Texas A&M football: 10 burning questions as the Aggies head into the offseason
Credit Jimbo Fisher for making a move he didn’t want to make, but had to. With an ego as big as the Bush Library. it couldn’t have been an easy decision to step aside and bring in an ego at least as big as his to take over the play-calling duties.
Bobby Petrino will give the Aggies’ offense a new look and a pair of fresh eyes with which to evaluate the current situation. Texas A&M finished 11th and 12th, respectively, in the SEC over the past 2 seasons in total offense.
A change was necessary. How it all plays out is among the many burning questions for Texas A&M heading into the offseason. Where to begin? Here are 10.
1. Can Fisher and Petrino coexist?
Not many are giving this duo a chance to make it through 1 season. The strong personalities make it a viable question as to whether Fisher can actually give up the duties he has been tasked with nearly his entire career.
This will be quite interesting to track over the course of spring ball all the way up and through the 2023 season. Hopefully, the move will be a positive one, rather than a distraction.
2. How will this raise Conner Weigman’s game?
If left alone to do his work, Petrino could bring out Weigman’s strengths. He did it at Louisville with Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson. Weigman, a 5-star talent from Cypress, has the tools to be among the best in the conference for years to come.
The freshman threw for 338 yards and 4 TDs against Ole Miss in his unveiling last October. He completed 28 of 44 passes. But he steadily made fewer and fewer throws over the final 3 games of the season.
Look for Petrino to ramp him back up and utilize Weigman’s arm strength and decision-making to move the ball down the field. Weigman did not throw a pick in 132 attempts as a freshman.
3. What will the Aggies’ offense look like under Petrino?
While Fisher game planned for a more balanced, ball-control attack, fitting his players into the system, Petrino has been more flexible in utilizing his personnel. Expect a more modernized offense with the football flying around the field, rather than the ball-controlled, more physical approach that Fisher maintained.
That’s not to say that under Petrino, the Aggies will abandon the run game. It just means that under Petrino, the Aggies will attack where their strengths are.
4. Who fills the shoes of Devon Achane?
They’re big shoes to fill, but the Aggies have potential at the position. Achane’s 1,102 rushing yards last season were the most at Texas A&M since Trayveon Williams churned out 1,760 in 2018.
Is Amari Daniels the answer? Or perhaps, a running back by committee with 5-star Le’Veon Moss is better suited for the position. Daniels averaged 5.56 yards per carry on 36 totes last season. Moss carried 27 times for a 4.22 yards-per-carry average.
5. How will the offensive line rate in 2023?
Injuries and youth were main causes of a subpar performance from the offensive line in 2022. But if healthy, this could be a much better and more experienced group in the upcoming season.
Trey Zuhn III, Aki Ogunbiyi, Bryce Foster and Reuben Fatheree II have experience, and together they can form a strong unit, if healthy. That’s the big question. If they can remain on the playing field, the Aggies will be OK on the offensive line.
6. Will the transfer portal destroy the program?
It isn’t helping. The Aggies have seen 13 4-star athletes hit the portal. That’s an incredible amount of talent. And that doesn’t even count the additional 9 3-stars in the portal with them.
Fisher has brought in a lot of talent, especially with the class of 2022. Now, keeping it has become the issue. With NIL coinciding with the transfer portal, holding a team together has become equivalent to herding cats.
7. What will the cornerback position look like?
The transfer portal giveth, and the transfer portal taketh away. Mostly, it has taken away at the corner spot, with 4-stars Marquis Groves-Killebrew (Louisville), Smoke Bouie (Georgia), Denver Harris (LSU) and Josh Moten heading for greener pastures. In addition, 3-star Myles Jones is in the transfer portal. And that’s not counting Jaylon Jones, who declared for the NFL Draft.
That left Tyreek Chappell to lead the position. That is, until Fisher grabbed 4-star CBs Sam McCall, from FSU, and Tony Grimes, from North Carolina.
As the old saying goes, “You can’t tell the players without a program.”
8. Is this the year the class of 2022 takes over?
It’s either this year or next. Weigman, WR Evan Stewart and TE Donovan Green on offense and linemen Walter Nolen, Shemar Stewart and Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy on defense are 5-stars who lead the way. Add in DB Bryce Anderson along with WR Noah Thomas and Moss on offense and you have a nucleus from which to build.
9. Will depth be an issue?
With the mass exodus in the transfer portal, depth becomes an issue. Although Fisher has begun to replenish with a couple of portal signings, the scales are still tipped against the Aggies in that regard.
This cycle, the Aggies ranked No. 12 by 247Sports.com in recruiting and No. 38 in the transfer portal. The youth card just might rear its ugly head again in 2023 if things don’t improve in Aggieland.
10. Have off-field distractions been addressed?
The Aggies suffered from a disjointed locker room last season. Off-field suspensions were plentiful. It could be a reason why so many hit the transfer portal. If that’s the case, then addition by subtraction favored the Aggies. It’s certainly something to keep an eye on for the 2023 season.
So no mention of the highest rated (or 2nd best according to service) RB in Rueben Owens to help replace Achane.
No mention of Layden Robinson returning along with every starting (when healthy) O-linemen.
Having great players is meaningless if your HC is a moron.
Truth.
I’m so glad A&M doesn’t have one of those.
Definitely not. Think him and Saban will get into a tit-for-tat again this off-season? Jimbo talks like a snake oil salesman and ATM is buying it up.
Still doesn’t change the fact that a majority of this article is flat out wrong or misleading.
Look how well you did with the last great signing class…
Look how well you did with the last great signing class…
Intentional or not, I chuckled at your description of the locker room as “disjointed.”
Ha! Yeah they were jointed. Not just in the locker room though. Remember the “team leader” that got busted the day before he was supposed to go to SEC Media Days.
More like detained than busted.
You mean illegally detained after being illegally pulled over?
Aslo, y’all just picked up Denver Harris who has had his fair shares of issues. Self righteous doosh bag. Where is that outrage.
Was he doing illegal things? Don’t make excuses, demand better from a program that has the keys to the kingdom but can’t seem to figure out how they work. Seriously
No. He wasn’t hence no prosecution. Speed was never confirmed.
Denver Harris was kicked off our team… for doing illegal things.
Are you purposefully ignorant or plain stupid? I guess pick your poison.
Yes, attitude in the locker room is important. Too many entitled youngsters who haven’t done anything. It’s more than just that. Most of those guys are gone but not all.
The problem is the entitled athlete is fostered by Jimbo and has been at any program he ran. He has poor culture in his program and that won’t leave with him as your HC
New offensive schemes can take more than one season to really take hold and show progress. My bet is that Petrino is able to get a lot of offensive production out of the roster Jimbo has built. The question then, in my opinion, is can their egos, the roster, and the program at-large withstand the negativity that comes from losing games while waiting for the offensive transformation to bear fruit.
There is a lot of truth to that. There are a lot of people ready to pounce on A&M for any loss. They will also not give A&M credit for winning either. Agendas!
I don’t think 1 year is an issue anymore. You are seeing all over college football in 2022 that 4 and 5 wins teams 2021 are racking up turn arounds to 9-10 and in Tcu case 13 wins.
It isn’t out of the realm that we see A&M compete for the West. The talent is there.
Key questions:
1. Will Petrino be able to wrest away play calling from Fisher
2. Will Petrino’s schemes be successful
3. Will the offensive line be significantly improved, specifically at tackle. Related, will the line stay healthy.
4. Linebacker depth
5. Will the team be decimated by injuries for the third consecutive year
The defensive backfield should be a strength again. The defensive line should be strong with a year’s experience under the freshmen’s belts.
The running back room is strong. People really underestimate Daniels. His running style is similar to Achane.
Tight end will be a strength this year.
Special teams should be solid, with good punters and kickers.
Several top notch receivers return. Smith coming back for one more year would be a boost. However, depth is a concern here.
Everyone is focusing on Petrino and I don’t get it. If his offensive scheme/play calling is just OK it will be a huge upgrade from last year. I’m not worried about him.
My list includes:
OL, without a functional OL, your offence isn’t going anywhere
LB depth and just depth in general. The portal really didn’t hurt our returning productivity that much but killed out depth.
That’s about it.
If Fisher refuses to turn over the reins to Petrino, we will continue to have challenges on offense. This is why how things go with Petrino is an important factor.
I will believe #1 when I see it.
You and me both. But I have to hope.
You got me believing at least double digit wins.
Over a 2 year span, I’m sure yall will hit double digits
Only one important question left… Who gets fired first?
I think it will be Pittman or Napier in 2023.
Agreed.
Two words- dumpster. fire.
1-11.
1939
These date jokes are so cute from the Georgia fans! Love it!
What a dumpster fire of a program.
More like 80 million burning questions.
Over/under on Harley rides with happy endings?
I don’t look for anyone to fill Achane’s shoes. That dude could run with the best of them.
Daniels looked pretty darn good against LSU in limited carries.
Just a reminder that TCU made the playoff before the Aggies (or Longhorns)
It just shows Texas just signed the end of a National hopes forever. The SEC is going to beat up each other so the Pac and Big 12 will get plenty of teams in the new 12.
It has been 8773 Days since Tennessee last won an NCAA Football Title.
Think it will get to 41 years?
Petrino is a known slimeball, but he is an amazing OC. I would not be surprised to see top 10 A & M team next year because of BP’s play calling.
They are a perennial preseason top 10 but an in-season 30-40
I wouldn’t say perennial. That has been a very recent trend.
If so, why did he get fired by Louisville. Oh yeah, poor performance.
The rumor was BP was such an A__ to work with he couldn’t keep assistants .
I’ll predict that Petrino will get the offense going well enough to win 9-10 games next season. At Miami early, Bama at home, then TN on the road look tough. LSU at the end. Tough schedule for anyone. Would love to see TCU, Michigan, Ohio State, or anyone else play that schedule.
Even without Petrino we’d win 10 games next year. So long as Weigman is healthy we can and should win every game. He’s that special. What we did to LSU was no aberration.
That’s funny.
Game wasn’t even close.
It was one game. Congrats.
A&M may be a bit better in 2023, but it’s a stretch to say beating LSU was no aberration. You have a schedule that looks 9-3.
Chances are LSU is looking to win the West again vs A&M. Your Ags could be fighting for it too, who knows.
LSU has lost 3 straight in College Station, but when’s the last time A&M won in Baton Rouge? They’ve lost 5 straight there since joining the SEC.
You’re sure right about that and I am never confident going into Death Valley. Idk if you’re old enough to remember but my first bitter taste, yet awesome experience was when a top 5 Ags team went into LSU for a night game and Todd Kinchen single handily beat the Ags on a punt retur. It was the loudest crowd I had ever seen at the time and still top 3 all time. Unbelievable place. I like LSU and everything about it more than any other SEC school with the exception of mine.
Two touchdown win is pretty convincing.
Just add more air and gas to the dumpster fire. It will burnout soon enough.
A&M may improve from 5-7 to 9-3.
It’s also possible that the West will be decided between the Aggies and LSU in Baton Rouge.
I agree.