Outside of the transfer portal losses and Bobby Petrinos’ hiring as Texas A&M’s new offensive coordinator, A&M’s offseason has been focused on “finding the inches,” as head coach Jimbo Fisher has stated over the previous months while reflecting on what went wrong for the Maroon and White during their 5-7 2022 season.
Possessing what many would note as a borderline elite roster from a talent perspective, talent can only take a team so far, and while a majority of the program’s 2022 recruiting class saw extensive playing time last season, their “baptism by fire” experience bodes well heading into 2023.
One position group that tops the entirety of the Aggies roster is the starting wide receiver rotation consisting of returning do-it-all wideout Ainias Smith, Evan Stewart, Moose Muhammad II, and accending sophomore Noah Thomas, slated to be the predominate strength of the offense and a definite safety net for sophomore quarterback Conner Weigman.
This week, College Sports Wire’s Patrick Conn released his 2023 wide receiver power rankings, and to no surprise, three of the Aggies mentioned above wideouts made rankings, starting with Moose Muhammad at No. 5. Ainias Smith’s season-ending injury essentially forced the talented Muhammad, son of longtime Carolina Panthers wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad into the starting lineup, where he proceeded to put up big numbers week in and week out, ending with 38 receptions for 610 yards and four touchdowns with a 16.1 YPR average. Here is Conn’s take going into 2023:
“Muhammad burst onto the scene for the Aggies offense last season in the absence of Ainias Smith. He was able to take advantage of the opportunity presented, and Muhammad could be a major factor in this upcoming season. Muhammad, Stewart, and Smith make one of the better WR trios in the SEC.”
At No. 9, Ainias Smith is practically destined to rebound after only appearing in four games due to a season-ending leg injury against Arkansas, still putting up respectable numbers with 15 receptions for 291 yards and two touchdowns, including a 19.4 YPR average. Here is Conn’s take:
“Smith only appeared in four games last season but was plenty productive in those games. In 2021, he appeared in 12 games with 509 yards receiving and six touchdowns. Conner Weigman will have Smith, Moose Muhammad, and Evan Stewart on the field next season, giving the Aggies a formidable passing attack.”
Lastly, coming in as an honorable mention sophomore and future superstar Evan Stewart, who came out of the 2022 recruiting Cycle as the No.1-ranked WR prospect in the country, was one of the most productive receivers in the SEC, recording 53 receptions for 649 yards and two touchdowns, and is by far the most talented offensive weapon on the roster. Talent + Experience almost always leads to production, and for Texas A&M, things look good in the wide receiver department.
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