With a stout defense and favorable schedule, the Aggies’ goal is lofty.
With favorable schedule and stacked defense, Aggies have real shot at national title
Will a revamped offensive line hold its own in the SEC?
It’s easily the biggest question for a program in contention for its first national title in 82 years — with a distant second concerning the young slinger the new linemen are tasked with protecting.
Returning All-American Kenyon Green will be fine at either tackle, and it appears he might at least start the season on the right side, but the Aggies must replace four starters from a unit that excelled on last season’s 9-1 team.
Luke Matthews, son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Bruce Matthews, was set to take over at center, but he’s been riddled by injury throughout his college career. That means true freshman Bryce Foster might very well be the starting center in his first college game, when the Aggies host Kent State on Saturday.
Another true freshman, Reuben Fatheree, could start at one of the tackle slots, which could leave the Aggies in the unenviable position of starting two freshman on the line against SEC competition.
Layden Robinson and Aki Ogunbiyi should be sufficient at guard — but the offensive line will need much settling in coming weeks.
Is Haynes King the real deal at quarterback?
Fourth-year coach Jimbo Fisher believes so, and he’s harder on quarterbacks than any position
on the team. King, a redshirt freshman from Longview, edged
out sophomore Zach Calzada during a lively camp battle.
In 2018, King led the Lobos to their first state championship since 1937, and now the Aggies are crossing their fingers that he can do the same for a program that won its lone national title in 1939.
King is fast — Fisher said he runs the 40-yard dash in under 4.5 seconds — and he likely will need that speed with a freshfaced offensive line protecting him. That was reason he beat out Calzada, who’s more of a pure pocket passer with a rocket arm.
In a couple of appearances last season spelling then-senior Kellen Mond, King showed poised beyond his years. He’ll need it with the lofty expectations hoisted on the program this season. Speaking of …
Can the Aggies compete for a national title?
Absolutely. Alabama and Auburn
visit Kyle Field in odd years as part of the SEC West agenda, and the prevailing thought for nearly a decade has been that if the Aggies were going to win a league title, it probably would be in an odd year.
A&M’s schedule sets up as favorably as it has in years for a run at a national championship, and Fisher won a title in his fourth year at Florida State (with a redshirt freshman quarterback in Jameis Winston, no less). Reigning national champion Alabama visits Kyle on Oct. 9, but Fisher often has reminded his players they have five games before then.
The Aggies believe they can make their first College Football Playoff because they came a long CFP committee discussion from making the four-team postseason last year, finishing fifth. They then wound up No. 4 in the final Associated Press poll after a double-digit dismantling of North Carolina in the Orange Bowl — meaning they would have made the CFP by that measure.
One more thing: Fisher won the Orange Bowl by double digits in his third season at FSU.
Is this the most experienced defense in program history?
While there are no official records of such dating to the program’s early years more than a century ago, it’s easy to believe this is indeed the grayest of collective proverbial beards among A&M defenders.
The Aggies return a whopping five seniors from last year’s top-10 defense who took advantage of the NCAA not counting a year of eligibility because of the COVID-19 pandemic: defensive linemen Jayden Peevy and Micheal Clemons, defensive backs Myles Jones and Keldrick Carper and linebacker Aaron Hansford.
A&M is stacked on defense, and one of its top offseason recruiting jobs was keeping fourthyear defensive coordinator Mike Elko for another swing through the rugged SEC. Kansas wanted Elko to replace the deposed Les Miles as head coach, but Elko remained a highly paid assistant with the idea that he could help lead the Aggies to a national title — and perhaps land a more prominent (than Kansas) head coaching gig in coming years.
What’s the bottom line?
Considering A&M likely will lose no-doubt first-round picks DeMarvin Leal (a defensive lineman) and Kenyon Green to the NFL after their junior seasons, this is the season for the Aggies to take advantage of a favorable schedule and a talented, deep defense.
Next year they go back to Alabama, where they lost by four touchdowns last October in
Week 2. Long-suffering fans (the program hasn’t won a conference title this century) are declaring now is the time for Texas A&M, and whether the Aggies capitalize on a promising setup is like many of their game times this season: To Be Determined.