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It was a turbulent season for sure at Texas A&M in 2015. A season that began with such promise quickly turned to doubt and ultimately finished in disruption.
The Aggies lost their two top quarterbacks (Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray), who transferred to different schools. Jake Spatial, their beleaguered offensive coordinator, mutually parted ways with the program. Texas A&M athletic director Eric Hyman stepped down. And as the season came to a merciful end, rumors swirled about the future of head coach Kevin Sumlin at Texas A&M.
Is there some sort of silver lining in all of this? Is there some glimmer of hope for the future of Aggies football? Well, the short answer is yes. The Aggies return a nucleus of talent with which to build around for the 2016 season. And though he’s not a returning player, Oklahoma QB transfer Trevor Knight fills the huge gap left at that position.
Here’s a look at the five best returning players at Texas A&M:
5. S Donovan Wilson: With a nose for the football, Wilson was all over the field in 2015. The sophomore nickel back has drawn comparisons from first-year DC John Chavis to former LSU All-American Tyrann Mathieu, a.k.a. “The Honeybadger.” Wilson tied for second in the SEC with five interceptions, which matches the entire Texas A&M team’s total in 2014. He is among the team leaders in almost every defensive category. He led the Aggies this season with two fumble recoveries and was second on the squad with three forced fumbles. Wilson was fourth on the team in tackles with 63. Of those, 36 were solo. He had 8.5 tackles for loss, including two sacks.
4. S Armani Watts: A tackling machine, Watts led the team and was second in the SEC with 126 tackles. Of those, a whopping 83 (tops in the SEC, and third in the nation) were solo tackles, which was more total tackles than anyone else on the team. Watts turned in five double-digit games, including 20 tackles vs. Ole Miss, which ranks second-most by a DB in school history, and is the most in three decades at the school. He’s the first Aggie to reach 100 tackles since LB Michael Hodges recorded 115 in 2010, and the first Aggie DB to accomplish the feat in over a decade. In addition, Watts forced two fumbles, recovered one, and had an interception as well.
3. DE Daeshon Hall: Much to the delight of Texas A&M football, Hall recently declared he would return for his senior season. Emerging as one of the SEC’s most disruptive defenders in 2015, Hall was fifth in the SEC with 14 tackles for loss, seventh in the conference with seven sacks, and ninth in the league with two forced fumbles. He combined with fellow DE Myles Garrett to form one of the most feared pass-rushing tandems in the SEC. Between the two, it’s a race to see who gets to the quarterback first. Hall recorded four sacks vs. Arizona State which tied for second-most in a single game in school history and were the most at the school in nearly three decades.
2. DE Myles Garrett: The other half of Texas A&M’s sack team, Garrett led the SEC and tied for second in the nation in that department with 13 sacks in 2015. He led the SEC and tied for seventh in the nation with 19.5 tackles for loss. He also led the conference and was second in the country with five forced fumbles. An overall disrupter, Garrett wreaked havoc on opposing team’s offense. He was among the team leaders with 59 total tackles this season, including 37 solo. He also intercepted a pass and blocked a punt this season. The 6-foot-5, 262-pound sophomore has burst onto the scene the past two seasons to become one of the most feared defenders in the game.
1. WR Christian Kirk: The do-it-all true freshman, Kirk had a first season others could only dream of. Named the SEC Freshman and Newcomer of the Year, Kirk was among the conference leaders in several categories both as a wide receiver and as a kickoff and punt returner. He led the SEC and the nation with an average of 24.4 yards per punt return and was second in both the SEC and the nation with two punt returns for touchdowns. Kirk finished third in the SEC with 1,009 receiving yards and fourth with 80 receptions. He’s the first true freshman in school history to accomplish such a feat. He also set the freshman school record with 1,789 all-purpose yards, which ranks second overall in school history.
The list goes on. Other standout returning players at Texas A&M include WRs Josh Reynolds and Ricky Seals-Jones, along with LBs Shaan Washington and A.J. Hilliard, and S Justin Evans.
Glenn Sattell is an award-winning freelance writer for Saturday Down South.
