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The Kevin Sumlin era at Texas A&M has been marked by some incredible individual performances.
With his Air Raid offense, Sumlin’s teams have put up outstanding numbers in the passing game, but he’s also coached some solid running backs and defensive backs since arriving in College Station in 2012.
Yet, for the most part, it has been offensive and defensive lineman that have racked up all-conference honors and been selected in the early rounds of the NFL draft.
Picking the best Texas A&M skill players under Sumlin can be a challenge. Some, such as Johnny Manziel, are obvious standouts. But the nature of the Air Raid also means plenty of touches to go around and a lot of players with similar statistics.
After sorting through the data, here’s a look at 10 of the best skill players under Sumlin heading into his fourth season with the Aggies.
QB Johnny Manziel (2012-13)
The first name to come to mind, Johnny Football threw for 3,706 yards and rushed for 1,410 with 47 touchdowns during his Heisman Trophy season in 2012. Though he didn’t get as many awards in 2013, his passing numbers actually improved.
WR Mike Evans (2012-13)
Evans is the other no-brainer on the list. He recorded 2,499 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns in two seasons before jumping to the NFL. He averaged more than 20 yards per catch as a sophomore and was one of the best offensive weapons in the nation.
WR Ryan Swope (2009-12)
Swope played just one season under Sumlin and his best season at A&M was 2011, when he had 1,207 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. But his 913 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior were good enough to make second-team All-SEC.
WR Josh Reynolds, (2014-present)
After one season at a junior college, Reynolds made waves last season at Texas A&M. He had 52 catches for 842 yards and 13 touchdowns, tied for fifth-best in the nation. He could push for All-SEC honors this year despite a crowded field at wide receiver.
RB Ben Malena (2010-13)
Malena’s final two seasons with the Aggies came under Sumlin. They were also his best. He didn’t get as many opportunities as backs in some other systems, but he combined with Manziel to form a potent rushing attack, going for 808 yards, 5.9 per carry, and eight touchdowns as a junior.
CB Dustin Harris (2009-12)
Harris also played just one year for Sumlin, but made 49 tackles and an interception in 2012 and also led the nation with 432 punt return yards.
RB Trey Williams (2012-14)
Williams did a little bit of everything in his three years in College Station, carrying the ball, catching passes and returning kicks. His 706 return yards in 2013 were second-most in the SEC. He also averaged 6.6 yards per carry and had 330 receiving yards in his A&M career.
WR Derel Walker (2012-13)
Lightly used as a junior, Walker came on strong as a senior playing opposite Mike Evans. Walker made 51 catches for 818 yards and five touchdowns, finishing 10th in the SEC in receiving yards.
S Howard Matthews (2011-14)
Matthews had a solid four-year career for the Aggies, with three of those seasons under Sumlin. He recorded 238 career tackles and in his breakout season in 2013 he had 90 tackles and three interceptions.
S Armani Watts (2014-present)
Watts had a fantastic freshman season in the Aggies defensive backfield making just about every kind of play imaginable. He finished with 59 tackles, two for a loss, and three interceptions with nine passes defended. He’s a big hitter and you can expect to hear his name a lot this season.
Shane Mettlen is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers Texas A&M, Missouri and Alabama.
