Texas A&M’s 2023 wide receiver rotation has received a ton of hype this offseason due to the overwhelming about of blue-chip talent scattered throughout the depth chart, beginning with the assumed starting rotation consisting of senior Swiss army knife Ainias Smith, former five-star acrobat Evan Stewart, junior big-play machine Moose Muhammad III, and Spring MVP Noah Thomas, who was dubbed “mini Mike Evans” during his high school playing days.
Entering their first season in Aggieland in rotational roles, the freshman duo of former four-star wideouts Raymond Cottrell and Micah Tease joins Kentucky transfer track star Jordan Anthony who may still be green as a three-down football player. However, his lighting speed and seam-busting potential are more than enough for Head Coach Jimbo Fisher and his staff.
Now who will be throwing passes to these guys is a whole other debate, as sophomore Conner Weigman likely holds a slight edge over senior veteran Max Johnson; nothing is set in stone until Fisher’s official announcement, which could come on any given day before their Sept. 2 season opener.
This week, podcaster Michael Bratton, better known by his monicker “SEC Mike,” and his podcasting partner, better known as “Cousin Shane,” posed an interesting question within the SEC ranks: Who possessed the more elite passing attack in the conference? Texas A&M with, in Bratton’s opinion, Conner Weigman with Stewart, Smith, and Muhammad, or Kentucky mentioned above Wildcats assumed starting lineup of quarterback Devin Leary and a starting wide receiver core of Dane Key, Barrion Brown, Tayvion Robinson?
Both fanbases will, of course, choose their squad based on preconceived biases, but throwing the question to two guys who cover the entire SEC day in and day out, Bratton feels that the Aggies are poised to turn things around if we’re singlehandedly basing it off of their potentially elite passing attack.
“Texas A&M is Connor Weigman, Ainias Smith, I mean, that’s an elite group right there. Or, Kentucky, Devin Leary, Dane Key, Barrion Brown, Tayvion Robinson? Yes, I realize both of those teams we have been highlighting for a couple of weeks now I think both have the potential to be the most improved offenses in the SEC.”
In Head Coach Bob Stoops’ 10th season at the helm, Kentucky finished 7-6 (3-5 in the SEC) and hired up-and-coming offensive coordinator Liam Cohen to the same position. At the same time, Texas A&M’s new and well-known play-caller Bobby Petrino should be the key to opening up A&M’s offense in 2023. Enter Cousin Shane, who provided an interesting answer with all the information presented that places Wildcats’ quarterback Devin Leary in high regard.
“I, I think I could word it a couple of different ways, like, if I’m going into a game and remove Texas A&M and remove Kentucky and justing looking at a quarterback and a group of receivers, I worry more about Kentucky’s quarterback, and I worry more about Texas A&M’s receivers.”
Shane went on to outright choose Kentucky, viewing them as a more “complete package,” but don’t get lost in the commentary because no matter how you swing it, the Aggies passing attack behind the arm of Conner Weigman or Max Johnson is more than due to heavily improve under Petrino’s tutelage in the midst of what I have coined the Jimbo Fisher revenge tour.
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