Tag: texas aggies football

New win projections for every SEC team ahead of the 2024 seasons

The offseason is made for projections and ESPN’s Jake Wimberly has released his official SEC projections ahead of the 2024 season.

It may be February, but college football rosters are beginning to take shape ahead of spring practices next month. In the SEC, everything feels more significant ahead of the first season of the expanded 12-team playoff structure.

While Nick Saban’s retirement from Alabama is certainly the talking point of the offseason, new Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko is looking to clean up the mess that Jimbo Fisher left after winning just 12 games the Aggies’ last two seasons despite elite recruiting year after year.

With Texas and Oklahoma set to enter the SEC in July, so comes the elimination of the East and West divisions, as the Georgia Bulldogs will now have plenty of competition to finish in the top spot, including the loaded Missouri Tigers, who are coming off a Cotton Bowl victory over Ohio State.

On paper, this looks like. It’s a two-horse race between Georgia and Texas, but don’t count out the Ole Miss Rebels to spoil things late.

After making my own predictions earlier this month, ESPN’s Jake Wimberly released his own. Here are those rankings for your viewing pleasure.

Where did Devon Achane, Antonio Johnson, and Jaylon Jones land in Dane Brugler’s latest 2023 NFL Mock Draft?

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler maps out all seven rounds and 259 picks as he forecasts where Texas A&M’s three prospects will land in the 2023 NFL Draft.

With less than two weeks from the 2023 NFL Draft, Texas A&M has a trio of prospects eagerly awaiting to make the jump from College Station to the pros. Until we officially hear their names called come April 27, a plethora of mock drafts will have to do for now.

In his latest mock, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler mapped out all seven rounds and corresponding 259 picks with the exception of including trades. A swap here or there of course could swing where a few Aggies land, but Brugler’s latest prediction provides some keen guidance nonetheless.

Brugler has running back Devon Achane off the board first (Pick No. 67, Denver Broncos) followed by safety Antonio Johnson (Pick No. 78, Green Bay Packers). Rounding out the trio is cornerback Jaylon Jones (Pick No. 185, Jacksonville Jaguars).

That makes two Aggies hearing their names called in the third round, while Jones comes off the board in the sixth round.

Brugler’s latest mock mirrors NFL.com’s Chad Reuter’s in that they both foresee Achane heading to the Mile High City. The fit makes sense after the Broncos ranked 21st in rushing last year (113.8 YPG) and only a slightly better 17th in rushing yards per attempt (4.4). Achane’s speed would bolster a backfield that is awaiting the return of Javonte Williams from injury (knee) while complementing the veteran addition of Samaje Perine.

Green Bay’s drafting of Johnson could help address the void left by Micah Hyde ever since his departure following the 2016 season. The Packers allowed an average of 10.7 yards per completion in 2022 (25th) and while Johnson thrives in more of a box safety role, he’s more than capable of staying in stride versus receivers with moderate speed.

The Jaguars ranked 19th in yards per completion allowed (10.4) and 27th in passing yards per game allowed (238.2), so their backend unit will take any addition of depth they can spare. Jones, at 6’2″ and 200 lbs, would give their secondary an immediate boost of physicality and size, but he’ll need to refine his footwork and technique as he looks to carve out a role in the rotation.

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 Pete on Twitter: @PeteThreee

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=5]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fvdd4pnb49trk727 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=]

Texas A&M 2023 Maroon and White Spring Game Preview: Inactives, storylines, and more

As the Aggies prepare to kick off the 2023 Maroon and White Spring Game, we break down the latest on which players are likely to be inactive as well as storylines to follow before Saturday afternoon.

Texas A&M‘s 2023 Maroon and White Spring Game will kick off at 3:00 p.m. CT from Kyle Field in College Station, but don’t be surprised if you see the annual exhibition running a bit differently than usual. According to the latest updates, the Aggies could be without a handful of participants, in addition to playing ball with some last-minute adjustments.

Among the players that are not expected to suit up for Saturday’s exhibition include:

LT Trey Zuhn III (torn labrum surgery), C Bryce Foster (torn ACL/with A&M track team), RT Hunter Erb (shoulder surgery), OL TJ Shanahan (torn ACL), and TE Max Wright (unspecified reasons). All these players were previously ruled out for the spring.

TE Donovan Green and S Jacoby Mathews will likely be unavailable as well. Head coach Jimbo Fisher told the media earlier this week that Green, who suffered an ankle injury recently in practice, may not participate. Mathews received an indefinite suspension after university police arrested him for possession of marijuana Tuesday.

Seven other players, including offensive linemen Josh Bankhead, Jordan Spasojevic-Moko, and Aki Ogunbiyi, did not practice on Wednesday. The same goes for defensive linemen McKinnley Jackson and Fadil Diggs, WR Moose Muhammad III, and DB Bobby Taylor. Early-enrolled freshman CB Jayvon Thomas managed to only participate in a limited capacity.

All of those potential absences could leave the Aggies with fewer than 50 scholarship players for the spring game.

Additionally, there remains the small, but noteworthy, storyline regarding the condition of Kyle Field.

The ongoing construction on the south end, which is being done to add 23 new suites, will not be completed until before the upcoming football season. So for today’s game, A&M will have only 85 out of 120 possible yards on the field to use, which will be between the edge of the north end zone and the opposite 25-yard line.

As a short-term solution, head coach Jimbo Fisher noted that the Aggies will simply flip the field after each possession, which means the offense will always be moving from south to north. As a result, they will always be able to simulate kickoffs, punts, and field goals when applicable.

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 Pete on Twitter: @PeteThreee

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=5]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fvdd4pnb49trk727 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=]

Four Texas A&M players enter the transfer portal

Four Aggies have already hit the transfer portal.

Texas A&M finished out a disappointing 5-7 campaign with a win over No. 5 LSU on Saturday. While the Aggies ended 2022 on a bit of a high note, the transfer portal is already becoming a factor in College Station.

Four Texas A&M players entered the transfer portal over the course of the last week. Defensive end Donell Harris, linebacker Ish Harris, defensive end Elijah Jeudy and running back LJ Johnson.

All four players were highly sought-after high school prospects who could not put it together at A&M.

Many of the players on Texas and Texas A&M’s roster were recruited by both schools. It will be interesting to see if Steve Sarkisian and his staff have any intent to pursue the former Aggies.

No doubt the transfer portal is going to run its course with every team in the nation this offseason. We have officially reached college football free agency.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz52bnpekkafqb player_id=none image=https://longhornswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Contact/Follow us @LonghornsWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas news, notes and opinions.

Photos: Ten years later – Johnny Manziel leads the Aggies over No. 1 Alabama

Photos: Ten years later – Johnny Manziel leads the Aggies over No. 1 Alabama

It has been 10 years since the day that every Aggie remembers vividly. The day that Johnny Manziel became a national name, and the day that probably won Johnny the Heisman trophy.

It was November 10, 2012 and the No. 15 Aggies traveled to Bryant Denny Stadium to match up with the No. 1 Crimson Tide, led by Head Coach Nick Saban and quarterback A.J. McCarron.

The Aggies were in their first year in the SEC, and had made some noise early in the season, but it’s hard to say anyone saw that day coming.

Johnny threw for 253 yards and 2 touchdowns and added another 92 yards on the ground, and the A&M defense forced 3 turnovers, to help the Aggies secure a tough 29-24 victory.

With the Aggies set to take on the Tide this Saturday, take a stroll down memory lane with the best images from that amazing November day.

Texas is trending past rival Texas A&M in football

Losing to a Group of Five team in Jimbo Fisher’s fifth season isn’t what the Aggies had planned.

The Texas Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies are headed in different directions. That could not have been more evident than it was Saturday.

Texas lost by one point to the nation’s top team over the weekend, while the Aggies fell 17-14 to Appalachian State.

Last season, the Aggies sold out to beat Alabama. It’s really the only explanation I have for why they would lose a home game to Mississippi State or narrowly win 10-7 over Colorado. Perhaps starting early preparation for Alabama is why they lost to an above average Sun Belt team last week.

The Aggie offense has been underwhelming both in scheme and execution. It took a Devon Achane kickoff return just for Texas A&M to reach the 14-point mark.

Conversely, in front of a host of talented recruits, Texas put on one of the best performances possible on Saturday.

Many lacked the discernment to understand that Texas’ 5-7 season was part of tearing down a bad culture and system to build it back up. Dave Aranda tore down a good system to build his own in his first season. He ended up going 2-7 that year before winning the conference title.

Now, Texas is already further ahead than Texas A&M ever was in Jimbo’s second season, while Fisher lost to a Sun Belt team in year five. It doesn’t take much discernment to see where both programs are headed.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz52bnpekkafqb player_id=none image=https://longhornswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Contact/Follow us @LonghornsWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas news, notes and opinions.

4-star DE Elijah Jeudy sets commitment date

Four-star class of 2021 defensive end Elijah Jeudy recently named his top five schools of UGA, LSU, Texas A&M, Tennessee, and Oregon.

Four-star class of 2021 defensive end Elijah Jeudy recently named his top five schools. Now he’s ready to commit. Jeudy plays football for Northeast High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Will Jeudy be the next Georgia Bulldog from Philly? D’Andre Swift, who is projected as a first-round pick, and senior defensive back Mark Webb are two of the most recent Dawgs to come from the City of Brotherly Love.

Jeudy put the Georgia Bulldogs in his top five and is announcing his commitment April 19th at 4PM:

Jeudy also puts Texas A&M, Tennessee, Oregon and LSU in his top five. Jeudy clearly has no issue leaving Pennsylvania, and will likely join the SEC (4/5 of his top schools).

Georgia recently landed another commitment in the class of 2021. The class is shaping up despite the current dead period in recruiting.

Kirby Smart and Georgia are recruiting across the nation better than ever. The Bulldogs still know how to land key in-state guys, but UGA is expanding its recruiting geography and is picking among the country’s best talent.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1]

 

4-star DE Elijah Jeudy names top five schools

Four-star class of 2021 defensive end Elijah Jeudy has named his top five schools including: Georgia, Texas A&M, Oregon and 2 more SEC teams

Four-star class of 2021 defensive end Elijah Jeudy has named his top five schools. Jeudy plays high school football for Northeast High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Will Jeudy be the next Georgia Bulldog to come to Athens from Philly? D’Andre Swift, who’s projected as a first round pick, and senior defensive back Mark Webb are two of the most recent Dawgs to come from the City of Brotherly Love.

Jeudy put the Georgia Bulldogs in his top five:

Jeudy also puts Texas A&M, Tennessee, Oregon, and LSU in his top-five. Jeudy clearly has no issue leaving Pennsylvania and will likely join the SEC (4/5 of his top schools).

Georgia just landed another commitment in the class of 2021. The class now has five commitments.

Kirby Smart and Georgia are recruiting across the nation better than ever. The Bulldogs still know how to land key in-state guys, but UGA is expanding their recruiting pipeline and picking among the country’s best talent.

Nov 23, 2019; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Tyler Clark sacks Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Kellen Mond at Sanford Stadium. Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

[lawrence-auto-related count=1]

 

Georgia football TBT: Herschel Walker’s 76 yard TD run vs TAMU

The Georgia Bulldogs are hosting the Texas A&M Aggies for the first time since 1980. UGA’s Herschel Walker scored three touchdowns that day.

[jwplayer awrcuYrl-er0jUifI]

The Georgia Bulldogs are hosting the Texas A&M Aggies for the first time since 1980, the last season the Bulldogs won a national championship. Freshman sensation Herschel Walker lead the Dawgs to a 42-0 shutout on the day. Walker had 21 carries for 145 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Walker scored a 76 yard touchdown in the third quarter. Video (with Larry Munson on the call) is courtesy of UGA Sports/Rival’s Patrick Garbin:

Georgia fans can hope the Bulldogs will host the Aggies 39 years later in another championship-winning season. D’Andre Swift will try to impersonate Herschel Walker in what may be Swift’s final game in Athens.

Texas A&M comes into the game at 7-3 with their losses coming to: Clemson, Alabama, and Auburn. The Aggies are certainly battled-tested. Kellen Mond and company are playing their best football of the season. Georgia’s defense will look to shutdown Jimbo Fisher’s offense in what’s expected to be a rainy game.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1]