Tag: jesse simonton

On3’s Jesse Simonton has a very bold prediction for Texas A&M in 2023

Ahead of Texas A&M’s Sept. 2 season opener, On3 writer Jesse Simonton reveals his bold prediction for the Maroon and White in 2023.

We’ve finally made it! The 2023 college football season is officially underway (well, kind of) as Week Zero presents several interesting matchups, including the season opener for 13th-ranked Notre Dame, who will face Navy at 1:30 p.m. CT on NBC.

For Texas A&M, seven days separate the Aggies from the start of their 2023 redemption tour, beginning with a home matchup vs. New Mexico on Saturday, Sept. 2, before traveling to Miami, Florida, to take on the Miami Hurricanes on Sept. 9.

Littered with offseason storylines surrounding A&M’s immense struggles in 2022, new OC Bobby Petrino’s offensive pedigree and extensive experience should infuse a burst of explosive play to a unit ranked 93rd in the country in total offense last season. Last week, On3 writer Jesse Simonton released his list of ten “bold predictions” ahead of the 2023 season, and after finishing 5-7 (2-6 SEC), what’s bolder than predicted a complete turnaround a year after complete turmoil?

Coming in at No.10, Simonton believes that Petrino will immediately impact the Aggies offense and drastically increase their points per game average, which stood at 23 PPG in 2022.

“I’m optimistic that two of the more marquee coordinator hires this offseason will pay immediate dividends in 2023. In College Station, the Aggies haven’t averaged over 30 points per game since the shortened COVID 2020 season, and it topped 36 points per game once the entire 2022 season (38-23 win over LSU).”

“The engine may combust eventually, so don’t look under the hood this fall, but the Fisher-Bobby Petrino pairing will work in 2023. The Aggies return an OL that projects to be much improved. Sophomore quarterback Connor Weigman will be better in Year 2 and there are oodles of skill-talent (wideouts Evan Stewart, Noah Thomas and Ainias Smith, 5-star freshman tailback Rueben Owens).”

Jimbo Fisher has yet to announce the starting quarterback, as sophomore Conner Weigman continues to battle veteran southpaw Max Johnson. Still, whoever ends up claiming the job, Simonton is right on point in noting the exceptional talent at wide receiver and running back, providing a plethora of offensive weapons at either signal caller’s disposal.

It may take a game or two for Bobby Petrino’s system to reach a state of consistency, but when it’s it’s all said and done, the results should speak for themselves.

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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Sooners HC Brent Venables graded poorly in On3 report cards

Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables received a poor grade in On3’s first-year coaches report card.

If one were to ask Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables how he would grade his performance in his first year as a head coach, he probably wouldn’t be very kind to himself. While Venables deserves some slack, the standards are indeed astronomically high in Norman, Oklahoma.

Jesse Simonton of On3 graded each of the first-year head coaches and gave Venables a “D.” I can’t say I disagree with that. A 6-6 record with losses to Texas, Baylor, TCU and Texas Tech in the same season isn’t acceptable, and Venables knows that.

Since he arrived in Norman, Venables has done what he did for so many years at Clemson, recruit at a high level. Yet another top-10 class filled with blue-chip prospects is on the way to Oklahoma. Recruiting is a big part of the battle, and it’s something that Venables and his staff do very well. Were it not for that performance on the recruiting trail, Simonton would’ve given Venables an “F.”

Venables gets the Mario Cristobal treatment here, as a strong showing in the 2023 recruiting cycle is the only thing saving him from a big, fat F after such a disastrous debut.

The Sooners had their worst season in close to a quarter century (1998), losing six games including getting housed 49-0 by Texas in the Red River Rivalry.

Oklahoma opened the year as a Top 10 team and started 3-0. The Sooners then dropped 5-of-7 as their defense — Venables’ specialty — had more holes than a cheese grader. They couldn’t cover or tackle. – Jesse Simonton, On3

While Venables’ arrival wasn’t advertised as a rebuild, Year 1 of the Venables era was just that, a rebuilding year. However, this grade, while harsh, is not unfair. Will Venables be able to improve upon an underwhelming season? OU fans will just have to wait and see what happens in 2023.

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Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today. You can also follow Ben on Twitter @bendackiw.