Tag: bryce anderson

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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Texas A&M Safety Bryce Anderson officially announces that he will return for the 2024 season

Through Texas A&M’s official NIL partner, Texas United, sophomore safety Bryce Anderson 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, and offensive lineman Layden Robinson.

Still, great news made its way to social media on Monday night, as stand-out sophomore safety Bryce Anderson announced that he will return for the 2024 season amid recent false rumors (his Twitter was hacked) regarding his potential entry into the portal. Through Texas A&M’s official NIL (Name, Image Likeness) partner “Texas United,” Anderson was tagged in a post, simply stating, “Staying in Aggieland.”

Bryce Anderson’s ascendance up the depth chart slowly gained traction during his 2022 freshman season, as the former high school quarterback immediately converted to safety due to his speed, instincts, and efficient tackling in the open field, recording 28 tackles, 16 solo tackles, and 3.5 tackles for loss in 11 games.

Defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin began utilizing Anderson off the edge in blitz packages this season, leading to an uptick in tackles for loss (7) while finishing fourth in tackles with 47, three QB hits, 1.5 sacks, four pass deflections, and an interception on the year.

Bryce Anderson’s importance to the defense can’t be described just with statistics. Still, as McKinnley Jackson and safety Demani Richardson depart, Anderson will take on a more prominent leadership role in the locker room next season among a roster with many new faces.

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Linebacker Edgerrin Cooper and the relentless Aggie defense stuffed the stat sheet in Texas A&M’s 30-17 win over South Carolina

Within Texas A&M’s 30-17 win over South Carolina, several Aggie defenders, including LB Edgerrin Cooper, completely dominated the stat sheet.

If you’ve been paying attention, Texas A&M (5-3, 3-2 SEC) is just inches (yeah, I said it) away from reaching 7-1 on the year, which includes an undefeated record in the SEC if the Aggies offense had been up to snuff in the second half in consecutive losses to Alabama and Tennessee.

On the other hand, Texas A&M’s 9th-ranked defense has been one of the most significant bright spots in college football since falling to Miami in Week 2, consistently tying or leading the country in sacks after every week. At the same time, junior linebacker Edgerrin Cooper has solidified himself as the best linebacker in the country by a fair margin.

“I got comfortable with the strategy of our game and playbook. I am able to see everything and compete.”

On Saturday, the Aggies came off their Week 8 bye week motivated to prove that the 2023 campaign is not a lost cause just yet, facing a South Carolina team dealing with midseason roster attrition and poor play on both sides of the ball, providing A&M’s defense a clear opportunity to tee off on quarterback Spencer Rattler throughout the afternoon.

Despite scoring 17 points, the Aggie D limited the Gamecocks to 209 total yards (176 passing, 33 rushing) while recording four sacks and ten tackles for loss, led by Edgerrin Cooper (7 tackles, one sack, 2 TFLs) and standout safety Bryce Anderson (7 sacks, two sacks, 2 TFLs) as both returned from injuries in the loss to Tennessee.

Even more impressive? Four players recorded six or more tackles, while Cooper, Anderson, safety Demani Richardson, and edge Fadil Diggs all recorded a pass deflection, exhibiting their dominance at the line of scrimmage.

Dealing with early season scrutiny, second-year defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin deserves much credit, especially in player development. While Edgerrin Cooper’s incredible rise as a future NFL early-round pick has stuck out consistently, it’s evident that nearly every contributor on the defensive line and the secondary has taken a step in their collective development and in a must-win to keep their season afloat, every defender who took the field on Saturday proved made an impact.

Texas A&M will now travel to Oxford (MS) to face the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday, Nov. 5, where the game will again air on ESPN at 11:00 a.m. CT.

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‘It’s a tough loss. I still believe in my guys.’ Ainias Smith and Bryce Anderson reflect on Texas A&M’s loss to Alabama

Ainias Smith and Bryce Anderson recap the tough loss to Alabama, while noting the team must bounce back against the Vols next week.

Texas A&M (4-2, 2-1 SEC) was unable to put together a complete game as they fell 26-20 to No. 11 Alabama (5-1, 3-0 SEC) on Saturday. Many had expected a physical clash between these two, and that script certainly delivered at Kyle Field.

Despite six combined sacks on Jalen Milroe and two forced turnovers, A&M’s defense didn’t receive equal assistance from their offense. The Maroon and White went 4-for-12 on third down while averaging just 1.9 yards per rush attempt, as their offense ground to a halt at the most inopportune time.

Lack of execution on offense, as well as questionable game management decisions from Jimbo Fisher, ultimately handicapped A&M’s offense. The Aggies should have led 14-0 in the first quarter but had to settle for just three points through the first period of action.

For every step forward the Aggies defense made, the offense took two steps backward. No example was more indicative than Max Johnson’s ugly third-quarter interception, which immediately followed a huge interception from Bryce Anderson off of Jalen Milroe.

The frustrating conundrum of being unable to play a complete game on both sides of the ball was ultimately the nail in the coffin on Saturday. Ainias Smith, as well as Anderson, advocated just as much in their postgame press conferences. While the loss has inevitably stung the locker room, this team knows there’s no time to sulk with a huge game against Tennessee on deck next week.

Below are Ainias Smith and Bryce Anderson’s entire postgame press conferences following Saturday’s loss, as well as notable takeaways from their time at the podium.

Texas A&M’s ferocious pass rush against the Auburn Tigers can, and needs to be sustained

Texas A&M’s defense completed dominated the visiting Auburn Tigers on Saturday, while their notable pass rush finally found life.

Texas A&M defensive coordinator D.J Durkin has rightfully been under fire through the first three games this season after the Aggie’s 48-33 loss to Miami in Week 2, plagued by one of the worst defensive efforts witnessed from the program in quite some time.

However, minor improvements were made after defeating UL Monroe 47-3 in Week 3, leading to Saturday’s defensive explosion that none of us saw coming in Texas A&M’s rousing 27-10 victory over the visiting Auburn Tigers to open SEC play.

While starting quarterback Conner Weigman’s ankle injury (X-rays were negative) has taken most of the attention away from the big win, the Aggies suffocating pass rush and “bend but don’t break” defensive approach yielded seven sacks (most since 2017), 15 tackles for loss, while allowing only 54 yards through the air from three Auburn quarterbacks, while wreaking absolute havoc on veteran signal-caller Peyton Thorne on every possession.

Texas A&M’s sudden surge on the defensive line isn’t a mystery, as Durkin’s willingness to change up his scheme and blitz at a high rate paid off, utilizing the incredible athletes in the trenches. At the same time, the linebacker duo of Edgerrin Cooper and freshman Taurean York led the team in tackles and set the defensive tone from start to finish, according to star defensive back Byce Anderson.

“We have a crazy defensive line. (Taurean) York and (Edgerrin) Cooper played great… Today was a collective effort.”

Cooper, who recorded eight tackles and led the team with two sacks, was second to York’s game-high 11 tackles, and two tackles for loss have vaulted him in the discussion for one of the top freshmen in the country. They will only continue to develop throughout the SEC slate.

“Auburn is not the main goal. The main goal is to run through the SEC… This is a step along the way.”

With nine players recording three or more tackles on the afternoon, this was definitely a collective effort, but asking, “Is this sustainable?” may keep Aggie fans on their toes, especially with the high-scoring Arkansas Razorbacks coming to Arlington, Texas next Saturday.

Simple answer? Maybe, but the results against the Tigers are certainly encouraging, and to keep Razorbacks QB K.J Jefferson from developing a passing rhythm early, Durkin should keep a similar game plan and continue to emphasize pressure through a variety of creative blitz packages while keeping the secondary from being exposed.

However, as Anderon alluded, consistent effort was the primary factor in the Aggies’ defensive ascendence, and to reach their lofty goals with eight games remaining, replicating Saturday’s performance is the first step.

Texas A&M will now travel to AT&T Stadium to face the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 11:00 a.m. CT., and air on the SEC Network.

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‘This first SEC win means everything, and we need to keep stacking,’ Max Johnson, Ainias Smith, and more recap win over Auburn

A handful of Aggie players had no shortage of praise and admiration for the manner in which Max Johnson led his team to victory.

Texas A&M (3-1) won its first SEC matchup of the season with a hard-fought 27-10 win over Auburn (3-1) on Saturday. It marks a milestone, the Aggie players know they can be even better moving forward.

Following Saturday’s win, Max Johnson, Ainias Smith, Layden Robinson, Bryce Anderson, and Edgerrin Cooper all took to the podium to recap the team effort. The victory warranted a group effort in all three phases of the game, and a sluggish first half only exacerbated that truth.

A&M’s offense stumbled through the first two quarters to take a 6-3 lead at the half. The Aggies’ defense showed up to play, but it took a minute for the offense to click. And then with 4:30 left to go in the second quarter, an injury to Conner Weigman only heightened the pressure.

But in Weigman’s absence, backup Max Johnson entered the fold and displayed a level of poise and leadership that one can only find in A&M’s quarterback room. He proved to be the x-factor for the game, having connected with brother Jake Johnson and receiver Evan Stewart to finish 7/11 for 123 yards and two passing touchdowns.

After the game, Johnson’s teammates had no shortage of praise and admiration for the manner in which the senior southpaw led his team.

Below are Max Johnson, Ainias Smith, Layden Robinson, Bryce Anderson, and Edgerrin Cooper’s full postgame press conferences, as well as notable highlights.

Everything Noah Thomas and Bryce Anderson had to say during Texas A&M’s Fall practice Media Day

Here is everything Noah Thomas and Bryce Anderson had to say during their Q&A portion of Texas A&M’s Fall Practice Media Day.

Texas A&M’s first and only open practice during fall practice is slated for Sunday afternoon inside Kyle Field, as both the public and the media will have the opportunity to preview what’s to come ahead of A&M’s season opener vs. New Mexico on Saturday, Sept. 2.

Before the open practice, the Aggies held their annual Media Day, as every media member in attendance posed questions to every coach and player available to take the podium were Assistant Head Coach Elijah Robinson, Defensive Coordinator DJ Durkin, Offensive Coordinator Bobby Petrino, and players Max Johnson, Conner Weigman, Noah Thomas, and Bryce Anderson. Of course, media day wouldn’t be complete without the Aggies’ leader at the helm, Head Coach Jimbo Fisher.

Representing the wide receivers, Spring MVP Noah Thomas is entering his sophomore season with high exceptions after a mostly absent 2022 campaign; the 6-5 sprinter possesses every trait needed to succeed in what should be a much-improved offense under new offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino, paired with an elite starting WR unit including Evan Stewart, Ainias Smith, and Moose Muhammad III. Oh, and it looks like Thomas is very comfortable with both options at quarterback this season.

“For both of those guys, being on the field together and competing against each other is great because they get better every single day.”

Speaking for the defense, sophomore defensive back Bryce Anderson, one of the most versatile athletes in the country, will likely fill the void left by nickel corner Antonio Johnson, who the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted in the 2023 NFL Draft. Possessing an elite blend of physicality and athleticism is already a proven run-stopper due to his notable closing speed after accumulating 28 total tackles (16 solo) with 1.0 forced fumble and two fumble recoveries last season. As a proven leader in the locker room, Anderson knows that the work the Aggies have put in this offseason will finally lead to positive results.

“We are going to prove everybody wrong. We have a standard set… We have to meet that standard everyday.”

Here are Noah Thomas and Bryce Anderson’s full press conference videos from Fall Camp Media Day 2023.

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Texas A&M Football 2023 Position Preview: Cornerbacks; Transfer additions will be key to success

Despite boasting a potential breakout star, key departures leave Texas A&M’s cornerback group with questionable depth heading into the new season.

Texas A&M kicks off the 2023 college football season in just under two months, and while the offseason is nearing its conclusion sooner than later, it’s time to preview what Jimbo Fisher and his staff will be working with from a roster perspective.

The cornerback unit is coming off an impressive 2022 campaign in which they allowed just 162.1 yards per game through the air, which was the best mark in the SEC. However, some key departures leave this unit with questionable depth heading into the new season.

Returning production:  Junior Tyreek Chappell returns after appearing in 11 games last season, having logged 44 total tackles and eight pass breakups. According to Pro Football Focus, he finished with a 65.9 overall defensive grade and a 69.8 coverage grade.

Sophomore Bryce Anderson returns for what could shape up to be his breakout season, having appeared in 11 games last season while recording 28 total tackles, two fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble. As a true freshman, Anderson finished with a 66.9 overall defense-grade and an 80.9 run defense grade.

Rounding out the returning production is redshirt sophomore Deuce Harmon, who appeared in four games last season while logging nine total tackles.

Departures:  Junior Jaylon Jones departed Aggieland after declaring for the 2023 NFL Draft. Jones was selected in the seventh round by the Indianapolis Colts after appearing in 10 games for Texas A&M last season, recording 33 tackles with two pass deflections and one fumble recovery.

Incoming sophomore Denver Harris transferred to LSU, Marquis Groves-Killebrew transferred to Louisville, Myles Jones transferred to Duke, Brian George transferred to Houston, and Josh Moten entered the portal but has yet to find a new program. Defensive back Smoke Bouie had transferred to Georgia but has since departed the team.

Final Observation:  With the exception of Anderson’s likely breakout campaign as the nickel corner, the Aggies will rely on transfer additions Tony Grimes and Sam McCall to lead the group. Boston College transfer Josh DeBerry adds some veteran depth behind them, but otherwise, the unit does not boost nearly as many experienced players as the other positions on the roster.

To put it gently, it’s less than ideal for an Aggies team heading into a significant 2023 season. However, with fall camp just around the corner, it provides a perfect opportunity to build a good rapport with the new faces on the roster. That, coupled with a string of good health for the long haul of the season, should put Texas A&M in good shape.

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