Category: News & Notes

Jimbo, Why do you talk so FAST?

Hey Jimbo… Why do you talk so fast?!

Aggies head football coach Jimbo Fisher has never met a microphone he didn’t love, and on Thursday he got the opportunity to take center stage at SEC media days.

Jimbo likely expected to receive questions from reporters about recruiting, name image and likeness, conference realignment, his quarterback competition, Nick Saban, and the College Football Playoff.

But one question he didn’t foresee?

“Jimbo… How do you talk so fast?”

Of course, Fisher didn’t hesitate for a second before he quipped:

“You gotta get your thoughts out, How long do you want to be here? I give you lots of information in a short amount of time. I’m a reporter’s dream! Dadgum. How could y’all complain about that? … Heck, I get you in and get you out.”

See the full exchange in the video below.

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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 Joey on Twitter: @JoeyIckes

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Devon Achane included in the Doak Walker watchlist

Devon Achane included in the Doak Walker watchlist

The 2022 Texas A&M football roster is star-studded at a number of key positions, but the one name that jumps out the most in any conversation is starting running back for the Aggies, Devon Achane. Whether it’s his blazing fast speed, incredibly quick feet, or monk-like patience in the backfield, Achane is on pace to have his best statistical season yet in his first season as the starter. After being named to the Maxwell Award watchlist on Monday, Achane was just named to the prestigious Doak Walker Award watchlist, and the preseason honors continue to stack up.

Coming out of Fort Bend Marshall High School in Missouri City, Texas, Achane won the Touchdown Club of Houston Offensive Player of the Year award after his 2019 senior season after rushing for 2,262 yards and 40 rushing touchdowns, and 800 yards receiving with 10 receiving touchdowns. Ranked as the No.1 All-Purpose back in the 2019 recruiting class, Achane signed with the Aggies and made an immediate impact in his first season with 364 yards and 4 touchdowns on the ground.

In 2021, Achane began to emerge as one of the most dangerous offensive weapons in college football, recording 910 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground, combined with 261 receiving yards on the season. As the presumed focal point of the offense while running behind what should be one of the better offensive lines in the country, look for the speedster to begin his Heisman campaign as soon as the opener on September 3rd.

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Ainias Smith arrested early Wednesday

Aggies playmaker Ainias Smith arrested Wednesday morning

When thinking about the Aggies football team in 2022, there aren’t many players who will be more important to success than senior wide receiver Ainias Smith.

Unfortunately, Smith is facing some adversity leading into the season, as according to reports from Brent Zwerneman of the Houston Chronicle, he was arrested early Wednesday morning. According to Zwerneman, A&M police charged Smith with driving while intoxicated, unlawful carrying of a weapon, and possession of less than two ounces of marijuana, and as of this writing Smith had not been released on bond.

Smith was listed by the program as one of the three players who would appear along with head coach Jimbo Fisher at SEC Media days on Thursday, but that status would obviously seem to be up in the air.

Stay tuned for updates as we learn more.

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 Joey on Twitter: @JoeyIckes

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Realignment takes center stage at SEC media days

Conference realignment takes center stage at SEC media days

We’re getting closer and closer to the 2022 college football season folks, and the arrival of the annual SEC media days is the first sign that the best months of the year are on the horizon.

Aside from Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher and Alabama head coach Nick Saban’s mid-May verbal battle royale based on Saban’s comments regarding A&M’s NIL usage in recruiting methods for their 2022 class, much of the college football landscape has been digesting the news of future conference realignments and expansions for nearly every power 5 conference in the country. With moves already being made, including UCLA and USC leaving the Pac-12 for the Big 10, and most notably, Texas And Oklahoma making the move to the SEC from the Big 12, which could happen as soon as the 2024 season.

The first day of SEC media days kicked off with the panel featuring Commissioner Greg Sankey, LSU head coach Brian Kelly, Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin, and Missouri head coach Eliah Drinkwitz, all bringing three players each to discuss the upcoming season in detail.

Leading off the day at the podium, Sankey answered questions regarding NIL regulation, SEC’s standing in college football, and of course, conference realignment and expansion, stating “The Southeastern Conference is stronger now than ever before in our history” and adding that “The best days of the Southeastern Conference still remain ahead”. In his most definitive quote of the day, Sankey opined “We are a super league, this is a super league” and noted that the future of additions of Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC “trumps” the additions of UCLA and USC to the Big Ten, exuding tremendous confidence for the future of the conference with so many questions still to be answered. As the three coaches began answering questions of their own throughout the day, here are the most quotes:

For Texas A&M, Head coach Jimbo Fisher, Demani Richardson, Layden Robinson, and Ainias Smith are set to speak at 11:30 AM on Thursday, July 21st on the SEC Network.

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

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Two Aggies hear their names called in the 2022 MLB Draft

Dylan Rock and Micah Dallas were both selected in the 8th round of the 2022 MLB Draft

The MLB Draft has a Jekyll and Hyde effect on every college baseball fanbase, as players whose names are in the draft and still have eligibility left have fans feeling proud that their on-field accomplishments have earned them a chance in the pros, but also saddened knowing that a certain amount of production will likely be leaving the program for good.

As the 2022 MLB Draft kicked off on Sunday, The Aggies roster was not expected to lose any eligible players early but knew that a number of young men could hear their names called in the later rounds. Unsurprisingly, graduate outfielder, Dylan Rock, and junior starting pitcher and transfer from Texas Tech, Micah Dallas, were both selected in the 8th round of the 2022 MLB Draft on Monday, with Dallas going 244th overall to the Oakland Athletics, and Rock coming 4 picks after by the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Aggies are coming off of their most successful season in program history, finishing 44-20 on the season, 19-11 in SEC play, and making their 7th College World Series appearance before losing to the eventual runner-up in the tournament, the Oklahoma Sooners, all in Jim Schlossnagle’s first season as head coach. 

Rock (.318 average, 19 home runs, 65 RBI, 71 hits) and Dallas (5.18 ERA, 86 Strikeouts, 7-3 record, 1.50 WHIP) were two of the players that stood out most throughout both the regular and post-season , individually propelling the team on multiple occasions, and exemplifying the meaning of teamwork and resilience every time they took the field.

While it remains to be seen if Micah Dallas will sign with the Athletics, we’re certainly going to miss Dylan Rock, but are beyond excited to watch the two of them take advantage of their MLB opportunities while knowing that the entire Texas A&M family is fully behind them!

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Devon Achane named to Maxwell Award preseason watch list

Devon Achane has the chance to put up a monster 2022 season, that potential has earned him a spot on the Maxwell award watchlist.

On Monday morning, Aggies junior running back, Devon Achane was named to the  2022 Maxwell Award preseason watch list – the award presented to the best player in college football. This award has been presented to college football’s “Player of the Year” since 1937.

In 2021, Achane was an explosive weapon in the backfield, and as a receiver, all while being mostly a backup to Isaiah Spiller. Even with Spiller’s 1,000+ yard rushing campaign, Achane made and impact rushing for 943 yards on 130 carries – an outstanding 7.0 yards/rush and finished with a team-high nine rushing touchdowns. Achane was a weapon as a receiver and kick-returner, as well, combining for 261 receiving yards on 24 catches (10.88 yards/catch) and 301 kick-return yards on nine returns (33.44 yards/return), highlighted by a 98-yard kick-return touchdown in their win over top-ranked Alabama.

With Achane stepping into the RB1 role in 2022, look for his skillset to be further highlighted as he aims to become one of the nation’s most feared weapons – the first step into making this preseason watch list a November reality.

 

Fred Kerley is the 2022 world champion in the men’s 100M

Fred Kerley is the 2022 world champion in the Men’s 100.

Fred Kerley has claimed the title of “Fastest Man on Earth” with his Men’s 100M final victory at the 2022 World Athletics Championships.

After making it to last night’s 100M semifinal, posting the fastest heat time of all sprinters, Kerley followed up that race with a heat two semifinal win – coming across the finish line in 10.02 seconds and automatically punching his ticket to the 100M final. Kerley recorded the fifth-fastest time in the three semifinal heats.

Nearly two hours later, in his first appearance in the 100M at the World Athletics Championships, Kerley narrowly defeated his two American teammates, Marvin Bracy and Trayvon Bromell, to win the Men’s 100M gold medal. Kerley posted a gold medal time of 9.86 seconds, followed by Marvin Bracy (9.874) and Trayvon Bromell (9.876) – an all-American sweep.

To the ones who thought this event change would be a failure in Kerley’s Team USA career, those critics have certainly been silenced.

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Former Aggie advances to 100M semifinal at 2022 world athletics championships

Former Aggie, Fred Kerley, advances to 100M semifinal at 2022 World Athletics Championships.

Former Texas A&M track and field star, and silver medal winner at the 2020 Olympic Games, Fred Kerley, advances to the 100M semifinal round at the 2022 World Athletics Championships.

Kerley raced in heat two and crossed the finish line in 9.79 seconds – the fastest overall time in all seven heats, and 0.10 seconds faster than the second overall time of 9.89 seconds from American teammate, Trayvon Bromell. Kerley’s heat two win automatically punched his ticket into the semifinal round.

Kerley’s semifinal race will take place tonight, at 8:00 PM CT, in which the top two finishers in each of the three heats, plus the next two fastest times, will advance to the 100M final later in the night at 9:50 PM CT. Kerley will race in semifinal heat two. While this is his first World Athletics Championship appearance in the 100M, Kerley is undoubtedly proving his championship pedigree. With another solid performance in the semifinal round, the 100M final should produce some 10-second fireworks in Oregon.

Former Aggie and 2022 first round NFL draft pick honored by hometown

Former Aggie, and 2022 First Round NFL draft pick, is honored by his hometown.

Former Texas A&M Aggie OL, and the Houston Texans’ 15th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, was honored in his hometown of Humble, Texas earlier this week. July 13, 2022 was officially named “Kenyon Green Day.”

Green played his high school ball at Atascocita HS in Humble, TX, and it wasn’t too long after that he found himself one of the nation’s top interior OL prospects playing for Jimbo Fisher in College Station.

It’s safe to say that his hometown is extremely proud of their star athlete who will be representing Humble each Sunday Kenyon takes an NFL field. There’s no doubt the Houston Texans have gained some new fans excited to cheer on the new No. 59!

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Two Aggies named NCAA woman of the year nominees

Two Aggies were nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year.

Yesterday, the NCAA announced that graduate student-athletes Tatiana Makarova (tennis) and Jaevin Reed (track & field) were nominated for the 32nd edition of the NCAA Woman of the Year award – one of the most prestigious national honors a woman student-athlete can achieve. As 2022 is the 50th anniversary of Title IX, this award represents another opportunity to celebrate women competing in intercollegiate athletics.

The NCAA Woman of the Year award honors a graduating female college athlete, across all three NCAA divisions, whose career embodies academic achievement, athletic excellence, community service, and leadership. Directed by the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics, the organization received over 550 nominations – nearly half of those being student-athletes from Division I institutions.

Looking forward, conference offices will select from all nominees in the “conference-round” voting, come August, with the selection committee narrowing their field to a top-10 list in each of the three divisions. The winner of the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year award will be selected from those final 30 nominees, which will be announced at an award ceremony in Indianapolis.

Check out more on these incredible Aggies’ college careers here!