The Texas A&M football program is in the midst of a lot of changes. Jimbo Fisher was fired after failing to bring the Aggies any type of success despite getting top recruits. As with many programs that go through coaching changes, some players are deciding to leave. The Aggies lost a massive piece on Sunday when former No. 1 overall recruit Walter Nolen announced he would enter the transfer portal.
BREAKING: Texas A&M DL Walter Nolen plans to enter the Transfer Portal, he tells @on3sports
The 6’5 300 DL was ranked as the No. 1 Recruit in the 2022 Class 👀
Will have 2 years of eligibility remaininghttps://t.co/jStSukaXte pic.twitter.com/AagEGY2udO
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) December 4, 2023
Texas A&M DL Walter Nolen Enters The Transfer Portal
Nolen was the top recruit in the 2022 class. He enters the transfer portal with two years remaining of eligibility. The 6-foot-5, 300-pound defensive lineman immediately becomes one of the top targets in the portal. He ends his career with the Aggies with 66 tackles and five sacks. He had this to say in a statement.
“First off I wanna thank God for putting me in the position that I am in today. It has been a good run over the past 2 years, a lot of ups and downs.
Being here at Texas A&M has taught me a lot, on and off the field, but with that being said I will be entering my name into the transfer portal with 2 years of eligibility.
My Recruitment is WIDE OPEN!”
Not Great But Not A Suprise
For Elko, this isn’t great. Obviously, he would want to keep a player of Nolen’s stature on the roster. However, this is the price of changing coaches. Even before the transfer portal became more prevalent in college football, coaching changes brought about a lot of player movement. Nolen was recruited by Fisher and likely came based on what he was selling. Now, he is exercising his choice to go elsewhere. It isn’t ideal for Elko and the Aggies but it isn’t necessarily surprising.
The Aggies have their work cut out for them but they have one of the best structures for NIL in the country. They should have no problem attracting other top recruits to the program.
