Tag: Noah Thomas

Multiple Aggies selected in in first round of CBS Sports’ ‘way-too-early’ 2025 NFL Mock Draft

Noah Thomas, Shemar Turner projected as 2025 first-round picks in CBS Sports’ “way-too-early” 2025 mock draft

The 2024 NFL Draft has concluded, and for Texas A&M, four players were selected, led by star linebacker Edgerrin Cooper with the 45th overall pick in the second round, now headed to the Green Bay Packers after three seasons in College Station.

Joining Cooper, defensive lineman McKinnley Jackson (Cincinnati Bengals), offensive lineman Layden Robinson (New England Patriots), and wide receiver Ainias Smith (Philadelphia Eagles) were all selected in the third, fourth, and fifth rounds, respectfully.

With the Jimbo Fisher era officially in the rearview mirror, new Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko is equipped with a bevy of talent on both sides of the ball heading into his inaugural 2024 season. Starting quarterback Conner Weigman is leading the way after sustaining a season-ending injury after just four games last season.

According to CBS Sports’ latest early 2025 NFL mock draft, junior wide receiver Noah Thomas and junior defensive lineman Shemar Turner have received projections to be selected in the middle and end of the first round next April, and based on traits alone, this shouldn’t be a surprise.

With the 15th-overall pick to the Chicago Bears, a franchise that recently selected WR Rome Odunze with the 9th overall within this year’s draft is still in need of a consistent red zone target, as Thomas’s 6-6 200-pound frame and large catch radius make him an instant threat on the boundary. During his 2023 sophomore season, Thomas recorded 29 receptions, 359 receiving yards and five touchdowns.

With the 29th-overall pick to the Detroit Lions, head coach Dan Campbell is an Aggie through and through and will be keeping an eye on Turner’s final season at Texas A&M as the versatile defensive lineman is coming off his best collegiate season yet after recording six sacks, 10.5 tackles for loss and two force fumbles in 2023.

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Texas A&M receiver Noah Thomas might see a lot of time in a new spot

Noah Thomas showed out while playing a majority of the spring game in the slot position

The cool thing about watching spring games, especially when there is a new coaching staff, is seeing how certain players are being used in a new system. With the games being open to the public, the play calling will no doubt be guarded, so personal groupings and alignments can give us an idea of what the coaches have been working on to this point.

One of the more interesting tidbits came from Carter Karels, who does a fantastic job covering the Aggies. He pointed out that junior wide receiver spent almost every single one of this spring game snaps from the slot positions. This really stood out because it was a significant increase percentage-wise over last season.

There must be something new offensive coordinator Collin Klein sees in Thomas’s skill set and size that made the move worth considering during the spring game. The initial conclusion is that it was a smart decision. Thomas hauled in 7 catches for 82 yards and two touchdowns on a rainy afternoon, with a few of those being contested attempts.

The 6-6 200-pound receiver has shown flashes of how good he can be when he gets the opportunities and has all the traits to develop into a No. 1 receiver this fall. Head coach Mike Elko is very high on him and believes he can maintain the progress so far; we can see big things from him.

“He has tremendous size. He has a large catch radius. He has gotten heathly. It will be important for him to have a strong summer. He has all the makings of a guy we can use as a top target.”
The sky is the limit for Thomas and we all got a glimpse of that on April 20.  With his size and athleticism, putting him in the slot would make him a match-up nightmare with any defender anywhere on the field. We hope to see more of the same when the Aggies suit up to face Notre Dame on August 31 at Kyle Field.
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Post game recap: Texas A&M’s Maroon & White spring game ends with a 24-10 Maroon team victory

Texas A&M’s spring game concluded with a 24-10 Maroon team victory

Texas A&M’s annual Maroon & White spring game concluded on what turned out to be a rainy latter half of the afternoon. The Maroon team defeated the White team by a score of 24-10 behind the arm of backup quarterback Marcel Reed and the hands of junior wide receiver Noah Thomas.

As I noted ahead of the game, nearly 20 players, mostly presumed 2024 starters, did not play, including several starters on the offensive line.

Head coach Mike Elko had a plan for all three quarterbacks going into the game. Starter Conner Weigman is still recovering from surgery after a 2023 foot injury sidelined him after four games, but he still made the start for the White team.

Lacking his usual mobility, Weigman only completed 5-14 passes for 47 yards. Still, none of this should be surprising due to the lack of blocking up front and a lack of receiving options compared to the Maroon team.

Quarterbacking the Maroon, sophomore Marcel Reed (10-14, 84 yards, 1 TD) shared reps with senior Jaylen Henderson (8-13, 100 yards, 1 TD) as both found the endzone. Yet, Reed’s mobility and accuracy have made this offseason battle even more intriguing down the stretch.

Making waves offensively, junior wide receiver Noah Thomas has now made his case as the Aggies’ No. 1 wide receiver next season. He led the game with seven receptions, 82 yards, and two touchdowns, including a diving endzone grab for his final score.

Defensively, former Purdue Edge Nic Scourton looks like the team’s best overall player going into the fall, credited with five tackles, 2.5 sacks, 3.5 tackles for loss, and a pass breakup for the Maroon defense. In comparison, junior Shemar Stewart was equally impressive for the White team, with seven tackles, a sack, and a tackle for loss on the afternoon.

From what I saw today, Texas A&M’s transfer portal-heavy cornerback room is filled with length, speed, and, most importantly, experience at a postion group that struggled throughout the 2023 season.

Overall, the offense showed flashes, especially his improvement at running back, as Le’Veon Moss and Rueben Owens both ran for touchdowns. At the same time, the defense looks like the Aggies’ predominant strength heading into the season opener vs. Notre Dame on Saturday, Aug. 31.

Final Stats: 

White Team: 

  • Total yards: 128
  • Rushing yards: 70
  • Passing yards: 58
  • 1st downs: 6
  • Turnovers: 0
  • Time of possession: 20:51

Maroon Team: 

  • Total yards: 364
  • Rushing yards: 180
  • Passing yards: 184
  • 1st downs: 21
  • Turnovers: 1
  • Time of possession: 39.09

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WATCH: Maroon team finds the end zone twice to take a 14-3 lead in the spring game

Le’Veon Moss breaks the game open for the Maroon team during Texas A&M’s spring game, followed by a Marcel Reed TD To Noah Thomas

Texas A&M’s Maroon & White spring game is off to the races despite the inclement weather. The game was moved up an hour to avoid the rain predicted for later in the day. Aggie fans have seen new head coach Mike Elko back on the sidelines for the first time since his defensive coordinator days (2017-2021) with the program.

It’s been a slow day for both offenses, as several presumed 2024 starters are sitting out. The quarterbacks have looked solid for the most part, starting with the limit reps Conner Weigman has taken. For the Maroon team, sophomore Marcel Reed took notable strides, aided by an enhanced running back rotation that now features the son of NFL Hall of Fame RB Emmett Smith, E.J. Smith, who transferred from Stanford earlier this year.

However, don’t forget about 2023 starting running back Le’Veon Moss, who broke the game open with an impressive inside touchdown run to give the Maroon Team a 7-3 lead. As both defenses continued to impress, Reed’s impressive play led the Maroon down the field again, soon finding wide receiver Noah Thomas on a rollout in the endzone to take a 14-3 lead into halftime.

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Report: Texas A&M WR Noah Thomas will miss the TaxAct Texas Bowl vs. No. 20 Oklahoma State

It has been confirmed by multiple sources that Texas A&M WR Noah Thomas will miss the TaxAct Texas Bowl vs. No. 20 Oklahoma State.

Texas A&M will be without yet another starter on offense ahead of Wednesday’s TaxAct Texas Bowl on Wednesday night, as the Aggies will face the 20th-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys inside NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.

According to 247Sports’ Jeff Tarpley, sophomore wide receiver Noah Thomas will miss the matchup for undisclosed reasons, closing the book on his 2023 season after appearing in nine games while recording 29 receptions for 353 yards and five touchdowns, including his opening season three touchdown performance in the win vs. New Mexico.

While some will attempt to take a deep dive into Thomas’s reasons for missing the game, remember that, through NIL sponsor Texas Aggies United, Thomas announced his return for the 2024 season earlier this month. While Thomas’s absence will certainly hinder the Aggies’ passing production against the Cowboys, it will now be up to Moose Muhammad III, Jahdae Walker, and freshman Micah Tease to steer the ship, at least on Wednesday night.

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Texas A&M sophomore WR Noah Thomas set to return to College Station for 2024 season

Lock him in, Aggies sophomore wide receiver Noah Thomas is “back for more” and will be returning to College Station for the 2024 season.

Lock him in, Texas A&M sophomore wide receiver Noah Thomas will be returning to College Station for next season.

According to Texas Aggies United, the official name, image and likeness partner of Texas A&M Athletics, Thomas will be “back for more” in 2024.

 

Thomas towers over most competition, standing at 6-foot-6 and weighing 200 pounds. He is a native of Pearland, Texas, and graduated from Clear Springs High School in 2022.

As a true freshman, Thomas appeared in 11 games for the Aggies and made four starts. He tallied five receptions for 51 yards and two touchdowns last year.

This season, Thomas played in 11 games again and greatly increased his production. The superb sophomore recorded 29 catches for 359 yards receiving and five scores.

Thomas surpassed his 2022 totals in the first game of the 2023 campaign, which was a 52-10 victory against New Mexico. He racked up six receptions for 74 yards and three touchdowns against the Lobos.

Texas A&M begins the 2024 season at home against Notre Dame on Aug. 31.

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Texas A&M Football 2023 Midseason Grades: Wide receivers

Texas A&M’s receivers were hot to start out the season, but have since cooled off amid a sluggish offense in the last month.

The Aggies Wire team is doing the same with Texas A&M (4-3, 2-2), looking to take a breather and reassess heading into the bye week. Namely, there’s no better time to take a pulse check on how the Aggies have fared through the first half of the season, with a deep dive on each positional group.

Next up, we’re looking at the Aggies wide receivers, headlined by Evan Stewart, Ainias Smith, Noah Thomas, Moose Muhammad III, Jahdae Walker, and more.

Highlights

Enough cannot be said for the play of Stewart and Smith through the first half of the season. Both are tied for the most receiving yards among all Aggies with 451 yards apiece. While Agent Zero has yet to find the endzone through the air, he already has one kick return for a touchdown back in Texas A&M’s win over Arkansas.

Stewart, meanwhile, is tied with Thomas for the most receiving touchdowns for A&M through the first half of the season (4).

The loss of Conner Weigman to a season-ending foot injury was a tough pill to swallow, as the Aggies’ high-octane offense was on full display, and the talent level from the wide receivers corps proved to be a central factor.

Areas of improvement

Thomas’ four receiving touchdowns came during the first two weeks of the season, with three alone in A&M’s season opener versus New Mexico. He totaled 74 receiving yards in Week 1, but since then, he’s surpassed the 40-yard receiving mark just once in last week’s loss to the Vols.

Muhammad, meanwhile, seems to be the odd man out in what is, in reality, a crowded receiving room. He has just 14 receptions for 130 receiving yards and one touchdown, with the latter coming all the way back in Week 1. Muhammad’s 9.3 yards per reception mark a steep decline from his 15.7 average over the previous two seasons.

Final grade: C+

The Aggies rank seventh in the SEC in receiving yards per game (268.1), which is solid but by no means up to par given the talent level in the receiving room. Granted, not all the blame should be shouldered on the players. Weigman’s injury undoubtedly impacts how potent this offense can be through the air, and A&M’s porous pass protection from the offensive line doesn’t help.

Still, the drop-off over the last month can’t be ignored. Since throwing for 399 yards in a Week 3 win over UL Monroe, the Aggies haven’t surpassed the 300-yard mark. Over their last four games, they’ve averaged 216.3 yards per game through the air.

If the Maroon and White hope to steer their season back on track to a strong finish, something has to give on offense. If A&M can address their shortcomings on the offensive line, alongside some added ingenuity via play-action or through some motion, it should help reawaken the receiving performance that was on display earlier in the year.

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

Here is the final injury report ahead of Texas A&M’s Week 5 matchup in Jerry World against the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Texas A&M (3-1, 1-0 SEC) took care of business last Saturday after defeating the visiting Auburn Tigers (3-1, 0-1 SEC) 27-10 behind backup quarterback Max Johnson’s second-half heroics after starting signal-caller Conner Weigman sustained an ankle injury late in the first half.

This Saturday, Texas A&M will travel to AT&T Stadium to face the Arkansas Razorbacks (2-2, 0-1 SEC) in one of the more heated rivalries in college football.

After Monday’s press conference, head coach Jimbo Fisher reported that Weigman’s initial injury prognosis was “day-to-day.” Yet, Wednesday’s gutwrenching report by Houston Chronicle Brent Zwerneman detailed that his ankle injury might be worse than we thought, as the final blow was confirmed by TexAgs’ Billy Liucci that the ascending sophomore signal called sustained a broken bone in his foot that will take an estimated 3.5 months to heal, ultimately ending his 2023 season.

Veteran quarterback Max Johnson will now take over for the rest of the 2023 slate. As most Aggies fans already know, the son of former Super Bowl-winning quarterback Brad Johnson is by far the best backup in college football and is more than capable of helping the Aggies accomplish their goals.

The good news on the injury front? Fisher confirmed that Sophomore wide receiver Noah Thomas is set to return on Saturday, while right tackle Reuben Fatheree II is reportedly still rehabbing from his spring knee injury, as his debut in the starting lineup will likely have to wait another week. Starting safety Jardin Gilbert will also likely miss his second consecutive game.

For Arkansas, star running back Raheim “Rocket” Sanders is still questionable for Saturday but will likely play, while wide receiver Sam Mbake is listed as out.

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Initial injury report ahead of Texas A&M vs. Arkansas

Including multiple key injury updates, here is Texas A&M’s initial injury report ahead of Texas A&M vs. Arkansas next Saturday.

Texas A&M (3-1, 1-0 SEC) took care of business last Saturday after defeating the visiting Auburn Tigers (3-1, 0-1 SEC) 27-10 behind backup quarterback Max Johnson’s second-half heroics after starting signal-caller Conner Weigman sustained an ankle injury late in the first half.

Defensively, the Aggies completely dismantled the Tiger’s offensive line, registering seven sacks and 15 tackles for loss, limiting Auburn to 54 yards through the air. At the same time, freshman linebacker Taurean York led the way with 11 tackles amid his incredibly productive three-game streak. This Saturday, Texas A&M will travel to AT&T Stadium to face the Arkansas Razorbacks (2-2, 0-1 SEC) in one of the more heated rivalries in college football.

With every Aggie fan and media member on their collective toes regarding Weigman’s injury update, head coach Jimbo Fisher stated that the sophomore is “day-to-day” while dealing with minor swelling that will keep him sidelined indefinitely, as Fisher’s update complicating with an earlier report from AggiesToday, who, through a source, stated that Weigman would be out for 2-4 weeks due to a high ankle sprain.

Focusing on the offense, Fisher also revealed that sophomore wide receiver Noah Thomas, who has dealt with both injury and personal tragedy after his brother’s sudden passing, is reportedly “good to go” against the Arkansas Razorbacks this weekend. Please continue to keep Noah and his family in your prayers, and donate what you can to the family here.

On the Aggies side, no other injuries were sustained last weekend, and concerning right tackle Reuben Fatheree II; the assumption is that he is still rehabbing, meaning freshman tackle Chase Bisontis will continue starting in his place at right tackle until further notice.

For Arkansas, star running back Raheim Sanders is reportedly questionable to play on Saturday, while wide receiver Sam Mbake is listed as out.

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‘It’s the next step we have to do. We’re going to have to play a good football game,’ Jimbo Fisher previews Arkansas, provides update on Conner Weigman, and more

In his weekly press conference, Jimbo Fisher previewed the Southwest Classic vs. Arkansas, provided an update on Conner Weigman, and more.

The gauntlet that is the SEC regular season continues forward as Texas A&M (3-1, 1-0 SEC) faces Arkansas (2-2, 0-1 SEC) on Saturday. The head-to-head also marks the next chapter of the Southwest Classic.

The Maroon and White are coming off a hard-fought 27-10 win over Auburn last weekend, and Jimbo Fisher echoed the same in his weekly press conference. The Aggies head coach touted the superb play of the defense, which recorded a season-high seven sacks against the Tigers.

Of course, he spotlighted Max Johnson, who performed more than admirably in the wake of Conner Weigman exiting early with an ankle injury. On the latter, Fisher provided a brief, but significant update on the sophomore quarterback, whose status will be key to monitor ahead of Saturday’s matchup.

In addition, Fisher provided an update on Noah Thomas, how the team is preparing for a physical matchup with the Razorbacks, as well as his thoughts on the future of the Southwest Classic, with the SEC set to expand in 2024.

Below is Jimbo Fisher’s full press conference ahead of this week’s Arkansas matchup, as well as notable highlights from his time at the podium.