Ah yes, we’re finally near the offseason finish line as the 2023 college football season is less than a month away, and for Texas A&M, their pivotal bounce-back campaign starts on Saturday, Sept. 2, against New Mexico inside what should be a packed Kyle Field.
With fall camps beginning all across the country this week. Head Coach Jimbo Fisher led his 2023 roster on the field for their first official practice on Wednesday afternoon; new OC Bobby Petrino’s influence on Aggies’ talented pieces on offense will likely be seen in the coming practices, leading up to Sunday’s open practice to the media and the public on Sunday, Aug. 6.
Loaded at nearly every position, the quarterback battle between Conner Weigman and Max Johnson is the storyline that will continue to dominate the headlines this month. As the competition is much closer than many of us in Aggie media assumed, Weigman, who is entering his sophomore year, finished the 2022 season on a high note with eight touchdowns and zero interceptions in five games played.
This week, CBS Sports writer Chip Patterson released his newest version of the site’s annual “CBS Sports 133” rankings, and even after the Aggies’ dreadful 5-7 (2-6 SEC) slogfest of a season, the shear potential the roster presents, specifically the talented 2022 recruiting class’s “Baptism by fire” campaign while playing extensive minutes on both sides of the ball, gaining valuable experience in the process.
Finishing the 2022 season ranked 71st, Texas A&M has risen 47 spots to No. 24 in the Patterson’s current rankings, and echoing the same message we at Aggies Wire have tried to convey all summer, last season’s results were simply a brief digression apart of a much bigger plan moving forward.
Last season’s 5-7 showing was an aberration compared to how most teams finish with a roster as talented as that of Texas A&M. This adjustment recognizes that talent will likely deliver more wins than a year ago and notes what could be a positive spark for the offense in the hire of Bobby Petrino as offensive coordinator.
How quickly Bobby Petrino’s impact on the Aggies’ offense will take effect is up in the air, though knowing his background and the players he has at his disposal, the sky is truly the limit.
Second-year defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin has also taken over coaching linebackers, a postion of great struggle last season, while the defensive line led by senior DT McKinnley Jackson is one of the deepest groups in the country. The pieces are there for much more than a rebound season; just how well they fit together during the entire 12-game slate is the remaining question.
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