however, caught the attention of other recruits, including ESPN 300 receiver Tyjon Lindsey:
I would like to say thank you to TAMU & fans but due to some tweets subtweeted towards my brother, I will no longer be looking at A&M.
— Tyjon A. Lindsey ® (@tyjonlindsey) May 5, 2016
Utah 2016 athlete signee Davir Hamilton also chimed in.
Texas A&M probably just got dropped by 25 recruits
— Davir Hamilton (@EspnHam9) May 5, 2016
Some recruits seemed to echo a similar sentiment to Moorehead's, including 2017 linebacker Ariel Ngata from California:
to anyone that might not understand 💁 pic.twitter.com/XlYqVtd9RQ
— Ariel Ngata (@IAMNGATA) May 5, 2016
Or Stanford 2016 quarterback signee K.J. Costello, also an ESPN 300 recruit:
I'm not gonna lie recruiting is heading in a dangerous direction... Too many offers, too early, leading to unstable commitments
— LilKev (@kj_costello) May 5, 2016
