Tag: Chase Bisontis

Texas A&M OL Chase Bisontis will enter the transfer portal

It has been reported that freshman offensive lineman Chase Bisontis will enter the transfer portal after starting 12 games for Texas A&M.

The offensive line took a blow when reports surfaced that All-SEC freshman Chase Bisontis entered the transfer portal. After the firing of offensive line coach Steve Adazzio, whom Bisontis has developed a close relationship with from the start of his recruiting journey to landing in College Station, it looks like the budding star is looking for a fresh start.

With their presumed departures, several players have now entered the portal thus far, but keep an eye on the defensive line as some rumored transfers are coming. After the passing of coach Terry Price’s year and the future departure of defensive line coach Elijah Robinson, some attrition in the defensive trenches is expected.

Concerning Bistontis’s playing future, keep an eye on Rutgers, as the New Jersey native could be looking to play closer to home and find more consistency in the Big 10. Starting at right tackle during all 12 games this season, SEC experience will likely increase his chance to land wherever he pleases.

We wish Chase the best and will keep our eye on the portal news to see if Elko brings in a veteran OL to help out the room next year.

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Two standout Aggies named to On3’s True Freshman All-American Team

After impressive 2023 debuts, Texas A&M freshmen Taurean York (LB) and Chase Bisontis (OL) were named to the On3 Freshman All-American team.

Texas A&M’s 2023 season will mostly be remembered for the firing of longtime head football coach Jimbo Fisher and the subsequent hiring of new head coach Mike Elko, who was the Aggie’s defensive coordinator from 2018-2021.

Ending the regular season at 7-5 with an impending bowl game to be announced on Sunday, this has been an average season at best, but that doesn’t discount the play of several young players on the Aggies roster, including freshman linebacker Taurean York, and freshman offensive lineman Chase Bisontis.

This week, On3 released their final Freshman All-American Team, as York joined Texas linebacker Anthony Hill (previously committed to Texas A&M) and Virginia linebacker Kam Robinson. Bisontis, who started at right tackle for a majority of the season, joined Francis Mauigoa (Miami), Kayden Proctor (Alabama), Spencer Fano (Utah), and Ethan Mackenny (Georgia Tech).

York, who recorded 66 Total Tackles, eight tackles for loss, three sacks, and one forced fumble, was second on the team behind standout junior linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, who led the team with 83 tackles, eight sacks, and 17 tackles for loss on the year. Coming into the year, after losing Anthony Hill to the Longhorns, York’s average recruiting ranking was quickly disputed as soon as he hit the field, possessing the speed, vision, strength, and intelligence to man the Aggie D for years to come.

For Bisontis, it was an up-and-down season built on slow but steady progress, leading to grading out as the highest-rated offensive player in A&M’s road loss to Ole Miss, per Pro Football Focus. Bisontis is on the right track, barring whoever Mike Elko selects as A&M’s new offensive line coach.

Congratulations to both young men on their achievements during the 2023 season.

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Five players to watch ahead of Texas A&M vs. South Carolina

Will the O-line show a sign of life? is QB Spencer Rattler a threat? here are five players to watch ahead of Texas A&M vs. South Carolina

We’re slightly past the halfway point of the 2023 college football season. For Texas A&M (4-3, 2-2 SEC), head coach Jimbo Fisher and his talented but underwhelming offense have plagued any sense of consistency, recently dropping two consecutive SEC matchups against Alabama and Tennessee.

While Fisher’s coaching future in College Station remains a mystery, the final five games of the regular season will likely provide more answers down the line, especially if what we’ve seen from the Aggies since reaching 4-1 after decisively defeating Arkansas to reach 2-0 in the SEC.

Yes, quarterback Conner Weigman’s season-ending injury certainly threw a wrench in the Aggies’ offensive plans. Still, second-year O-line coach Steve Addazio’s failure to fix the blocking issues in the trenches has put then-backup signal caller Max Johnson under constant duress, virtually destroying any rhythm in both the passing and running game since.

However, facing a Gamecocks defense that allows more than 30 points per game should give the offense confidence heading into the matchup.

This week, we have provided several storylines to help provide the full scoop on what to expect on Saturday afternoon.

Focusing on the players that need to make this weekend, here are the five players to watch ahead of Texas A&M vs. South Carolina.

Texas A&M Football 2023 Midseason Grades: Offensive Line

Texas A&M’s offensive line midseason report card is in, and it’s an ugly sight to behold as the team comes off a pivotal bye week.

The Aggies Wire team is doing the same with Texas A&M (4-3, 2-2), looking to take a breather and reassess heading into the bye week. Namely, there’s no better time to take a pulse check on how the Aggies have fared through the first half of the season, with a deep dive on each positional group.

Next up, we’re looking at the Aggies offensive line, headlined by Bryce Foster, Layden Robinson, Trey Zuhn III, Chase Bisontis, and Mark Nabou Jr.

Highlights

We’ll be blunt; this section of the breakdown will not be expansive. The Maroon Goons were much more promising early on in the season, and when it comes to run blocking, they’ve been solid. Their 63.2 run-blocking grade, per Pro Football Focus, is decent, and they’re only allowing 2.0 sacks per game (66th) while gaining just 4.1 yards per carry (80th).

The drop-off in run efficiency was to be expected when losing a talent like De’Von Achane, who declared for the NFL Draft. It’s been a carousel of Le’Veon Moss, Amari Daniels, and Rueben Owens in the backfield. But for the most part, run blocking hasn’t been a stumbling block.

Areas of improvement

“Pass protection” should be bolded with an emphatic emergency alarm stamped alongside it when speaking on areas of improvement. This a huge area of weakness that needs to be addressed by the offensive line, and their second-year coach Steve Addazio. Their 47.5 pass-blocking grade, according to PFF, is absolutely atrocious and marks a decrease from their 49.4 grade in 2022.

The caveat there: last season the unit was plagued with injuries across the board. This season, they’re the ones responsible for the biggest injury this season, after Conner Weigman was pressured and suffered a foot injury back against Auburn, which ended up being season-ending.

Fast forward to today, and their porous pass protection has rendered veteran southpaw Max Johnson to that of an average quarterback. In their latest loss to Tennessee, Johnson was pressured on 64.1 percent of his dropbacks, which was the highest pressure rate since PFF started tracking the metric back in 2014. The Maroon Goons officially made history, and not in a good way.

Final grade: F

Without the ability to point toward injuries for their porous play, responsibility has to fall on o-line coach Steve Addazio for the unit’s putrid performance in SEC play. Bad snaps, miscommunication at the line of scrimmage, and Foster literally tripping over himself are illustrative of fundamental issues that must be corrected.

It falls on Addazio to get this unit prepared for Saturday afternoons, otherwise, this season is ready to steer off course toward utter disaster.

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Five players to watch in Texas A&M’s Week 7 matchup vs. Tennessee

Will Jimbo Fisher end his SEC road woes? can the Aggies O-line hold up? Here are five players to watch ahead of Texas A&M vs. Tennessee.

Texas A&M (4-2, 2-1 SEC) will hit the road to face the Tennessee Volunteers (4-1, 1-1 SEC) on Saturday afternoon, as head coach Jimbo Fisher is in for one of the roughest environments the SEC has to offer.

Coming off of a bye week, Tennessee and head coach Josh Heupel has yet to find an offensive identity behind the big arm of quarterback Joe Milton, but this unit can score more than 30 plus points at any given week. At the same time, Texas A&M’s Week 6 loss to Alabama created more questions than answers, specifically concerning the Aggies’ secondary and offensive line.

However, Texas A&M’s dominant pass rush and stellar linebacker play have been a consistent bright spot despite the offense’s failure to sustain drives as of late, leaving signal caller Max Johnson’s SEC experience, especially on the road, crucial to the Aggies’ future success.

This week, we have provided several storylines to help provide the full scoop on what to expect on Saturday afternoon.

Focusing on the players that need to make this weekend, here are the five players to watch ahead of Texas A&M vs. Tennessee.

Two Texas A&M freshmen made On3’s Midseason True Freshman All-American list

Texas A&M’s freshmen duo of linebacker Taurean York and OL Chase Bisontis have made On3’s Midseason True Freshman All-American list.

Texas A&M (4-2, 2-1 SEC) has work to do to get back on track in the SEC West. The biggest test awaits this Saturday against Tennessee (4-1, 1-1 SEC) in front of 100,000 plus inside Neyland Stadium.

Outside of the two losses so far this season, the Aggies roster is chock-full of talent on offense and defense, which includes two freshman standouts who have earned starting positions at two key positions, as linebacker Taurean York and offensive tackle Chase Bisontis have made On3’s Midseason True Freshman All-American list after impressive performances through six games.

Opening the SEC schedule hosting Auburn, the Aggies defeated the Tigers behind a seven-sack, 15-tackle-for-loss defensive performance, aided by a career day from Taurean York, who recorded 11 tackles, two tackles for loss, and netted his first career sack while calling nearly every defensive play in the process. So far this season, York is second on the team with 32 tackles, including 15 solo tackles, one sack, and 2.5 tackles for loss.

Starting every game this season at right tackle due to Reuben Fatheree’s elongated recovery time from a previous injury, Chase Bisontis (6-4, 320 pounds) has shown flashes of his tremendously high ceiling, allowing only one sack in the Week 2 loss to Miami while aiding the Aggies’ ground game to gain over 200 rushing yards against ULM and Auburn.

Receiving a 17.4 pass protection grade from PFF in the loss to Alabama, Bisontis has a lot of room to grow concerning his footwork and use of leverage, but let’s remember that he’s still a teenager with plenty of time to develop into a future full-time starter.

Congratulations to both young men on the honor!

Texas A&M will travel to face the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday, Oct. 14, at 2:30 p.m. CT, inside Neyland Stadium (TV: CBS).

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Final injury report ahead of Texas A&M vs. Auburn

Here is the final injury report ahead of Texas A&M’s SEC opener vs. Auburn on Saturday afternoon

Texas A&M (2-1) will take on the visiting Auburn Tigers (3-0) on Saturday afternoon inside Kyle Field, and yes, it’s going to be a scorcher, as temperatures will be as high as 95 degrees, and even hotter on the field.

Both programs are coming off wins against lesser opponents, as the Aggies blew out UL Monroe 47-3 last Saturday, while the Tigers downed Samford 45-13 to stay perfect on the season, setting up for one of the most challenging matchups to predict at the start of SEC play.

While Texas A&M’s defense has been less than exceptional, quarterback Conner Weigman tore the Warhawks secondary to shreds, throwing for an efficient 25/29, 337 yards, and two touchdowns, including a 19-yard rushing score, further proving that the Aggies offense will be their predominate strength in 2023.

Earlier this week, head coach Jimbo Fisher provided a brief update regarding the injury report after several players sat down last weekend, headlined by star wide receiver Evan Stewart, starting center Bryce Foster, and freshman tackle Chase Bisontis.

While Stewart, Foster, and Bisontis are primed to return to the lineup against Auburn, starting right tackle Reuben Fatheree II is reportedly still in the process of rehabbing before he can fully return, according to Fisher during his weekly SEC teleconference:

“I do not know. That will be up to his development on a day-to-day, week-to-week basis we are seeing. But he is practicing well, doing well, getting better each and every day and we will see as that goes.”

Noah Thomas left mid-game due to a lower body stinger but will reportedly return as well, as the Aggies’ entire wide receiver depth chart will be available against the Tigers.

For Auburn, linebacker Austin Keys will miss the game, and most notably, starting cornerback Keitonte Scott will also miss the game as a late scratch this week.

Texas A&M will host the Auburn Tigers at Kyle Field on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 11:00 a.m., where it will air on ESPN.

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Initial injury report ahead of Texas A&M vs. Auburn

Ahead of Texas A&M’s SEC home opener vs. the Auburn Tigers on Saturday, here is the initial injury report for both squads

Texas A&M (2-1) is fresh off its 47-3 Week 3 victory over the visiting UL Monroe Warhawks last Saturday, finally getting back on track after falling 48-33 the previous week to Miami in one of their worst defensive showings in years. This Saturday, the Aggies will host the undefeated Auburn Tigers to open the SEC slate while seeking revenge after falling to the program in 2022.

Leading the way once against, sophomore quarterback Conner Weigman tore the Warhawks secondary to shreds, throwing for an efficient 25/29, 337 yards, and two touchdowns, including a 19-yard rushing score.

With star wide receiver Evan Stewart sidelined, Grand Valley State transfer WR Jahdae Walker exploded for five reactions, 110 yards, and a touchdown, only upstaged by veteran WR Ainias Smith, who led the game with seven receptions and 127 yards through the air.

On Monday, head coach Jimbo Fisher made his weekly media appearance to preview the Aggies’ matchup with the Tigers while providing several updates regarding the injury report after several players left the UL Monroe game early.

Leaving the game early, freshman right tackle Chase Bisontis and wide receiver Noah Thomas were both nicked up in-game. At the same time, Evan Stewart’s status was never disclosed. Still, as of today, Fisher stated that Bisontis, Thomas, Stewart, and possibly offensive tackle Reuben Fatheree II “should be good to go” against Auburn.

Starting center Bryce Foster and freshman cornerback Jayvon Thomas also missed Saturday’s game and are also expected to return this weekend.

Linebacker Austin Keys will likely miss the matchup for the Tigers due to a thumb injury, while cornerback Keionte Scott will be out as well.

Texas A&M will host the Auburn Tigers at Kyle Field on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 11:00 a.m., where it will air on ESPN.

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Texas A&M’s offensive line play will likely determine the final outcome vs. Miami

After a solid showing in the Aggies 52-10 win over New Mexico, Texas A&M’s experienced O-line will need to win, and win consistently in the trenches vs. Miami.

Texas A&M (1-0) and Miami (1-0) entered the 2023 season with clean slates after matching each other record-wise with dismal 5-7 finishes in 2022, both experiencing more lows than highs, with their worst finishes in over a decade.

After going head-to-head last season, the Aggies narrowly defeated Miami 17-9 after previously losing to Appalachian State. While many of us saw this as a potential turnaround going forward, the parity of college football took us all for a loop for the preceding nine weeks.

Turn the page to the first weekend of September, as Texas A&M’s took care of New Mexico 52-10 behind starting quarterback Conner Weigman’s five touchdowns, while Miami’s balanced offense and impressive ground game aided the Hurricanes to their 38-3 drubbing of the visiting Miami (OH) Warhawks on Friday night.

Off to solid and convincing starts, the Aggies will now travel to South Beach, which, by most of the Miami fanbase, has been dubbed as a “revenge game,” even though the Hurricanes failed to reach the endzone in their first meeting. Even though Texas A&M holds several advantages on paper, specifically from a talent perspective, I believe that the game will be determined in the trenches between the Aggies’ offensive line vs. Miami’s defensive line.

In years past, Texas A&M’s O-line under Fisher’s reign has benefitted in size but lacked the athleticism and versatility needed to win in the SEC consistently. Still, after several key recruiting gains paired with experienced veterans, things are finally looking up in 2023. Against New Mexico, the Aggies looked much improved in pass protection, only allowing two sacks on the night. While their run blocking is still a work in progress, there’s clear potential.

As Aggies Wire contributor Pete Hernandez recently pointed out, Hurricanes defensive lineman Leonard Taylor, outside of star safety Kam Kinchens, is by far the most dominant defender the program has to offer, recording 24 total tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, 1 INT last season.

While Texas A&M’s offensive line seems to emulate a revolving door after what the starting unit looked like on Saturday, this is simply a byproduct of the immense depth O-line coach Steve Addazio has at his disposal. Of course, I’m referencing offensive tackle Reuben Fatheree II, who was still recovering from a knee issue before surprisingly suiting up against New Mexico. Instead of lining up at his original right tackle spot, he would shift over as the second-string left tackle behind starter Trey Zuhn. In contrast, vaunted freshman tackle Chase Bisontis made his impressive debut in his place. Now that’s quality depth.

In the interior, the return of center Bryce Foster and right guard Layden Robinson, coupled with the sophomore duo of Kam Dewberry and Mark Nabou at left guard, will be counted on against the likes of Leonard Taylor, who Miaim defensive coordinator Lance Guidry will likely move around throughout the matchup.

This is the first real test for the Maroon Goons, and with everything I’ve just described, there’s simply no excuse for this unit not to find success against a stout opponent like Miami, no matter where the game is played.

Texas A&M will face the Miami Hurricanes on Saturday, Sept. 9, which will air on ABC at 2:30 p.m. CT.

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Final injury report ahead to Texas A&M vs. New Mexico

Here is the final injury report ahead of Texas A&M’s 2023 season opener vs. New Mexico on Saturday, Sept. 2

Texas A&M (0-0) is set to kick off their 2023 football season against the New Mexico Lobos on Saturday, Sept. 2, inside what should be a packed and raucous Kyle Field.

On Monday, head coach Jimbo Fisher took the podium to answer many questions regarding the team’s preparation before the weekend’s festivities while providing a brief update on the Aggies injury front post-fall camp.

During fall camp, sophomore tight end Donovan Green suffered a torn ACL and will miss the entirety of the 2023 season. Still, he has already undergone a successful surgery and is on track to be ready for the 2024 season. Still, outside of Green’s terrible misfortune, Texas A&M’s roster is in the best shape it’s been at this time of the season for the first time in several years.

As I stated on Monday, we will not know the official status of starting center Bryce Foster until an hour or two before game time, as the Aggies game day depth chart will likely not be released until then, a normality during Fisher’s tenure.

Staying in a similar lane, starting right tackle Reuben Fatheree II will likely miss the opener as he works his way back from a minor injury suffered in the spring, as standout freshman offensive lineman Chase Bisontis is slated to start in his place, while left tackle Trey Zuhn is as healthy as he’s ever been in his Aggie career heading into the opener.

For Head Coach Danny Gonzalez’s Lobo squad, redshirt sophomore tight end Trace Bruckler is back from his injury-riddled 2022 season and is poised for a productive year.

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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