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Stop me if you’ve heard this before.
Texas A&M enters a new football season with high expectations under wildly overpaid head coach Jimbo Fisher. It’s become a broken record as annoying as any in college football. Is this the year that execution catches up with expectations? Every year, it seems, we hold our collective breath, only to be reduced to near pass-out stage.
Is 2023 the turning point?
The young pups got their playing time in 2022 and should have the experience necessary to compete. The world’s greatest recruiting class appears to be nearing its expiration date. It looks as though, once again, things are lined up for the Aggies to have a breakout season. But we’ve been down that road time and time again in this current regime.
So, just what should our expectations be in 2023 for Texas A&M? After all, Alabama still has Nick Saban at the helm. LSU for all intents and purposes has passed up the Aggies in the pecking order with its upgrade at head coach. In just 1 year, the Tigers already have 1 more SEC West title than the Aggies in Fisher’s 5 seasons. And don’t look now, but Auburn has rolled the dice on what they hope is a home run hire in highly successful former SEC head coach Hugh Freeze.
What could/should we expect from the 2023 Aggies? Well, here are 10 burning questions that must be answered in order for them to have the kind of season we’ve been expecting now for a handful of disappointing seasons (save for maybe the Covid season of 2020).
1. Will Fisher and new OC Bobby Petrino co-exist?
This has been perhaps the biggest question since the hire. And it still hasn’t begun to be answered. It doesn’t help that Fisher continues to do the Texas 2-Step in avoiding any in depth discussion on the subject. I think we all know the answer, but it would be nice if Fisher would lay the question to rest, although his latest comments did intimate that the relationship is a well-working one. Only time will tell.
2. Is Conner Weigman ready to take the next step?
The former 5-star recruit had his moments as a freshman in 2022. He threw for 338 yards and 4 TDs against Ole Miss before topping off the season with 2 more scoring strikes in a most impressive 2-TD victory over SEC West champ LSU. Numbers like those consistently throughout the 2023 season would give the Aggies a chance to have the kind of year they’re expecting.
3. Where will the offensive production come from?
WR Ainias Smith can’t do it all. That’s not to say the Aggies are void of talent on offense. It’s just somewhat unproven. Amari Daniels and Le’Veon Moss could develop into solid RBs, and if Weigman develops as expected, it could mean big years for WRs Evan Stewart and Moose Muhammad III as well as Smith. The same could go for TEs Donovan Green and Max Wright, depending on how Petrino decides to use them. The potential is there for a big season of offense, but again, how many times have we heard that before?
4. Do the stars align for the offensive line?
Another area in which we’ve waited year in and year out for these talented players to jell and become a major force in the SEC. Here we go again: the potential is there for a big season. But as in the past, health and depth are issues. The starters along the line are more than adequate. Can they stay healthy for an entire season?
5. Is the defensive line the weakest link?
Normally it’s been the DL that’s given the Aggies hope for a competitive season. But last year the Aggies ranked last in the SEC against the run, the only unit in the league to allow more than 200 rushing yards per game (209.0). How was that possible with the talent along the line? And how is it possible that PFF left off the Aggies when ranking the top 10 DLs of college football for 2023? It’s an all-star cast that returns along the A&M defensive front, from Fadil Diggs and Shemar Turner, to Walter Nolen and McKinnley Jackson. We shall see how it all shakes out.
6. Will the LB play improve?
Many will point to this area of the field as the biggest question mark for 2023. As noted, run defense must improve. Edgerrin Cooper and Chris Russell Jr. will be relied upon to lead that corps. Depth is an issue.
7. What is the ceiling for this team?
It’s a tough schedule, that goes without saying when you play in the SEC West, but a 10-win season (including a bowl victory) is doable. An early season road game at Miami will be the first major test, and a must-win if the Aggies hope to reach double-digit victories. Back-to-back games with Alabama and at Tennessee will be brutal. Follow-up games with South Carolina and at Ole Miss, and down the road at LSU to close out the regular season, will show us all just what kind of team the Aggies have this year.
8. Can the secondary be as good as last year?
The Aggies gave up the fewest yards through the air of any team in the SEC. Demani Richardson, Tyreek Chappell and Jardin Gilbert return to form one of the top secondary trios in the conference, if not the country. A repeat performance of last year would go a long way in lifting the Aggies into one of the SEC’s top tier teams.
9. Biggest gets from the transfer portal?
Three names come to mind. All are 4-stars and all are cornerbacks. Josh Berry (Boston College), Sam McCall (FSU) and Tony Grimes (North Carolina) should combine to make the Aggies one of the better secondaries in the country again this season.
10. How is the team reacting to staff changes?
The Aggies were left with heavy hearts upon the passing of beloved former DE coach Terry Price in June. Then the departure of former director of player personnel Kevin Mashack exposed the internal strife the program went through last season. Mending will take time.
Glenn Sattell is an award-winning freelance writer for Saturday Down South.
