Texas A&M wide receiver Ainias Smith’s return for the upcoming 2023 college football season was one of the few major highlights for Aggie football in the last couple of months, and with the start of spring football currently dominating the headlines, Smith sat down with Billy Liucci of TexAgs on Tuesday to give a couple of key details on just how well the Aggies first spring practice went.
As the mainstream sports media heads continue to focus on the low-hanging fruit concerning who the primary play-caller will be for 2023, Smith touched on the performances of two key postion groups on the first day of spring practice: quarterbacks and wide receivers.
“You can tell the quarterbacks are more experienced just based off the leadership both of those guys are showing. They’re taking a stand based on where they want to take this team, and we’re all on the same page. I’m proud of both of those guys and all of those guys, really. They come in with the right mindset and lead the right way. I’m excited to see what the future holds.”
Without assuming what is probably the obvious right now, sophomore quarterback Conner Weigman is the starter, while senior Max Johnson is the best backup college football has to offer. No wonder the group looked so in sync! Lastly, Smith discussed the wide receiver room while pointing out specific wideouts that impressed him the most during Monday’s 16-period practice.
“I like Micah Tease. I like Rueben Owens. I like “little” Raymond Cottrell. Ray definitely impressed me. He made me proud. Being able to watch what he came through when he first got through, and now seeing him on the field, it’s moving a little fast for him right now because they’re calling all the shots. You have to move fast, or you’ll slow them down. You don’t want to be the person that slows the offense down. It’s definitely a little tough on them right now, but they’ll get experienced with it. I’m proud of those guys.”
“Noah Thomas and Jalen Preston worked their butts off. JP has been somebody that has been where for a while, and he’s probably one of those guys that you can look to for questions and influence. JP is always going to be there for you and if you need him in a game. Noah is growing up, and he has been since he got here. He’s got that mindset and dog mentality. He’s very humble, so he doesn’t have a lot of those flashy moments. He’s a reliable guy, and you can count on him. They’ve both been doing good.”
In order for Texas A&M to take the next step on offense this season, consistent chemistry between Conner Weigman and the rest of the wide receivers outside of the reliable Ainias Smith is the only way this offense under Bobby Petrino’s guidance can prosper in the always vicious SEC West.
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=5]
[mm-video type=playlist id=01fvdd4pnb49trk727 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=]