Expectations are sky high for the Texas A&M Aggies this football season. They are ranked No.6 in the Associated Press’ Top 25 preseason rankings and now have the highest-rated recruiting class in modern college football history on campus.
Fans will expect head coach Jimbo Fisher, who signed a 10-year, $75 million contract after the 2017 season, to put together a much better season than last year’s disappointment, which ended in an 8-4 final record for the Aggies. Texas A&M went 4-4 in Southeastern Conference (SEC) play and could not even participate in their bowl game due to COVID-19 and injuries.
With last year’s 8-4 campaign, A&M has endured 23 out of the previous 26 seasons with four or more losses. If the Aggies want to avoid another disappointing season, they will need better luck with injuries.
Texas A&M was dealt a blow last season with an early injury to starting quarterback Haynes King in Week 2. Backup quarterback Zach Calzada showed grit in helping the Aggies hand Alabama its lone regular season loss, but he struggled mightily in losses to Arkansas, Mississippi, and LSU.
Star running back Isaiah Spiller suffered an injury midseason, forcing him to miss the entire second half of the season. Spiller has gone on to the NFL, but King is back and has been named the starting quarterback again after battling for the starting position with LSU transfer Max Johnson and true freshman Conner Weigman this preseason.
King, a 6’3″, 205-pound redshirt sophomore out of Longview, Texas, is one of the fastest players on the team and was ranked by 247Sports as the fifth-best dual-threat quarterback prospect in the country in the 2020 signing class.
He passed for 292 yards and two touchdowns in the season-opening win over Kent State last year before suffering the season-ending injury when he broke his right tibia in the first quarter against Colorado in Week 2.
If Texas A&M can avoid significant injuries to its star players, there is a reason to believe they will compete for an SEC title and a national championship. Either accomplishment would be monumental for a football program that has not won a national championship since 1939 or a conference title since 1998.
Ainias Smith highlights the Aggies’ returning offensive weapons. The 5’10”, 190-pound senior wide receiver led the team in catches (47) and was second in receiving yards (509) to go along with six touchdowns last season.
Smith is easily one of the most versatile players on the team and is expected to be A&M’s primary receiver again while still serving as the primary punt returner. Aggies fans will hope to see plenty of highlights of Smith weaving through defenders and picking up chunks of yardage.
Devon Achane is expected to be the No.1 running back and carry the Aggies’ workload on the ground. The 5’9″, 185-pound junior running back had 130 carries for 910 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground last season, adding 24 catches for 261 yards and a receiving touchdown.
Achane led the SEC and was in the top 11 in the nation last season, with an average of 7.0 yards gained per rush attempt.
On defense, lineman Walter Nolen, the crown jewel of the Aggies’ historic recruiting class as the No.2 prospect in the country, is expected to make an immediate impact.
Star cornerback Jaylon Jones is returning after playing a significant role in Texas A&M’s second-ranked SEC defense. The 5’10”, 190-pound cornerback had 35 tackles, six pass breakups, two interceptions, and a tackle for loss last season. Jones locked down his matchups all season as opposing teams largely avoided throwing in his direction.
With the incredible freshman class and wealth of experienced talent at all positions, it will be up to Coach Fisher and the rest of his coaching staff to maximize that talent to finally get the Aggies over the hump and into the College Football Playoffs.
Texas A&M will open the season on Saturday, September 3, with a home game against Sam Houston State.