Fisher plans to iron kinks in Year 2 with the Aggies
COLLEGE STATION — Officially, Texas A&M players reported for camp on Wednesday. Unofficially, the days of players actually returning to campus from their homes across the state and beyond are long gone — just about every athlete spent the summer at A&M, working with strength coach Jerry Schmidt. • The Aggies begin practice on Thursday, in anticipation of their second season under Jimbo Fisher and Aug. 29 opener against Texas State at Kyle Field. Five things to watch between now and then:
Mond’s squad
1 A year ago quarterback Kellen Mond was in a fight with Nick Starkel for the Aggies’ starting job. Mond won out, and Starkel transferred to Arkansas (see Sept. 28 in Arlington). This is Mond’s team through and through, and the previously reserved leader has made a point to be more vocal in the offseason and in camp.
Mond working on his accuracy in camp is a must. His completion percentage (57.3) was lowest last season among the SEC’s top 10 passing quarterbacks.
Intriguing freshman
2 True freshman defensive end DeMarvin Leal is still a DeMystery to A&M fans after enrolling in January but missing spring drills with a minor cartilage tear in his knee. Leal, one of the nation’s top prospects in the class of 2019, is angling to earn one of the starting slots at end, and his early showing in camp will go a long way in determining that.
Kicking battle
3 Kicker Seth Small was pressed into action last season right out of Katy High following an early injury to then-starter Daniel LaCamera. Small made 20 of 28 field goals, but only 10-of-14 from 30-39 yards. Now, he’ll be pressed by true freshman Caden Davis in camp.
Six of the Aggies’ 13 games last season were decided by seven or fewer points, so the success (or not) of the kicking game might mean the difference between seven and 10 wins.
The grinding game
4 Sophomore Jashaun Corbin earns first shot at replacing Trayveon Williams, who rushed for a school singleseason record 1,760 yards last season in Fisher’s offensive attack, and is now with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Corbin so far is best known for returning a kick 100 yards on the first play against Arkansas last season, but he also averaged 5.7 yards per carry when relieving Williams. Jacob Kibodi, Cordarrian Richardson, Deneric Prince and Isaiah Spiller, too, are champing to earn carries in Fisher’s offense emphasizing a grinding running game.
Coach’s adjustment
5 Fisher, late of Florida State, admits a year ago he was still adjusting to his new setting in College Station, and even coaching his new coaches on his way of going about the business of football. The Aggies still finished 9-4, their most victories in a season since 2013, and second in the SEC West to Alabama.
Fisher vows his system is much more ingrained this summer, and that he knows the players and can zero in more on the little things. Fisher, 53, is much like one of his mentors, Alabama’s Nick Saban, in that their true summer fun finally starts with the opening of camp.