Kevin Sumlin has laid siege to East Texas.

The latest dividend for the Aggies came Thursday afternoon, when Sulphur Springs junior standout Larry Pryor committed to Texas A&M.

Pryor, who exploded on offense as a junior after a breakout defensive campaign in 2012, is the third high-profile East Texas recruit in the 2015 class to commit to the Aggies. He joins Gladewater defensive tackle Daylon Mack and Whitehouse safety Justin Dunning as the region's juniors already pledged to Sumlin and company.

Texas A&M is 1 of 10 schools to already offer Pryor, whose offer list is as follows: the Aggies, Arkansas, Baylor, LSU, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, and Texas Tech.

Sulphur Springs quarterback Larry Pryor (18) tries escape Texas High's Anthony Rhone (8) during the Tigers' 43-7 Oct. 18 win in Texarkana. (Evan Lewis, ETSN.fm)
Sulphur Springs quarterback Larry Pryor (18) tries escape Texas High's Anthony Rhone (8) during the Tigers' 43-7 Oct. 18 win in Texarkana. (Evan Lewis, ETSN.fm)
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After leading Sulphur Springs with 118 tackles as a sophomore safety, Pryor moved to quarterback in 2013, when he had a monster season running head coach Greg Owens' uptempo spread offense. The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder accounted for 3,693 total yards of offense with 26 touchdown passes and only six interceptions. He threw for 2,666 yards and ran for 1,027 yards and 16 touchdowns as the Wildcats went 8-4 and reached the second round of the Class 4A Division II Region II playoffs.

Despite the huge offensive effort, Pryor will likely spend his college career at safety. He's a physical back-end defender who is unafraid of coming downhill in run support. Pryor has the proverbial "nose for the ball" and can separate receivers from the ball.

The potential of a future Pryor-and-Dunning safety tandem has to have Aggie fans fired up, especially considering how well they would complement each other. While Dunning is the larger of the two, his speed and athleticism would allow him to cover a ton of territory over the top, while Pryor's physical nature and willingness to crash into the box fit the strong safety spot well.

Pryor and Dunning are two examples of an obvious commitment by Sumlin and his staff to re-establish Texas A&M as a recruiting force in East Texas.

Sulphur Springs' Larry Pryor runs with the ball during a Division I 7-on-7 football state qualifier tournament June 15 at Tyler's Lindsey Park. (Christopher Vinn, ETSN.fm)
Sulphur Springs' Larry Pryor runs with the ball during a Division I 7-on-7 football state qualifier tournament June 15 at Tyler's Lindsey Park. (Christopher Vinn, ETSN.fm)
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That commitment can be seen especially on the defensive side of the ball. Carthage product Isaiah Golden started much of the season as a true freshman nose tackle this past fall. Longview defensive tackle product Zaycoven Henderson enrolled at Texas A&M a couple of weeks ago. Then there's Gilmer linebacker Josh Walker, who is set to sign with the Aggies next Wednesday on National Signing Day.

But East Texans can also be found on offense. Carthage product/A&M redshirt freshman receiver Edward Pope, Cayuga product/junior receiver Malcome Kennedy, and Liberty-Eylau product/sophomore running back Tra Carson, who transferred from Oregon, are already playing for the Aggies. Lufkin receiver Jamal Jeffery plans to sign with the Aggies next week, and Sumlin and his staff have already offered Longview 2015 running back JaMycal Hasty, who already holds seven FBS offers.

In all, 10 East Texans in the 2014 and 2015 classes hold Aggie offers. Six of those -- including Henderson -- are committed to the Aggies.

Gilmer's Kris Boyd, a two-way standout for the Buckeyes who projects as a top-tier cornerback prospect, could be the next East Texan offered by Texas A&M after spending this past Sunday at the Aggies' junior day.

East Texans Committed to Texas A&M

2014 and 2015 Classes
  • 2014 -- Zaycoven Henderson, DT, Longview (already enrolled)
  • 2014 -- Jamal Jeffery, WR, Lufkin
  • 2014 -- Josh Walker, LB, Gilmer
  • 2015 -- Justin Dunning, S/ATH, Whitehouse
  • 2015 -- Daylon Mack, DT, Gladewater
  • 2015 -- Larry Pryor, S, Sulphur Springs

 

Additional Texas A&M Offers in 2014 and 2015 Classes

  • 2014 -- K.D. Cannon, WR., Mount Pleasant (committed to Baylor)
  • 2014 -- Davion Hall, ATH, Liberty-Eylau (committed to Baylor)
  • 2014 -- Kevin Shorter, ATH, Newton (committed to Texas)
  • 2015 -- JaMycal Hasty, RB, Longview (seven FBS offers)

 

East Texans Already Playing for Texas A&M

  • Tra Carson, Soph., RB, Liberty-Eylau (transferred from Oregon)
  • Isaiah Golden, Fr., DT, Carthage
  • Malcome Kennedy, Jr., WR, Cayuga
  • Edward Pope, RS Fr., WR, Carthage

 

2015 East Texas Football Players With Division I FBS Offers

  • Kris Boyd, ATH, Gilmer, 6-0, 175 -- offers from Arkansas, Baylor, Cal, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech (8)
  • Nate Brooks, DB, Whitehouse, 6-0, 150 -- offers from Louisiana Tech, North Texas (2)
  • Key'Vantanie "KeKe" Coutee, ATH, Lufkin, 5-10, 160 -- offers from Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech (3)
  • Justin Dunning, WR/S, Whitehouse, 6-4, 200 -- committed to Texas A&M; additional offers from Baylor, Florida State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas Tech, Vanderbilt (9)
  • Brandon Durman, LB, Tyler Lee, 6-2, 210 -- offer from Louisiana Tech (1)
  • JaMycal Hasty, RB, Longview, 5-9, 181 -- offers from Baylor, Houston, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech (7)
  • Blake Lynch, QB/ATH, Troup, 6-3, 193 -- committed to Baylor; additional offers from Clemson, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, TCU (6)
  • Daylon Mack, DT, Gladewater, 6-1, 311 -- committed to Texas A&M; additional offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Baylor, Clemson, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, SMU, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech, USC (17)
  • Terry Mark, WR, Lufkin, 6-1, 180 -- offer from Houston (1)
  • Erik McCoy, OL, Lufkin, 6-4, 297 -- offer from Houston (1)
  • Larry Pryor, S, Sulphur Springs, 6-1, 185 -- committed to Texas A&M; additional offers from Arkansas, Baylor, LSU, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech (10)
  • Matthew Weeks, OT, Tyler Lee, 6-5, 260 -- offer from SMU (1)

 

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