Tag: bryce anderson

Updated injury report ahead of Texas A&M vs. Arkansas

One Texas A&M starter will miss Saturday’s game vs. Arkansas

Texas A&M (3-1, 1-0 SEC) will take on the Arkansas Razorbacks (3-1, 1-0 SEC) on Saturday afternoon, as both teams will meet for a final time inside AT&T Stadium before a new venue is announced for next season.

Coming off an underwhelming but competitive 26-20 win over Bowling Green last weekend, head coach Mike Elko knows that there are plenty of issues to iron out before the Aggies take the field on Saturday afternoon. Looking at the health of the roster after last week’s win, Elko spoke of several injury updates during Wednesday’s SEC Teleconference, including Conner Weigman’s likely game-time decision for Saturday’s game.

While Elko is hopeful that Weigman will be available for the game, he also reported that starting center TJ Shanahan will miss the game after leaving the first half vs. Bowling Green with a lower-body injury. Elko also noted that safety Bryce Anderson is questionable, while defensive end Shemar Stewart will be available this weekend.

Both Anderson and Stewart briefly left the game only to re-enter the defensive lineup while playing most of the second half, so I’d assume Anderson’s status is more precautionary than anything else.

Texas A&M will face Arkansas inside AT&T Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 28, at 2:30 p.m. CT. The game will air on ESPN.

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Texas A&M’s secondary is slowly but surely coming together

Texas A&M’s cornerback/safety rotation continues to play with confidence

Former head coach Jimbo Fisher can partially blame the shaky secondary he put on the field during his final season with the program, as more than half of Texas A&M’s losses last season were due to 100-plus yard performances from receivers taking full advantage of the lack of speed and length on the boundary.

New head coach Mike Elko immediately diagnosed the problem after watching the film, especially in last season’s loss to Alabama, as former wide receiver Jermaine Burton wrecked the Aggie secondary for 9 catches, 197 yards, and two touchdowns.

Knowing that the transfer portal was the only answer combined with young cornerbacks and safeties on the roster, Elko landed seven corner and safety transfers, led by former Kansas State CB Will Lee III, who has been one of the program’s top performers over the last two games.

After Saturday’s 52-10 win over McNeese State, Lee spoke to the media after recording his first interception with the program. He noted how the secondary is playing more aggressively while gaining confidence with tougher matchups ahead.

“We are more aggressive and communicative. We ended up being more focused on locked on everything we are supposed to do. I feel like that showed in our play today.”

One of the biggest moves this offseason was Elko and defensive coordinator Jay Bateman opting to move junior defensive back Bryce Anderson back to safety full-time. With the addition of safeties Trey Jones and Marcus Ratcliffe, the Aggies are one of the more athletic defensive backfields in the conference and should only get better as the season rolls on.

After two games, Texas A&M’s pass defense is ranked 33rd nationally, with two interceptions and 257 passing yards allowed thus far.

Texas A&M will travel to Gainsville to take on the Florida Gators on Saturday, Sept. 14 at 2:30 p.m. CT. The game will air on ABC.

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Jurior safety Bryce Anderson featured in our Texas A&M Countdown to Kickoff

Texas A&M junior safety is primed for a big season in Mike Elko’s defensive scheme

The countdown to Texas A&M’s 2024 season opener against Notre Dame is nearing single digits.

Ten days remain before the 7th-ranked Fighting Irish head to College Station for a primetime showdown. New Aggies head coach Mike Elko has completed the long journey to accepting the position, going through his first offseason, and finishing his first fall practice period with the team this month.

Aggies Wire will focus on one player daily for the next ten days, ranking the Top 10 players on the 2024 roster. Junior defensive back Bryce Anderson is back at free safety under Elko and defensive coordinator Jay Bateman’s scheme, coming in at No. 9 on our list.

After two successful seasons, Jimbo Fisher’s firing is likely the best thing to happen to Anderson. The junior has clear NFL potential as a safety, and his playing in front of a potentially elite defensive line will allow scouts to assess his skillset.

In his most productive season yet, Anderson finished the 2023 campaign with  55 tackles, 34 solo tackles, 1.5 sacks, and an interception. He has an elite closing speed and impressive coverage instincts, as his 6-0 192-pound frame provides enough cushion to take on running backs and tight ends in the open field.

(Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)

Anderson’s on-field leadership will be counted on, as former starting safety Demani Richardson’s departure to the NFL essentially passes the torch to the Beaumont, Texas native. The Beaumont, Texas native will join former Central Michigan safety Trey Jones and sophomore Dalton Brooks in the safety rotation.

While Anderson will be relied on in coverage due to his sideline-to-sideline agility, I’d expect Elko and Bateman to occasionally deploy him as a pass rusher to take advantage of his top-end speed.

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Highlights from Texas A&M’s 12th fall football practice

Texas A&M’s defense continues to shine during the final week of fall practice

We’re oh so close to the start of the 2024 college football season, as Texas A&M finished its 12th fall practice on Wednesday.

This comes just days after the devastating news that sophomore running back Rueben Owens couldn’t potentially miss the 2024 season after sustaining a lower-body injury during last weekend’s scrimmage.

While every position group receives equal focus, every practice provides an opportunity to stick out of the crowd, as the Aggie defense, especially the pass rush duo of Nic Scourton and Shemar Stewart, continues to impress the coaching staff and media alike due to their NFL strength and elite athletic traits.

However, the secondary, especially the cornerback rotation, continues to develop before our eyes. New additions paired with returners such as Bravion Rogers and Jayvon Thomas provide Elko and defensive backs coaches Ishmael Aristide and Jordan Peterson plenty to work with before unveiling the Week 1 depth chart.

Offensively, quarterback Conner Weigman has continued to look sharp, while the wide receivers and running backs continue to adjust to new offensive coordinator Collin Klein’s new scheme.

Here are the various highlights from Texas A&M’s 12th fall practice.

Junior Bryce Anderson needs to play his ‘natural position’ to ‘eliminate those big plays’

“I can eliminate those big plays that happened last year using my speed and athleticism,” he said. “I’m just going to have to show y’all.”

Immediately after earning Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Defensive Freshman of the Year, Texas A&M junior Bryce Anderson nearly doubled his tackle total, going from 28 to 55.

“All our receivers, those guys are good. Those guys are making me work everyday, day in, day out, they bring their A-game and vice versa. We’re just making each other better,” Anderson said Tuesday. “I feel like playing safety is my natural position. I don’t like to say that ‘safety is my main position,’ I feel like I like to be versatile. Safety is I feel my natural position I can play the fastest. I feel like I can have more command of the defense at safety.

“I can be an eraser back there. I can eliminate those big plays that happened last year using my speed and athleticism. I’m just going to have to show y’all.”

If Anderson can double his production so quickly from one year to another as an underclassman, imagine what he could do as an upperclassman, especially where he is the best fit.

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‘Coach Elko is a genius’ Texas A&M safety Bryce Anderson is ready for the 2024 season

Bryce Anderson’s move back to safety was the smart move

With Texas A&M’s opener vs. Notre Dame looming, fall training camp has officially begun on Wednesday, as new head coach Mike Elko is well equipped with a stacked roster, starting and ending with redshirt sophomore quarterback Conner Weigman.

On Tuesday, Weigman, junior wide receiver Noah Thomas and junior defensive back Bryce Anderson joined Elko at the podium to take questions before the first practice, as Anderson, who was the last to speak, noted that his full time move to safety was the right decision, and Elko is to thank for putting him in the right position to succeed.

“At safety, the game, for me, is slower. I feel like I can eliminate things.”

“I can use my speed to go sideline-to-sideline. I feel like have more attributes at safety.”

Noting the natural feel, Elko, alongside defensive coordinator Jay Bateman’s scheme will put Anderson in the best position to succeed to clog up running lanes and eliminate short passing production. Compared to this time last season, Anderson knows that talk is cheap under Elko’s guidance.

“Last year, coming in, it was a whole lot of talk going on. We were working, but this year, we’re working way harder.”

“Coach Elko is a genius. Coming into the summer, he had it all calculated.”

Texas A&M will kick off the season in exactly one month vs. Notre Dame inside a packed Kyle Field on Saturday, August 31.

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Texas A&M’s Bryce Anderson and Kam Dewberry discuss Mike Elko’s impact so far

During Kam Dewberry’s youth football camp, the junior was joined by A&M starting safety Bryce Anderson

Ahead of Texas A&M’s 2024 football season, which will also serve as new head coach Mike Elko’s inaugural campaign with the program after two seasons heading Duke, two key members on the roster provided a sneak peek into what to expect as soon as the season opener vs. Notre Dame.

Amid the excitement of Texas A&M baseball’s College World Series Finals appearance, Aggies starting safety Bryce Anderson and junior offensive lineman Kam Dewberry took a moment from their busy schedules to share some valuable insights. Thanks to local Houston reporter Aaron Wilson, we now have a better understanding of how Elko plans to utilize their skills this fall.

While heading the camp amongst a large group of aspiring youngsters, Dewberry, who will compete for a starting spot at left or right guard this fall, discussed what he has been preaching to kids regarding what it takes to unlock their untapped potential on the field:

“You gotta know and love the grind. It’s gonna be grind, whatever it takes. You gotta love this game.”

Also in attendance, junior do-it-all safety Bryce Anderson has returned to the safety room under Elko and defensive coordinator Jay Bateman after spending a majority of the 2023 season at nickel corner while recording 55 tackles, an interception, and four pass deflections on the year.

Joining Dewberry in giving back to the youth, Anderson briefly discussed Elko’s vision for the defense this coming season:

“Coach Elko is a defensive-minded coach. He’s going to put me in a position to make plays now with my position change, moving to free safety, where I can really show off my athleticism.”

Both young men will continue to train and gear up this summer ahead of fall camp in early August, as Texas A&M will host a likely top-5 ranked Notre Dame team on Saturday, August 31.

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Head Texas A&M football coach Mike Elko confirms Anderson will be a full time safety

Junior safety Bryce Anderson is confirmed to be moved to full time safety position

The Texas A&M secondary spent a lot of time on the struggle bus last season, giving up 123 first downs and 95 passes over 15 yards. It was a main point of interest, with head coach Mike Elko hitting the portal hard to bring in as many defensive backs as possible to breed competition at the spot. However, Elko made something absolutely clear about one of his players.

After splitting time at a few positions last year, Bryce Anderson will now be a full-time safety in the Elko and Jay Bateman scheme. This is not a surprising move, just one waiting to happen. Anderson was recently named to Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Top 10 safeties in Texas in the No. 4 spot.  Here is Anderson’s impressive stat line during the 2023 campaign: Total tackles (55), Sacks (1.5), Forced fumbles (1), Interceptions (1), and Pass break ups (4).

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Texas A&M OL Trey Zuhn will officially return for the 2024 season

Texas A&M OL Trey Zuhn III is the fourth Aggie to announce his return in 2024 through NIL partner, Texas United.

Texas A&M’s football roster in the beginning stages of the offseason has already dealt with significant attrition, as more than a dozen players have entered the transfer portal. At the same time, several 2024 commits have either flipped or de-committed this month.

Three veteran players have also declared for the 2024 NFL Draft, including wide receiver Ainias Smith, defensive tackle McKinnley Jackson, offensive lineman Layden Robinson, and standout linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, who will likely be the first of the four to hear his name called.

On Friday, two more vital members of the 2023 roster announced their return for the 2023 season, starting with star running back Le’Veon Moss, followed by starting left tackle Trey Zuhn III, one of the toughest players on the team, bar none. Appearing in all 12 games during the 2023 redshirt sophomore season, Zuhn was consistently one of the highest-rated pass blockers on an otherwise porous offensive line per Pro Football Focus.

Heading into the 2024 campaign, quarterback Conner Weigman will be back in the saddle after his season ended prematurely due to injury, and while the rest of the O-line is finally due to improve under new offensive line coach Adam Cushing, Zuhn’s trustworthy play while protection Weigman’s blindside has to help new head coach Mike Elko sleep better at night.

Including Zuhn and Moss, four Texas A&M starters have announced their returns.

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Texas A&M OL Kam Dewberry announces that he will return for the 2024 season

Through Texas A&M’s official NIL partner, Texas United, sophomore OL Kam Dewberry announces his return for the 2024 season.

Texas A&M’s football roster in the beginning stages of the offseason has already dealt with significant attrition, as more than a dozen players have entered the transfer portal. At the same time, several 2024 commits have either flipped or de-committed this month.

Three veteran players have also declared for the 2024 NFL Draft, including wide receiver Ainias Smith, defensive tackle McKinnley Jackson, offensive lineman Layden Robinson, and, as of Tuesday, All-American linebacker Edgerrin Cooper.

On Monday, sophomore safety Bryce Anderson announced, through the Aggies’ official NIL partner “Texas United,” that he would be returning for the 2024 season. Two days later, sophomore offensive lineman Kam Dewberry joined the bandwagon, announcing his return on Wednesday night. In the same format associated with Texas United, Dewberry was tagged  in a post stating “Locked In.”

Entering the program as a four-star versatile offensive lineman in the Aggies’ 2022 recruiting class, Dewberry, who served at multiple spots in the trenches during his freshman season, appeared in seven games with five starts and was named to 2022 The Athletic Freshman All-American Team.

This season, Dewberry’s play time surprisingly decreased. Still, he showed promise every time he touched the field, appearing in nearly every game. He is poised to make an even more significant impact in 2024 while contending for a starting spot at right guard with Layden Robinson’s departure.

Under new offensive line coach Adam Cushing, expect stark improvement in pass protection, which took a deep stumble in Steve Adazzio’s final season with the program.

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