Wydermyer needs breakout
Aggies tight end has been good against Bama
COLLEGE STATION — Alabama under coach Nick Saban has long made a habit of snuffing out swagger among opponents. Texas A&M junior tight end Jalen Wydermyer has experienced the opposite against the Crimson Tide.
“Alabama is when I really got my confidence, the Alabama game my freshman year when I scored two touchdowns,” Wydermyer recalled. “That’s when I … said, ‘I can play in this league.’ ”
Granted, the Aggies dropped their two previous games against Alabama by a combined 47 points, but Wydermyer has strung together solid showings against the imposing Crimson Tide defense. The Aggies (3-2, 0-2 SEC) will need as much again if they’re to stand a chance against topranked Alabama (5-0, 2-0) on Saturday night at Kyle Field.
“We’re going to need all the yards we can get in playing a great team like Alabama,” Wydermyer said.
Two years ago at Kyle Field, two of Wydermyer’s three catches went for scores, both in the second half with the Aggies trying to play catch-up. Last year, Wydermyer (6-5, 255 pounds) had 82 yards on a game-high eight catches in A&M’s 52-24 loss at the eventual national champions.
“He’s a big body and very athletic,” Saban said. “He can … get out of a break so it makes him difficult to cover because of his size and athleticism, and we certainly had a difficult time with him last year. He was responsible for several third-down conversions where we just couldn’t get him covered.
“Hopefully we’ll do a little better job this year. They do a really good job of utilizing him in this offense, so we need to know where he is at all times.”
Wydermyer, a former Dickinson star, was a John Mackey Award finalist last season as one of the nation’s top tight ends. His 13 career touchdown catches rank him first among A&M tight ends and 10th overall in the program, and one more will tie him for ninth with receiver Tony Harrison (1990-93).
But Wydermyer’s first four games this season largely were disappointing for him and the Aggies, at least based on his expectations entering 2021. His letdown mirrors that of A&M, which dropped from No. 7 in the Associated Press poll to No. 15 to unranked following consecutive losses to Arkansas and Mississippi State to start conference play.
“He’s an outstanding player, and he’s learning to deal with successes and failures, the highs and lows,” A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said. “But he played one of his best games last week (against Mississippi State), with his blocking and route running. His routes were clean and have gotten better and better.”
Wydermyer, who burst onto the SEC scene two years ago, had four touchdown catches through his first five games as a freshman in 2019. His first touchdown catch this season came last weekend against Mississippi State.
“The things he’s learning
are (with) high expectations on him, sometimes you get caught up in numbers,” Fisher said. “(But) just play well, and the numbers will happen. I thought he did that last week.”
Wydermyer played his first two seasons with then-veteran quarterback Kellen Mond, now a rookie with the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings. The ever-composed Mond relied on Wydermyer as a security blanket across the middle, and Wydermyer’s six touchdown catches in 2019 led the team and six more in 2020 tied for the team lead with Ainias Smith.
Wydermyer’s path in 2021 hasn’t been as smooth working with new starting quarterback Zach Calzada, who has overthrown his tall tight end time and time again through nearly half the season.
“We know how great of a player he can be,” Wydermyer said of the strongarmed Calzada, who took over for injured starter Haynes King in Week 2. “It goes back to doing the little things. We need to keep his courage up and keep the offensive line’s courage up. Then you’re going to see what he can do.”
The defenses of Alabama and A&M are tied for 23rd nationally in passing yards allowed at 177.2 per game. Wydermyer was asked how he’d grade his play at the near halfway point of the year.
“I feel like I’ve played OK,” he said. “I didn’t like the two drops I had against Arkansas. I feel like I’ve progressed with my blocking … there are a lot of little things I can fix, too.”