With spring football in the rearview mirror, it leaves ample time to dissect what appears to be one of the stronger units on the Texas A&M roster in their safety group.
Headling the backend unit for the Aggies are two experienced starters in Demani Richardson and Jardin Gilbert. Richardson returns for his fifth season while Gilbert heads back for his third, and the fact that both have improved year-over-year should spell great things for this unit in 2023.
Richardson has gotten better in coverage over the last few seasons and was graded 66.4 in coverage per PFF (393rd out of all safeties). He’s fine-tuned his ability to see plays as they develop and anticipate routes for pass breakups. Gilbert has improved his tackling and feels primed to make a leap in run support after being graded 43.9 in run defense by PFF in 2022.
Perhaps the biggest x-factor of this unit is sophomore Bryce Anderson, who many coaches and observers noted was one of the best performers during the Aggies 2023 spring football program. That consensus belief seems justified as he was named one of the team’s defensive MVPs during the Maroon and White game.
Anderson was rated as a four-star coming out of high school and already has a bevy of experience underneath him after logging snaps as a backup last year, as well as on special teams.
He’s currently slotted in as a nickel corner, which means he’ll likely fill the void left by Antonio Johnson. The fit makes sense as he should thrive with his physicality and athleticism, but don’t rule out a possible shift to one of the safety spots in the near future. If there was one name in this unit to keep an eye out for a potential breakout season, it’s Anderson.
When it’s all said and done, there’s a chance he could lend just as great of an impact as Johnson did before him.
Outside of the aforementioned names, it gets a bit spotty when it comes to safety depth. Granted, that’s to be expected when you have a handful of younger players that are bound to face a learning curve. Jacoby Matthews has size but was in and out of spring ball. Jared Kerr was also a bit banged up, and the playing time for Bobby Taylor remains to be seen. He did enter, then exit, the transfer portal just recently, so perhaps more snaps on the field is in the near future for him.
Jimbo Fisher could very well round out this unit with additional depth via the transfer portal, but as the group currently stands they have a nice blend of veteran experience, coupled with a potential breakout star, that should put a stamp on the impending 2023 season.
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