COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Kevin Sumlin didn’t shy away from the notion that the next two or three seasons will likely define his time at Texas A&M.

“Yeah,” he said Wednesday, fiddling with a pen and a highlighter on his desk before looking up. “I think that’s fair.”

The honeymoon phase is most certainly over. Sumlin, entering his fourth season, is no longer new at Texas A&M. And Texas A&M isn’t new to the SEC.

Instead of everyone finding their footing, there is angst following an 8-5 season -- and a strange sensation that the Aggies are not all that close to the top of the SEC West. Difficult as the division is, they are entering a window in which they must perform. Now.

“Here’s where we are,” Sumlin said. “What do we need to do better?”

The offense has needed depth, he said. The defense has needed talent.

The coaching staff believes -- or at least hopes -- those needs have been addressed the past three signing days. Youth can no longer be a crutch for A&M -- not after signing ESPN RecruitingNation’s eighth-rated class in 2013, the No. 4 class in 2014 and the No. 12 class in 2015.

That sort of recruiting run means you either deliver soon and compete at a high level -- or risk being fired.

Highlighted by a pair of five-stars, QB Kyler Murray and DT Daylon Mack, the 2015 class is one that Sumlin called “stabilizing.” Another word could be “complementary.” It’s a group meant to build on what’s been started already.

“Someone asked me, ‘When’s this talent going to pay dividends?’ ” Sumlin said. “I said, ‘Well, there were freshmen and sophomores playing the last two years.’

“So you’d think it would start to pay off this year.”

That’s what happens at Ohio State …

“Or Alabama,” Sumlin added.

Without question, there are some players of that ilk on campus. Sophomore receiver Speedy Noil is one, and the Aggies added a similar speed threat in Christian Kirk. A coach at another school, perhaps embellishing, said Wednesday that Kirk was the “best athlete on the planet.”

The Aggies also like athletic tight end Jordan Davis to provide a different offensive dynamic. (Davis, Kirk and five other signees are already enrolled.)

And if defensive talent was lacking, as Sumlin admitted, the matter has been adequately answered with the likes of defensive end Myles Garrett in the 2014 class and Mack in 2015. The Aggies also added several defensive backs this year who had the coaches raving. Among them were ESPN 300 recruits Justin Dunning, Roney Elam and Larry Pryor Jr. and junior college product Justin Evans. They could all play roles this fall. After all, Sumlin pointed out that the Aggies played two freshman safeties in the Liberty Bowl win.

On top of the personnel, and perhaps even more importantly, Sumlin added veteran SEC defensive coordinator John Chavis to replace Mark Snyder. Sumlin all but said Wednesday that Mack’s school choice was finalized by luring Chavis from LSU.

“He’s already had an impact in what we do,” Sumlin said of Chavis, whom he called “the first piece” of his offseason checklist. “It’s done nothing but help us. … He has a proven track record of not just good but great defense and placing guys in the NFL at a lot of different positions.”

And then there’s Murray.

America woke up one day to find Johnny Manziel a college football folk hero. Well, Murray is already a legend in Texas. His father, Kevin, played quarterback at A&M. Kyler went 42-0 at Allen High and put up absurd numbers on a weekly basis at the highest level of Texas high school ball.

Unlike Manziel, Murray is not sneaking up on anyone. That includes sophomore Kyle Allen, the five-star signee in the 2014 class who seized the quarterback job late last season as a freshman. Allen doesn’t intend to bow out to anyone, even if it’s to someone who actually embraces Johnny Football comparisons.

Offensive coordinator Jake Spavital said he loves Allen’s evolving talent and spunky, determined attitude. But his face lights up when talking about Murray leading a second-half comeback in the state semifinals against Dallas Skyline.

Allen High trailed 34-17. The team scored the final 35 points to win 52-34.

“The kid caught fire,” Spavital said. “When he does that, it’s unbelievable to watch. I’ve never seen anything like it. I went to every single one of his games that I could, and not just because we were recruiting him. You want to watch him play.”

Murray’s blindside blocker in high school was Greg Little. The Allen High left tackle is RecruitingNation’s No. 1 junior in the country. He has been an A&M commitment since June.

Yeah, you guessed why. He wants to continue playing with Murray.

“Everyone wants to play with Kyler,” Spavital said. “Everyone wants to be around him. He’s that kind of kid.”

The University of Texas was the greatest threat a week ago. But with the Longhorns now vanquished, professional baseball -- and the June draft -- becomes the new nemesis.

Put it this way: The in-home visit last week that clinched Murray’s A&M pledge was sandwiched between two National League East visitors to see the hot shortstop prospect.

“I think he has a [signing bonus] number,” Sumlin said. “If they get that number, then it’s something they’re going to look at hard. If they don’t get that number, I think he continues to play [football] and try to play both and see what happens. He’s talented.”

The Aggies would clearly prefer to have Murray. But they wouldn’t necessarily feel doomed without him.

The strategic work extends well beyond the quarterback position -- to the point that Sumlin feels as if the Aggies are now equipped to legitimately contend for an SEC title.

The 2013, 2014 and 2015 classes added together give him that confidence.

“I think we’re good,” Sumlin said. “There’s never been a five-year plan, a four-year . . . You want to win right now.”

The fourth year is this year. So for Sumlin, it is time to win. Right now.