Confirmed: Texas A&M WR Jalen Preston’s career with the Aggies has come to an end

It has been confirmed by Travis Brown of the Eagle that wide receiver Jalen Preston will not return for his sixth season with the program.

The start of fall practice on Wednesday meant the release of the official 2023 roster. While 99% of the players we anticipated to be included were accounted for, senior wide receiver Jalen Preston was surprisingly nowhere to be found. While many of us speculated a potential retirement from the game altogether, confirmation regarding his plans came to light on Thursday afternoon.

According to Travis Brown of The Eagle, Preston, who signed a NIL deal with Gage Gandy Bail Bonds and would have been entering his sixth season with the program, expressed to Brown that he would forgo what would be his final season with the Aggies to train for the following year’s 2024 NFL Draft. Preston reportedly declined to answer when asked to provide a reason why he chose this new route.

Spending a majority of his time as a backup after his initial redshirt season, Preston’s most productive campaign came in 2021, appearing in 12 games while recording 255 yards and two touchdowns, as his best game came in the season finale loss against LSU with 57 yards and all two of his touchdowns on the year.

As a four-star receiver out of Manvel High School, Preston’s highly productive senior season included 47 receptions for 1,096 yards and 13 touchdowns, leading to earning District 23-5A most valuable player award and an Under Armor All-America spot to boot.

From a depth chart perspective, Preston’s competition at the X receiver spot was difficult, to say the least, as Evan Stewart and Noah Thomas have solidified themselves as starters at the spot in varying packages.

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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Texas A&M WR Jalen Preston not listed on the Aggies 2023 roster

Senior wide receiver Jalen Preston player was surprisingly unlisted after the newest edition of the Aggies’ 2023 football roster was released.

Texas A&M’s fall football season is officially underway as Head Coach Jimbo Fisher and his staff led the 2023 roster on the field for the first full practice on Wednesday afternoon.

Earlier today, Fisher and offensive lineman Layden Robinson spoke to the media to discuss the team’s progress this summer. At the same time, the highly anticipated position battle at quarterback between Conner Weigman and Max Johnson will surely take center stage leading into the weekend.

The start of fall practice also meant the release of the official 2023 roster. While 99% of the players we anticipated to be included were accounted for, senior wide receiver Jalen Preston was nowhere to be found. Preston, who has been with the program for four seasons, was among the highest-ranked members of Jimbo Fisher’s first recruiting class with the Aggies in 2018.

Even more surprising is the timeline of this new development after Preston reportedly signed a NIL deal with Gage Gandy Bail Bonds in March, so further speculation isn’t necessary until more information comes out regarding his immediate future with the program.

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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Texas A&M Football 2023 Position Preview: Wide Receivers; Among the best groups in the country

Texas A&M’s wide receiver corps is teeming with a nice mix of star upside and veteran experience, making it among the best in the country.

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 Aggies’ wide receiver corps is teeming with a perfect mix of star upside and veteran experience, making this unit among the best in the country.

Returning production: Sophomore Evan Stewart returns after a promising 2022 campaign as the starting X receiver. He logged 53 receptions, 649 yards, and two touchdowns in 10 games as a true freshman last season and flashed why he was a top-10 recruit of the 2022 cycle.

Graduate Ainias Smith returns as the likely starting slot receiver, having recorded 15 receptions for 291 yards and two touchdowns in four games during the 2022 season. Smith saw limited action due to a season-ending leg injury that he suffered in last season’s win over Arkansas.

Junior Moose Muhammad III is back in Aggieland as the likely starting Z receiver, having finished with 38 receptions for 610 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games during the 2022 campaign. Sophomore Noah Thomas could be a potential breakout candidate after finishing with five receptions for 51 yards and two touchdowns in five games last season.

Rounding out the returners is senior Jalen Preston, who tallied seven receptions for 89 yards and one touchdown in 12 games last year.

Departures: Sophomore Chris Marshall had transferred to Ole Miss but has since left the team. Junior Yulkeith Brown entered the transfer portal and landed with Tulane, while senior Chase Lane transferred to Georgia Tech. Rounding out the departures is Senior Devin Price, who transferred to App State.

Final Observation: A&M ranked 95th in the country in passing last year (204.2 ypg), but the root cause was a stagnant and unimaginative offense. That stands to change in 2023 with Bobby Petrino stepping in as the new offensive coordinator, and the group that should greatly benefit is the wide receiver corps.

The creativity of Petrino’s offensive scheme, which allows for multiple players to do damage from various spots on the field, will only maximize what Stewart, Smith, and Muhammad have to offer. Petrino’s track record as an offensive guru speaks for itself, as his offenses have averaged at least 400 yards in 16-of-20 seasons and 30 points per game in 15 seasons.

Coupled with the belief that Conner Weigman will take a leap in year two under center, Texas A&M has the right pieces to make the air attack a focal point of what should be a resurgent offense.

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 Pete on Twitter: @PeteThreee.

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Texas A&M Spring Football 2023: Wide receiver position breakdown

Spring football for the Aggies is well underway which means it’s time to break down each positional unit. Up next, Wide receivers.

Spring football for Texas A&M is well underway, which means it’s every fan’s obligation to parse through the depth chart ahead of what will be an important 2023 season. Thankfully, we’ve got you covered by breaking down each positional battle, beginning with arguably the most important position on the roster.

The Aggies wide receiver room gained two new members from the 2023 recruiting class as 4-star wideouts Raymond Cottrell and Micah Tease join the room, while the biggest news remains the return of swiss-army-knife do it all slot receiver Ainias Smith returning his final season in Aggieland.

With that, here is how the depth chart is currently constructed this spring, and potentially at the start of the 2023 season:

Returners (2022 season stats)

Sophomore Evan Stewart, Starting X receiver: 53 receptions, 649 yards, and 2 touchdowns in 10 games during the 2022 season
Senior Ainias Smith, Starting Slot receiver: 15 receptions, 291 yards, and 2 touchdowns in 4 games during the 2022 season.
Junior Moose Muhammad III, Starting Z receiver: 38 receptions for 610 yards and 4 touchdowns in 10 games during the 2022 season.
Sophomore Noah Thomas: 5 receptions for 51 yards and 2 touchdowns in 5 games played during the 2022 season.
Senior Jalen Preston: 7 receptions for 89 yards and 1 touchdown in 12 games played during the 2022 season.

Departures

Sophomore Chris Marshall (transferred to Ole Miss)
Junior Yulkeith Brown (transferred to Tulane)
Senior Chase Lane (transferred to Georgia Tech)
Senior Devin Price (transferred to App State)

Key thoughts and predictions:

The hiring of offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino should bring an element of explosive play to an offense that ranked 100th in the country in points per game last season, utilizing the immense talent of a starting lineup consisting of Stewart, Smith, and Muhammad that would present a weekly matchup nightmare for any defense unable to match the collective speed and athleticism within an extended route tree.

The biggest issue for the unit that may seep into the regular season is overall depth, as UTEP transfer Tyrin Smith’s status with the program remains in flux, as he is currently present at spring practice, yet still has the option to leave and return to UTEP at any time.

The potential this group has in unison with presumed starting quarterback Conner Weigman obviously depends on both the play-calling and performance of the offensive line next season, but if things begin to gel in the first couple of weeks, we’re talking about one of the more dangerous passing offenses in the SEC and the country.

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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Texas A&M Aggies wide receiver Jalen Preston announces unique NIL deal

Jalen Preston is the latest Texas A&M Aggies football player to cash in after announcing a one-of-a-kind NIL deal.

You can call him Bond, “Bail Bond.”

Texas A&M spring football may be just around the corner but Aggies wide receiver Jalen Preston is already making moves; off the field that is.

Preston signed a name, image, and likeness (NIL) deal with local bail bonds company, Gage Gandy Bail Bonds, this week as he announced on his Instagram. The wideout becomes the latest Aggies football player to add some NIL compensation, joining the likes of Evan Stewart, Ainias Smith, and Tony Grimes.

The sixth-year senior wrote in his social media caption, “Excited to announce my partnership with partnership with Gage Gandy Bail Bonds. Ready to help the Aggies get their feet back on the street!”

Check out his official Instagram announcement post below:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp6JpNKu7sW/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Preston quietly returns for the 2023 season at College Station after logging 48 games with A&M from 2018-22 and totaling 35 receptions for 468 yards, and four touchdowns. Last year, he hauled in seven catches for 89 yards and one touchdown over 12 games with one start.

Texas A&M went 5-7 overall and 2-6 against SEC competition in 2022, but they ended last year on a high note with a 38-23 win over LSU in the season finale. The upset victory effectively ended the latter’s College Football Playoff hopes.

It’s admirable to see Preston helping those get back on their feet, now the hope is that he can help achieve the same for Aggies football in 2023.

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 Pete on Twitter: @PeteThreee

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