Team White may have fended off Team Maroon in a 33-19 win during Texas A&M‘s 2023 spring game, but everyone should walk away optimistic after seeing the receiving corps on display at Kyle Field on Saturday.
Evan Stewart (7 receptions, 97 yards, 1 lost fumble) and Micah Tease (3 receptions, 72 yards, 1 receiving touchdown) were by far the top performers of the day with each putting up respective highlight-worthy catches in the opening quarter. Stewart received a nice over-the-shoulder pass from quarterback Conner Weigman, while Tease had a catch of 52 yards from Max Johnson that put the White Team in the end zone first.
Ainias Smith (4 receptions, 67 yards, 1 touchdown) had a long reception in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter, which illustrates how an already talented receiving corps can only become more potent with the redshirt senior’s return. Raymond Cottrell (2 receptions, 22 yards) looked solid in the offensive scheme while Noah Thomas, unfortunately, saw his day cut short after leaving from a scary hit in the opening minutes.
The spring game is still an exhibition, so you never want to see those types of injuries at this time of year. It’s also key to note that Moose Muhammad III did not dress for Saturday’s game after managing to practice in just a limited capacity on Wednesday.
You can bet that Jimbo Fisher and Bobby Petrino have more than a few cards up their sleeves when it comes to the playbook, but it was still promising to see the offense line up in various formations that featured a handful of wideouts in motion.
This offense ranked just 101st in the country in scoring last season (22.8 PPG), so witnessing an injection of creativity will always be a welcome sight, even during spring ball.
Petrino has a track record of tailoring his offenses to his best players and with Stewart flashing his upside on Saturday, you can be sure that this offense will open up space for him to do damage against the second and third levels of the defense.
Seeing this receiving corps in action on Saturday should have Aggies fans eager for the 2023 campaign, but it doesn’t mean Fisher and this staff should stand pat during the transfer portal window that re-opened, coincidentally, on Saturday. With the likes of former USC receiver Gary Bryant potentially in the mix, A&M could add even more depth to this unit should they be aggressive in the coming weeks.
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