Tag: Max Wright

Texas A&M graduate tight end Max Wright declares for 2024 NFL Draft

Wright was converted from a DL to a TE in 2020 and he earned several awards during his time in College Station over three separate seasons.

With the beginning of a new year and the NFL Draft less than four months away, college football players around the country are beginning to put their respective names in the running for the pool of players to pick from.

Texas A&M graduate student tight end Max Wright is the latest to declare for the next level, he announced Monday afternoon in a statement on X.

“I first want to express my deepest gratitude to God for the opportunity to play the game I love,” Wright stated on X. “His blessings have been more than I could ever deserve, and without Him, none of this journey would have been possible.

“To my fiancé, family, friends and all the coaches who have supported me, I am immensely grateful. Your unwavering support has shaped who I am today.

“A special thanks to coach Fisher, coach E-Rob, coach Coley, coach Petrino and coach Terry Price. Your trust and guidance have been pivotal in my development as a player.

“Also, a big thank you to the Texas A&M strength coaches and athletic trainers. Your expertise and dedication have been crucial in getting me on the field & keeping me there!

“And finally, to the 12th Man, thank you for making my career at Texas A&M so amazing. You truly are the best fan base in all of sports, and it has been an honor to represent you on Saturdays. I will always be an Aggie, and I will remain forever grateful for having had the opportunity to play for the best university on the planet.

“With a heart full of gratitude, I’m excited to announce that I’ll be entering the 2024 NFL Draft.

“Thanks and Gig’em! – Max Wright, tight end”

Wright was converted from a defensive lineman to a tight end as a sophomore in 2020. He earned several awards during his time in College Station over three separate seasons.

The awards included the Unselfish Leadership Award in 2021, the Offensive Leadership Award, the Strength & Conditioning Offensive Aggie Award & the Senior Academic Award in 2022 and the Offensive Trenches Award in 2023.

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Texas A&M’s depth chart ahead of the TaxAct Texas Bowl vs. No. 20 Oklahoma State

Here is Texas A&M’s depth chart ahead of Wednesday’s TaxAct Texas Bowl matchup vs. No. 20 Oklahoma State in NRG Stadium.

Texas A&M and No. 20 Oklahoma State are set to face off for the final time in 2023 during Wednesday night’s TaxAct Texas Bowl, which will occur in the Houston Texans’ NRG Stadium among what should be a packed crowd.

Amid all the changes taking place in College Station after the Nov. 12 firing of Jimbo Fisher and the subsequent hiring of new head coach Mike Elko just two weeks later, Elko and his staff have already dealt with more than a dozen departures through the transfer portal, but have also gained 14 signees from the 2024 recruiting cycle, and seven additions from the portal.

While current interim head coach Elijah Robinson has ignited some mild controversy regarding his recruiting tactics while already working in his 2024 role as Syracuses’ new defensive coordinator, we can only trust a man at his word, and Robinson has continually promised that the Aggies are his sole focus heading into the bowl game.

For Oklahoma State, superstar running back Ollie Gordon III is expected to play, meaning that A&M’s now depleted defensive line will have its biggest challenge yet, as defensive tackles McKinnley Jackson (2024 NFL Draft), Walter Nolen (transfer portal) and Isaiah Raikes (transfer portal) have left the program.

Looking at Texas A&M’s depth chart ahead of the game, the roster may be depleted, but the Aggies should have enough to get the job done, including 55 scholarship players who are posed to dress out. Here is A&M’s complete depth chart ahead of Wednesday’s TaxAct Texas Bowl vs. No. 20 Oklahoma State.

‘Tackling is an art’ Taurean York, Jaylen Henderson, and Max Wright speak ahead of the TaxAct Texas Bowl

Hear what LB Taurean York, QB Jaylen Henderson, and TE Max Wright had to say ahead of the TaxAct Texas Bowl on Wednesday, Dec. 27.

Following Texas A&M interim head coach Elijah Robinson, incoming sophomore linebacker Taurean York, senior tight end Max Wright, and sophomore quarterback Jaylen Henderson provided the player commentary on Tuesday afternoon ahead of the Aggies TaxAct Texas Bowl matchup vs. Oklahoma State on Dec. 27.

While we’ve heard from both Max Wright and Jaylen Henderson throughout the latter half of the 2023 regular season, this was Taurean York’s first official press conference, and for a young man who is still a teenager, the maturity displayed while taking a multitude of questions was nothing short of impressive.

Ranging from his development into one of the nation’s best linebackers during fall camp to his love for the game through his father, York’s relationship with new head coach Mike Elko started all the way back to Elko’s time as the Aggies defensive coordinator (2018-2021), and continue during his two years as Duke’s head coach.

“I love Coach Elko. He recruited me hard at A&M and recruited me hard at Duke.”

While Elko has yet to hire a new defensive coordinator, whoever is lucky enough to work with York in 2024 and beyond will inherit one of the smartest players in the country, made abundantly clear when York was asked about the fundamentals of tackling:

“Tackling is an art. You have to work on it. You have to have your technique.”

However, it was Jaylen Henderson who will make his fourth consecutive start this season with the quote of the afternoon, simply stating that despite the movement in the transfer portal, the Aggies are focused on winning the game in front of them and taking much-needed momentum into the 2024 offseason:

“Our goal is to end on a win. That’s our mindset, no matter who is playing or who is not playing.”

With that, here is everything Taurean York, Jaylen Henderson, and Max Wright had to say ahead of the TaxAct Texas Bowl next Wednesday night.

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Max Wright & Lauren Hogan named to the 2023 SEC community Service Team

Max Wright & Lauren Hogan named to the SEC Community Service Team

The SEC is announcing their Community Services teams this week and named two Aggies to their respective teams. Senior tight end Max Wright from the football team and Senior defensive specialist Lauren Hogan from the Volleyball team were both named due to their contributions to the community.

Each year, the SEC honors student-athletes across all 21 league-sponsors sports and recognizes the work they have been doing in the community.

Max Wright, Senior, Tight End, Texas A&M

Wright has been a selfless servant volunteering his time and efforts in making a lasting impact to the Brazos Valley community. He has been active with numerous organizations, including Twin City Mission in Bryan where he served food and cleaned up around the facility. Wright has also volunteered with The Big Event, the largest one-day student service project in the nation every spring helping members of the community with upkeep and care for the homes. The graduate student has contributed his service globally in 2019 on a mission trip when he traveled to Haiti where he partnered with Mission of Hope and local churches to help with construction projects. In 2022, Wright received the Aggie Heart Award, presented to a senior who displays the intangibles such as effort, desire, determination, competitiveness, accountability, leadership and courage.

 

Lauren Hogan, Senior, Libero/Defensive Specialist, Texas A&M

Hogan helps with Aggies Can, which is the largest student-athlete volunteer-driven canned food drive in the nation. The collections help those within the Brazos Valley community. A captain of the Texas A&M volleyball team, she is also a contributor to Twin City Missions homeless shelter, helping those in need in the local area. Her service also spanned to the international stage as she dedicated a great deal of service to the Texas A&M Athletics Mission of Hope trip, where she and fellow student-athletes travelled to the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The trip involved two core components: strategic ministry time and community advancement projects.

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Social Media Reacts to Texas A&M’s 30-17 win over South Carolina

Here are the best social media reactions to Texas A&M’s potentially season-saving 30-17 win over South Carolina.

Texas A&M (5-3, 3-2 SEC) was in dire need of a victory after the bye week, previously dropping their last two SEC matchups in close losses to Alabama and Tennessee. Facing a beatable South Carolina team who were also coming off of consecutive losses, head coach Jimbo Fisher’s shaky future needed a jolt of energy, coming in the form of a blowout home victory.

Behind yet another impressive defensive effort led by star linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (7 tackles, one sack, one TFL) and safety Bryce Anderson (7 tackles, two sacks, 2.5 TFLS), the Aggies offense, still a painfully slow work in progress, did find the end zone three times in the first half, including an impressive second quarter explosion capped by by quarterback Max Johnson’s 45-yard strike to do-it-all wide receiver Ainias with to take a 21-7 lead into halftime.

After the game, every Aggie fan, media member, and general Texas A&M hater made their way to social media to either congratulate or continue to mock the Maroon & White in an always entertaining fashion.

Here are the best social media reactions from Texas A&M’s 30-17 win over South Carolina on Saturday afternoon.

Texas A&M Tight end Max Wright is confident that the Aggies can turn things around in the second half of the season

Facing stiff adversity, Texas A&M is struggling, but senior Tight end Max Wright is confident that the Aggies can go on a run.

Through adversity comes strength, usually led by steadfast leadership, especially on the gridiron. For Texas A&M (4-3, 2-2 SEC), the 2023 season has been an unwelcome roller coaster ride led by offensive struggles that seem to persist week after week, mainly due to the horrendous play on the offensive line.

Coming off of their bye week, back-to-back losses to Alabama and Tennessee have essentially ended the Aggies’ chances at competing for an SEC Championship, but with the struggling South Carolina Gamecocks (2-5, 1-4 SEC) headed to College Station this weekend, maybe, just maybe, a second-half turnaround is in the works; just asked senior Tight end Max Wright:

“We rallied together over the bye… It’s us finding a way to beat ourselves. We were in every one of those games. We have confidence now to where if we execute, we can go out and win.”

During Monday’s annual pre-game press conference, Wright, amid his sixth year with the program, is definitely the man to talk to regarding personal adversity. As a four-star defensive end prospect in the 2018 recruiting class, the once-feared high school pass rusher buried himself on the depth chart during his freshman season but earned a reputation as one of the most formidable competitors on the roster.

After suffering a brutal season-ending knee injury in 2019, Wright, with head coach Jimbo Fisher’s blessing, switched to offense at tight end, and three seasons later, Wright has become one of the more reliable blockers and short-yardage converters in the country. In 2023, the recent failures he and the team have faced will not define them, as their effort hasn’t diminished.

“Guys were annoyed and ticked off. Frustrations came out. There were conversations that needed to be had. We hate losing. I hope everyone knows we really hate losing. This year is not last year.”

Still, a very young roster despite the notable growth from the 2022 recruiting class, Wright, along with quarterback Max Johnson, wide receiver Ainias Smith, and safety Demani Richardson, stand as the predominant veteran voices in the locker room, and if these young men aren’t rattled back to back SEC losses, expect a hungry and determined group against the Gamecocks on Saturday afternoon.

“We had a lot of guys have a chance to get healthy. In an SEC season, seven weeks in a row get pretty hard. The temperature of the team is good.”

Take it from Max, who has seen it all and experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. The only way to change the current narrative is to win and keep winning.

Texas A&M will host South Carolina on Saturday, Oct. 28, as kickoff is set for 11:00 a.m. CT. and will air on ESPN.

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‘We rallied together over the bye…we can go out and win.’ Max Wright speaks on Texas A&M’s preparation for South Carolina

Ahead of a pivotal matchup vs. South Carolina, Max Wright is confident in the Aggies being locked in.

Please stop us if you’ve heard this before, but Texas A&M (4-3, 2-2 SEC) heads into a critical matchup this weekend because they’re facing South Carolina (2-5, 1-4 SEC). Unlike the last two games, this one could very well determine the futures of some key figures in Aggieland.

For now, all Texas A&M can do is prepare for the opponent ahead of them. That was the tune that tight end Max Wright sang during Monday’s press conference, and it was appropriate to have a veteran leader like him at the podium now. The Aggies are at a fork in the road, and it’s up to this team to decide their path.

Do they allow the season to steer, of course, and derail in what would likely be a sequel to the 2022 debacle? Or, will this team prove that they are indeed different from a year ago, choosing to tackle adversity straight on and finish the season on a confident note?

If you ask Wright, he’s rolling with the latter. After the bye week came at an opportune time, the veteran tight end was emphatic in his belief that the Aggies would be locked in and prepared to steer the season back on course, beginning with Saturday’s bout against South Carolina.

Below is Max Wright’s full press conference ahead of facing South Carolina, as well as notable takeaways from his time at the podium.

Top 10 highest graded Aggies through Week 6 according to Pro Football Focus

Six weeks into the college football season, these Aggies have graded the highest according to Pro Football Focus.

Before Texas A&M (4-2, 2-1 SEC) heads to Neyland Stadium for a pivotal road matchup against No. 19 Tennessee (4-1, 1-1 SEC), it’s worth checking how the roster has stacked up so far.

While the Maroon and White look to rebound from last week’s loss to No. 11 Alabama, the sky is not falling halfway through the season. Rather, Texas A&M has put together a significant leap regarding offensive and defensive efficiency from a season ago.

That leap resulted from both younger players piecing their skills together on the field, alongside the guidance of the veterans who returned to College Station for the 2023 campaign. There’s been no better example than that of the defense, where junior linebacker Edgerrin Cooper and true freshman linebacker Taurean York have been a force to be reckoned with.

Meanwhile, on the offensive side of the ball, it’s been a juxtaposition of talented wideouts such as Evan Stewart and Ainias Smith doing damage through the air. Alongside them are the likes of Trey Zuhn III and Le’Veon Moss holding it down in the running game.

Roughly halfway through the regular season, here are the ten highest-graded Aggies according to Pro Football Focus. For reference, we excluded those who will remain out for the rest of the season (e.g., Conner Weigman) and those with fewer than 100 total logged snaps through six games.

‘Let’s go ahead and show what we’re really capable of.’ Ainias Smith, McKinnley Jackson, Dametrious Crownover, and Max Wright look ahead toward facing Alabama

For veteran leaders such as Ainias Smith, now’s the time to prove what the Aggies are truly capable of as they host Alabama.

As Texas A&M plays host to Alabama from Kyle Field, the end result of Saturday’s showdown could very well shape the race for the SEC crown.

Both of these programs are tied for first in the division, highlighting the different paths they’ve taken to remain undefeated in SEC play. The Crimson Tide continue to lean on their size and physicality in the trenches, while the Aggies have begun to flex their talent on the defensive line with a vaunted pass rush.

Both of those truths set up what should be a highly contested clash between two storied programs. Veteran leaders such as Ainias Smith, McKinnley Jackson, Dametrious Crownover, and Max Wright each spoke to the media on Monday, underscoring that reality.

While the Aggies are riding high off their win against Arkansas, there’s no time to celebrate with Alabama on deck. In order to pull off the significant upset, it’ll take discipline and execution in the lead-up to Saturday afternoon.

Below are the full press conferences for Ainias Smith, McKinnley Jackson, Dametrious Crownover, and Max Wright ahead of their Week 6 showdown with Alabama. Included are notable takeaways from their time at the podium.

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

Here is the final injury report ahead of Texas A&M’s Week 2 road battle vs. Miami on Saturday afternoon

Texas A&M (1-0) is just one sleep away from their Week 2 road matchup vs. Miami after defeating New Mexico 52-10 last Saturday in one of their more dominant season openers during Jimbo Fisher’s tenure with the program.

Behind the arm of starting quarterback Conner Weigman (18/23, 236 yards, five touchdowns), with three of his touchdowns going to sophomore wide receiver Noah Thomas, new offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino has the Aggies rolling on all cylinders, while the impressive debut for cornerback Josh DeBerry (10 tackles, one sack, one interception) was a sense of comfort for every Aggie fan unsure of the defensive backfield depth.

Earlier this week, Fisher answered a bevy of questions regarding the upcoming matchup with the Hurricanes while opining on the current injury slate the Aggies are dealing with before making their way to South Beach. First off, transfer linebacker Jurriente Davis, who finished the opener with four tackles, left the game with a minor injury, described as being “banged up” according to Fisher, is probable to return to action on Saturday.

On the offensive line, starting tackle Reuben Fatheree, who was listed as the 2nd-unit left tackle against New Mexico, was replaced at his original right tackle spot by freshman OL Chase Bisontis, who performed well in his debut. Fatheree should be ready to go tomorrow, but as we all know, Fisher won’t release the official depth chart until game time.

Lastly, freshman wide receiver Micah Tease is suspended indefinitely after his arrest, and no announcement has been made regarding his return to the lineup.

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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