Tag: Steve Addazio

4-star OL recruit Coen Echols announces his decommitment from Texas A&M football team

With the impending departure of interim head coach Elijah Robinson forthcoming, some top prospects are reevaluating their options.

With the impending departure of Texas A&M interim head coach Elijah Robinson forthcoming, some of the Aggies’ top recruits are reevaluating their options.

4-star offensive line prospect Coen Echols is the latest recruit to de-commit from Texas A&M. Echols released a statement via X on Friday afternoon to announce his decision.

“I would like to start off by thanking the Lord for blessing me to be where I am today,” Echols stated. “I would also like to thank my family for their continued guidance and support. I would like to thank the Texas A&M coaching staff for giving me this great opportunity and I would like to thank the fans and players for the love they have shown me and my family.

“I wish nothing but the best for Texas A&M, but with all that being said, my recruitment is 100% back open. Please respect me and my family’s decision at this time. This isn’t just any decision, but a life decision.”

 

Echols is a 6-foot-3, 285-pound interior offensive lineman from Katy High School in Texas with over 30 offers. He was recruited primarily by Robinson along with former offensive line coach Steve Addazio.

Robinson is remaining with the Aggies for the TaxAct Texas Bowl on Dec. 27 versus No. 22 Oklahoma State at NRG Stadium in Houston. Afterward, he will be departing College Station to become the new defensive coordinator at Syracuse.

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Texas A&M OL Chase Bisontis will enter the transfer portal

It has been reported that freshman offensive lineman Chase Bisontis will enter the transfer portal after starting 12 games for Texas A&M.

The offensive line took a blow when reports surfaced that All-SEC freshman Chase Bisontis entered the transfer portal. After the firing of offensive line coach Steve Adazzio, whom Bisontis has developed a close relationship with from the start of his recruiting journey to landing in College Station, it looks like the budding star is looking for a fresh start.

With their presumed departures, several players have now entered the portal thus far, but keep an eye on the defensive line as some rumored transfers are coming. After the passing of coach Terry Price’s year and the future departure of defensive line coach Elijah Robinson, some attrition in the defensive trenches is expected.

Concerning Bistontis’s playing future, keep an eye on Rutgers, as the New Jersey native could be looking to play closer to home and find more consistency in the Big 10. Starting at right tackle during all 12 games this season, SEC experience will likely increase his chance to land wherever he pleases.

We wish Chase the best and will keep our eye on the portal news to see if Elko brings in a veteran OL to help out the room next year.

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Report: Texas A&M OL Coach Steve Addazio will not be retained on Mike Elko’s staff

It has been reported that Texas A&M OL coach Steve Addazio will not return under new head coach Mike Elko in 2024 and beyond.

With the hiring of new Texas A&M Football head coach Mike Elko, swift changes would begin as soon as Tuesday, as several assistant coaches who served under then-head coach Jimbo Fisher will not be retained under Elko heading into the 2024 season.

After it was announced that offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino and wide receivers coach Dameyune Craig would not return next season under Elko, more changes were announced, including widely criticized offensive line coach Steve Addazio after one of the worst O-line performances in recent memory at Texas A&M.

According to The Eagles’ Travis Brown, Addazio, who had served as the position coach since the 2022 season, was given a second chance under then-head coach Jimbo Fisher to fix the offensive line issues that had plagued the program since the 2021 season. However, Addazio, statically at least, was just plain bad, as A&M’s O-line gave up a nation-leading 76 quarterback hits, while four A&M quarterbacks sustained injuries during said two-year span.

Whoever Mike Elko hires for the position has plenty of options, including former Texas A&M O-line coach Jim Turner, who currently holds the same job at Texas State.

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Texas A&M leads Abilene Christian 17-7 at halftime after a lackluster start

In the first game post-Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M’s offensive line is struggling vs. FCS Abilene Christian but still leads 17-7 at the half.

In Texas A&M’s first game after the recent firing of now-former head coach Jimbo Fisher, last Saturday’s impressive 51-10 win over Mississippi State looked like a flash in the pan compared to the Aggie’s lackluster performance against the visiting FCS Abilene Christian Wildcats on senior day.

In quarterback Jaylen Henderson’s second consecutive start this season, the sophomore duel threat was absolutely stellar against the Bulldogs, accounting for four touchdowns, but in the first possession against ACU, Henderson’s arm was his due to immense pressure in his face, causing an interception which was returned for a touchdown, as the Wildcats took a 7-0 lead early.

At the same time, A&M’s offensive line finally looked like they found a rhythm for the first time all season. Fast forward to face an ACU front that has yet again exposed the O-line’s ineptitude, allowing three sacks in just over nine minutes in the first half against the Wildcats. Let’s just say offensive line coach Steve Adazzio’s hot seat is virtually on fire.

However, Henderson (12/18, 1 TD, 1 INT) did get things going late in the half after OC Bobby Petrino sped up the tempo, leading to a 13-yard fade to wide receiver Noah Thomas in the end zone, as the Aggies took a, well, more comfortable 17-7 lead heading into the half.

Defensively, A&M has kept the Wildcats in check, recording five pass deflections and two tackles for loss, led by Butkus award nominee and junior linebacker Edgerrin Cooper with four tackles thus far.

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Oh, so close… Texas A&M couldn’t find the inches this season, and Kelley Ford’s ‘What if’ Rankings proves that point

Texas A&M’s 2023 season has been an utter failure, but if, as Jimbo Fisher says, they found the inches, we’re looking at a once loss team.

Shield your eyes, Aggie fans, but Jimbo Fisher may have been correct when he constantly harped on “not finding the inches” during all four of Texas A&M’s (5-4, 3-3 SEC) losses the season.

While many will blame quarterback Conner Weigman’s season-ending injury earlier this year on the lack of progress, this team game starts and ends with the man at the top. Marred by a beyond-struggling offensive line, current starting quarterback Max Johnson is just plain beat up. Still, due to his unwavering toughness, the veteran southpaw will likely start this weekend vs. Mississippi State.

What’s even more alarming has been the incredible play in the defensive trenches, as the Aggie’s 15th-ranked defense ranks second in sacks (34). At the same time, star junior linebacker Edgerrin Cooper has been an absolute stud, leading the team in sacks with seven and second in the country in tackles for loss (16.5), recording more than any linebacker in the nation.

Going back to the inches, Kelley Ford released his annual “What If” Wednesday Top 30 rankings for every program’s one-possession and OT loss in 2023, and as we know, three of the Aggies’ four losses were, yes, by one possession, including last painful Saturday’s 38-35 road loss to Ole Miss.

So, what if this team was coached by, let’s say, Nick Saban or Kirby Smart? Who knows at this point, but it’s pretty clear that Jimbo Fisher has failed to steady the ship in SEC play, and with three games left to prove his worth beyond this season to regain some support from the fan base, winning out, which includes winning in Baton Rouge vs. the high scoring LSU Tigers to earn their, yes, first SEC road game this season.

As I wrote earlier this week, nothing regarding Fisher’s future is set in stone, but if the program finishes 7-5 or better, expect (as of right now) that he will return in 2024.

Texas A&M will return to Kyle Field to take on Mississippi State on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 6:30 pm. CT. The game will air on ESPN2.

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With Arkansas HC Sam Pittman’s future hanging in the balance, he could, and should be the Aggies next O-line coach

It’s bad in Fayetteville, and with head coach Sam Pittman’s murky future at the helm, Texas A&M may require a new O-line coach.

Things are as bad as they can be down in Fayetteville (AR) as the Arkansas Razorbacks (2-6, 0-5 SEC) are experiencing what Texas A&M went through in 2022, as the Aggies memorably finished 5-7 and 2-6 in the SEC.

However, after falling to Mississippi State 7-3 in one of the ugliest games of the season, Arkansas and embattled head coach Sam Pittman have dropped five straight SEC matchups and will need to win out to reach bowl eligibility. Due to poor play on offense despite having senior quarterback K.J Jefferson at the helm, offensive coordinator Dan Enos has now been relieved of his duties. Pittman’s future may permanently tumble unless things change in the next four weeks.

Now, in relation to Texas A&M, who currently sits at 4-3 and 2-2 in the SEC, it’s not like the sun is shining bright in Aggieland, dropping two consecutive games in painfully close and winnable losses to Alabama and Tennessee before entering their bye week. Hosting South Carolina next Saturday, the Aggies’ 10th-ranked defense has been stellar. Still, the offense, specifically the porous offensive line play, has placed second-year O-line coach Steve Addazio in the coaching doghouse.

Here’s where Pittman comes into the picture: Before becoming Arkansas’s head coach at the start of the 2020 season, we’re talking about one of the greatest offensive line coaches in college football history, including nearly 40 years of O-line experience, including his recent successful three-year stint at Georgia under head coach Kirby Smart, as the Bulldogs consistently ranked as the best-rushing offenses, while multiple linemen were selected in the early round of the NFL Draft.

On top of his tremendous coaching in the trenches, Pittman’s recruiting prowess helped the Bulldogs secure several top-rated classes while becoming a favorite among players. Texas A&M’s core issues among the current O-line is based on development, as the talent level is top-tier compared to most SEC programs. For all five starters to reach their potential, coupled with a level of consistency, that takes coaching, something Pittman possesses in droves.

Again, we have yet to determine how things will unfold in the coming months regarding his future with the Razorbacks, but if things do indeed go south, Jimbo needs to pick up the phone.

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Texas A&M Football 2023 Midseason Grades: Offensive Line

Texas A&M’s offensive line midseason report card is in, and it’s an ugly sight to behold as the team comes off a pivotal bye week.

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 offensive line, headlined by Bryce Foster, Layden Robinson, Trey Zuhn III, Chase Bisontis, and Mark Nabou Jr.

Highlights

We’ll be blunt; this section of the breakdown will not be expansive. The Maroon Goons were much more promising early on in the season, and when it comes to run blocking, they’ve been solid. Their 63.2 run-blocking grade, per Pro Football Focus, is decent, and they’re only allowing 2.0 sacks per game (66th) while gaining just 4.1 yards per carry (80th).

The drop-off in run efficiency was to be expected when losing a talent like De’Von Achane, who declared for the NFL Draft. It’s been a carousel of Le’Veon Moss, Amari Daniels, and Rueben Owens in the backfield. But for the most part, run blocking hasn’t been a stumbling block.

Areas of improvement

“Pass protection” should be bolded with an emphatic emergency alarm stamped alongside it when speaking on areas of improvement. This a huge area of weakness that needs to be addressed by the offensive line, and their second-year coach Steve Addazio. Their 47.5 pass-blocking grade, according to PFF, is absolutely atrocious and marks a decrease from their 49.4 grade in 2022.

The caveat there: last season the unit was plagued with injuries across the board. This season, they’re the ones responsible for the biggest injury this season, after Conner Weigman was pressured and suffered a foot injury back against Auburn, which ended up being season-ending.

Fast forward to today, and their porous pass protection has rendered veteran southpaw Max Johnson to that of an average quarterback. In their latest loss to Tennessee, Johnson was pressured on 64.1 percent of his dropbacks, which was the highest pressure rate since PFF started tracking the metric back in 2014. The Maroon Goons officially made history, and not in a good way.

Final grade: F

Without the ability to point toward injuries for their porous play, responsibility has to fall on o-line coach Steve Addazio for the unit’s putrid performance in SEC play. Bad snaps, miscommunication at the line of scrimmage, and Foster literally tripping over himself are illustrative of fundamental issues that must be corrected.

It falls on Addazio to get this unit prepared for Saturday afternoons, otherwise, this season is ready to steer off course toward utter disaster.

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How much blame does Aggies QB Max Johnson deserve? Let’s look at the numbers

Amid Texas A&M’s two-game losing streak, QB Max Johnson deserves some blame, but the offense is broken, and the O-line is in shambles.

Whenever a team loses, it’s almost inevitable that the losing quarterback shoulders most of the blame, no matter the circumstances, and for Texas A&M, veteran Max Johnson struggled immensely in the Aggies 20-13 loss to Tennessee on Saturday afternoon.

Sitting at 4-3 and 2-2 in the SEC, a dark cloud has once again appeared over College Station and head coach Jimbo Fisher, but don’t blame the Aggies’ 10th-ranked defense, as the beyond problematic offense led by first-year offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino has placed Johnson in a poor position to succeed.

On Saturday, outside of Texas A&M’s 80-yard first-quarter drive to take a 7-0 lead behind a successful end-zone scramble from Johnson, the run game was nonexistent for the second straight week (1.9 yards per carry), while any future success in the passing game virtually died on the vine. On the day, Johnson completed 16/34 for 223 yards and two interceptions but was pressured on an A&M record 64.1% of his drop-backs, which included 11 quarterback hits.

In front of a borderline anemic showing from the Aggies’ struggling offensive line, Johnson had no chance to gain any rhythm through the air, as Johnson was constantly under attack after the starting five recorded the worst pass protection grade of the weekend (21.6) per Pro Football Focus.

But again, despite enduring the worst pressure rate in the country at 50.7%, Johnson deserves some blame amid the issues in the trenches, precisely his release time after the snap. Staying with PFF, Max Johnson is ranked 14th in average throw time at 3.19 seconds, which doesn’t seem ludicrous at face value, but with this blocking, that ball needs to get out much faster.

This falls on Petrino to implement a quick passing game with five games remaining to consistently “feed the studs,” as time will tell if the running game improves in the slightest after the bye week. Again, Johnson’s play has been underwhelming the past two weeks, but Fisher remains confident that he can turn things around based on experience and impressive resume during his two seasons with LSU.

“We can get open better, we can play better, Max is playing good football. He is a really good player, good kid, and competes his butt off.”

Although the bye week couldn’t have come at a better time, changes on the O-line, whether coaching or personnel, need to be made, but for the offense to re-establish their early season identity, Max Johnson’s play will determine the latter half of the 2023 season.

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Texas A&M’s struggling O-line sets embarrassing program record per Pro Football Focus

Per PFF (Pro Football Focus), Texas A&M’s porous offensive line set a pressure rate program record in Saturday’s 20-13 loss to Tennessee.

As you already know, Texas A&M (4-3, 2-2 SEC) dropped its second straight SEC game after falling 20-13 on the road to Tennessee (5-1, 2-1 SEC) on Saturday afternoon, as Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher’s future with the program is wearing thin with the fan base after matching their 2022 record through seven games.

As we covered last week after the loss to Alabama, Texas A&M’s offensive line, one of the worst in the country if we’re going by metrics, has continued to destroy any offensive consistency with quarterback Max Johnson under center since the veteran southpaw took over for the injured Conner Weigman just three weeks ago.

Already allowing 14 sacks on the year, half of said takedowns were in the past two matchups, culminating in two more against the Volunteers. Still, the real story of the O-line’s struggles lies in the pressure rate allowed on Saturday, setting a truly embarrassing program record in the process. Max Johnson was pressured on 25-39 of his drop-backs for a record 64.1% clip, including 11 quarterback hits (just brutal). According to GigEm247’s Carter Karels, this is the highest-ever pressure rate allowed in a game for the Aggies since PFF began tracking the measurement in 2014.

The overall pressure rate becomes even less surprising when looking at the pass protection grades for all five starting linemen. Sticking out like a sore thumb, redshirt sophomore center Bryce Foster has been a liability outside of his passable performance in the win vs. Auburn, receiving a 34.1 PFF grade, including a 16.7 pass protection mark, both the lowest among starters.

As Texas A&M heads into the bye week with a host of issues on offense, the continuous struggles in the trenches are a clear sign that changes need to be made sooner rather than later, starting with a re-evaluation of second-year O-line coach Steve Addazio, who has completely failed at developing a deep group littered with blue-chip talent and proven experience.

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Texas A&M’s offense is broken, and the question remains: Is this fixable under Jimbo Fisher?

After Texas A&M’s 20-13 loss to Tennessee, head coach Jimbo Fisher’s future once again hangs in the balance.

Seven games into Texas A&M’s 2023 football season, the Aggies sit at a disappointing 4-3, with a 2-2 record in the SEC. After falling to Tennessee 20-13 on Saturday afternoon, the Aggies under Jimbo Fisher have now dropped eight straight road matchups, while Jimbo has yet to beat a ranked team on the road since 2016.

As mediocrity has once again set in halfway through the season, Fisher’s future with the program has reached a stalemate as the Aggies enter the bye week in bad shape, both physically and mentally.

While the problems were scattered throughout both sides, Texas A&M’s resilient defense did its job against the Volunteers, and outside of allowing 232 yards on the ground, the Aggies limited quarterback Joe Milton to just 100 passing yards and kept him in check with three sacks and eight tackles for on the afternoon.

Offensively, first-year OC Bobby Petrino deserves some blame for several play-call miscues. Still, the wheels came off after initially taking a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, and just like we witnessed in the loss to Alabama last Saturday, the Aggies’ porous offensive line was a consistent issue with no answer in sight. Quarterback Max Johnson (16/34, 223 yards, 2 INT) was inaccurate and indecisive for the entirety of the second half. While he shoulders most of the blame, Texas A&M’s run game has been nonexistent, with an average of 1.9 yards per carry in their last two games.

We can get open better, we can play better, Max is playing good football. He is a really good player, good kid, and competes his butt off.

Johnson has had his issues, but knowing his experience, toughness, and willingness to change, I expect improvement to come in time under Petrino’s tutelage despite the poor play in the trenches. As Conner Weigman continues to heal, Johnson remains the only viable option.

However, these issues always make their way back to the top, and Jimbo Fisher’s lack of second-half adjustments in the past two weeks, coupled with questionable game management decisions, have hampered the program’s chances of reaching anything close to a state of consistency, something Aggie fans are sadly accustomed to in Fisher’s sixth season.

Focusing on the root causes this season, Fisher’s hiring tactics, especially second-year offensive line coach Steve Addazio, have been an utter failure, as the lack of development and personnel issues in the trenches have constantly kept the offense behind the sticks, while Weigman, and now Johnson have sustained blow after blow in the pocket.

Expecting any coaching change at this time is an exercise in futility with five games left in the year, but that doesn’t mean future changes aren’t coming within the program if things stay the same after the bye week. It’s time to see how much is left in the tank for Fisher and Co. in 2023.

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