Fisher faces a tough first season in SEC
Coach Kevin Sumlin entered last season on the hot seat and ended it out of work, paving the way for former Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher’s return to the SEC. Fisher, who has 13 years’ experience in the conference, signed an unprecedented 10-year $75 million deal fully guaranteed. Whether his arrival in College Station is a guarantee the Aggies will go from sleeping giant to contender remains to be seen.
Texas A&M is No. 24 in Orlando Sentinel college insider Matt Murschel’s preseason 2018 college football rankings. Murschel ranked all 129 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in the country. The Sentinel staff takes a closer look at a new team daily, counting backward from No. 129 to our projected No. 1 team.
A&M
8 Texas
Jimbo Fisher (0-0 at Texas A&M, 83-23 overall)
7-6, 4-4 in Southeastern Conference; tied for fourth in West Division
Squandering a 34-point lead in an opening loss to UCLA set the tone for coach Kevin Sumlin’s final season. His Aggies rallied for four consecutive wins, but a 24-17 decision against South Carolina was the only quality victory among them.
Sumlin’s Aggies followed a hard-fought win over Florida in the Swamp with home losses by a combined 36 points to Mississippi State and Auburn, effectively delivering the knockout punch to Sumlin and beginning the pursuit of Fisher. 4
WR Christian Kirk, S Armani Watts, WR Damion Ratley, DT Zaycoven Henderson, RB Keith Ford
RB Trayveon Williams, QB Nick Starkel, QB Kellen Mond, LB Tyrel Dodson, DB Donovan Wilson, DT Kingsley Keke, WR Jhamon Ausbon, Derrick Tucker
Fisher inherits 15 starters and plenty of talent. He first must decide who will line up under center, choosing between sophomores Nick Starkel and Kellen Mond.
Whoever wins the job will hand off to one of the SEC most talented tailbacks, junior Trayveon Williams. If he remains healthy, Williams could have a big season behind an offensive line that returns intact.
Defense long has been the A&M’s undoing, but the unit has some pieces in place for new coordinator Mike Elko. End Landish Durham is coming off a 10.5-sack season while Tyrel Dodson had a team-high 105 tackles and could be the school’s best linebacker since Von Miller. Tackle KeKe Kingsley, a senior, anchors the interior.
The Aggies’ passing game ranked third in the 14-team SEC but lost star receiver Christian Kirk a year early to the NFL and reliable Damion Ratley to graduation.
Besides Durham, the Texas A&M’s defense needs playmakers coming off the edge. The team’s secondary struggled again last season, allowing an average of 238 passing yards to rank 11th in the SEC.
Fisher had the highest winning percentage in ACC history (.783) and won the 2013 national championship. He will receive an SEC baptism by fire. Fisher said at the SEC Spring Meetings he relishes the challenge.