Aggies’ true freshmen gaining valuable experience
COLLEGE STATION — Texas A&M safety Keldrick Carper sounded as if he could have given Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy’s memorable “I’m a man, I’m 40” speech when discussing the value of time management.
“Some of the guys who came from high school, they didn’t understand the value of time,” Carper said. “If you have 30 minutes to spare, try to watch some film. Get something to eat. Catch up on schoolwork. Don’t sleep it away. Don’t go home and play video games.”
Carper is only 20, but the junior plays the role of erudite oldtimer among plenty of his teammates.
“You look around on offense and defense,” said linebacker and fellow junior Buddy Johnson, “and there are a lot of freshmen making plays.”
When the Aggies (6-3, 3-2 SEC) host South Carolina (4-6, 3-4) on Saturday night, only three scholarship seniors will play their final game at Kyle Field. Seventeen Aggies represented A&M for the first time in the season opener, and in all 15 true freshmen have played at least once over nine games.
“They’re progressing and getting better, which you can see,” A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said. “You see the youth, and you see the excitement. At the same time, you wish they could grow up and know more quicker.”
The youth movement is at full throttle at A&M, and Fisher will take the results in his second season. He inherited a bunch of veterans last year and led A&M to at least nine wins (9-4) for the first time since 2013.
This year, the Aggies have 22 sophomores or freshmen in their two-deep with a quarter of the regular season to go. That’s likely a good sign for the future, considering A&M is heavily favored to win its fourth consecutive game before the schedule strengthens down the stretch.
“You can see we recruited the right guys, and they’ve got great futures,” Fisher said. “We’re playing the right way and doing the right things, and those (underclassmen) are a huge part of it. You can see the future is extremely bright.”
Fisher’s first full recruiting class at A&M last February ranked fourth nationally, according to 247Sports.com. The most prominent players from the highly rated bunch are a bit surprising.
Running back Isaiah Spiller of Klein Collins was expected to back up sophomore Jashaun Corbin this season, but Corbin suffered a season-ending injury in the second game at Clemson. Spiller has responded with a team-high eight touchdowns, including three against UTSA on Nov. 2.
Jalen Wydermyer was the lessheralded tight end in the class of 2019, but he stepped to the forefront when five-star prospect Baylor Cupp suffered a seasonending injury in August camp. Wydermyer’s six touchdown receptions to date put him second to Jace Sternberger’s 10 last season on the A&M career list by a tight end.
Wydermyer and fellow true freshman receiver Ainias Smith of Dulles High have teamed up for nine touchdowns, tying for the nation’s lead among freshman receiving duos. On the less surprising front, true freshman and fivestar signee Kenyon Green of Atascocita has started every game at right guard, and true freshman and four-star prospect Demani Richardson has started eight of nine games at free safety.
Another five-star addition, DeMarvin Leal, has started the last three games at defensive end, and his numbers have increased dramatically in that span to 23 tackles, ninth on the team, and three quarterback hurries. Richardson is second on the defense with 47 tackles, and he owns a forced fumble and one of the Aggies’ nine interceptions.
“With their innocence, sometimes they don’t realize what (situation) they’re in … they’re just playing,” Fisher said. “Sometimes that’s a good thing. … You knew they could do it, but how soon at the level you’ve got to be at to win in this league, how quick
can they get there? You’re starting to see that now … they’re getting better and better.”
The Training Crew will earn two of its stiffest tests in 2019 when the Aggies travel to No. 6 Georgia on Nov. 23 and No. 2 LSU on Nov. 30. A&M already is guaranteed a bowl, and Fisher considers that couple of weeks in December valuable instruction time for newcomers who still need plenty.
“There’s always, as I say, knucklehead things that happen that have nothing to do with anything but one word: experience,” Fisher said. “Sometimes you just have to fight through those things.”