Tag: Texas A&M Aggies football

New win projections for every SEC team for the 2024 college football season

SEC win projections for the 2024 College Football Season.

2024 will mark a new era of the ever-evolving landscape of college football. The Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns make the move to the SEC and face new challenges.

Though if you hear former Texas tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders talk about it, the SEC won’t be much of a challenge.

After a 2023 season that didn’t see an SEC team in the national championship game, there might be something to it. Georgia didn’t make the playoff and lost to an Alabama team that wasn’t necessarily the best of the Nick Saban era.

At the same time, the Georgia Bulldogs have earned the right to be the favorites in 2024. However, if you look at ESPN data analyst Jake Wimberly’s latest win projections for the inaugural season of the new-look 16-team conference, the Dawgs aren’t the favorite. It’s one of the newcomers.

Here’s a look at the projected win totals for the SEC in 2024.

Texas A&M safety will reportedly enter the transfer portal

One’s Hayes Fawcett has released that Texas A&M safety Jacoby Mathews, a poised starter next season, will enter the transfer portal.

Texas A&M will reportedly lose one of its top defensive playmakers, as incoming junior safety Jacoby Mathews has entered the transfer portal, as On3’s Hayes Fawcett was the first to report the news.

As a high-4-star prospect within head coach Jimbo Fisher’s legendary 2022 recruiting class, Mathews began to ascend the depth chart during his 2023 sophomore season, receiving most of the starting snaps at free safety after Jardin Gilbert’s injury.

Standing at 6-2 and 205 pounds, Mathews is looked to be a perfect fit in new Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko’s defense, but after acquiring three veteran safety transfers from the portal this offseason, Mathew’s starting spot wasn’t as guaranteed as some may have thought.

During his two seasons in Aggieland, Mathews recorded 67 tackles, seven pass deflections and an interception for his Aggie career. While Jacoby certainly has the opportunity to return to the program, due to the new spring transfer period rule, Mathews is prohibited from transferring to another SEC program during said period.

One name to watch this spring after the news? Incoming sophomore safety Dalton Brooks is due to pick up where he left off this spring after notching his first career interception in the Aggies’ Texas Bowl loss to Oklahoma State.

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 Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.

SEC quarterback rankings ahead of 2024 spring football

Where does Jackson Arnold rank among SEC quarterbacks heading into spring ball?

As the SEC expands to 16 teams in 2024, the conference is stacked at the quarterback position. From former five-star prospects to 2024 Heisman contenders to intriguing transfer additions, there will be some fantastic quarterback play on display this fall in the SEC.

Seven of the last nine Heisman winners have come from Oklahoma and the SEC. Two of those seven were non-quarterbacks, DeVonta Smith and Derrick Henry.

Much of what will determine which teams emerge as SEC title and College Football Playoff contenders will be on the shoulders of the quarterbacks who will lead their team in 2024.

There are some quarterback competitions that need to take place, but here’s our pre-spring ball SEC quarterback rankings.

 

How do the Oklahoma Sooners compare to SEC teams in ESPN’s SP+ rating?

The Oklahoma Sooners are heading into a new era in the SEC and come in at No. 8 in the preseason SP+ rankings.

The Oklahoma Sooners had a really good season in 2023 as they bounced back from their 6-7 season in 2022 to win 10 games last year. Now, they prepare for a new era of Oklahoma football with the move to the [autotag]SEC[/autotag].

But they aren’t the only change coming to college football in 2024. The landscape as a whole has changed. The [autotag]Pac 12[/autotag] is essentially no more as everyone but Washington State and Oregon State left for the [autotag]Big 10[/autotag] or the [autotag]Big 12[/autotag].

With the new changes and the 2024 recruiting cycle coming to a close, it’s time to look at where Oklahoma ranks in ESPN data analyst Bill Connelly’s SP+ preseason rankings (subscription required).

For those that don’t know, Connelly releases a preseason SP+ ranking every February where he bases his projections on three primary factors weighted by their predictiveness. Those would be returning production, recent recruiting, and recent history.

So, let’s take a look at how Oklahoma stacks up against the rest of the SEC.

10 SEC teams featured in updated College Football Power Rankings from ESPN

The SEC was prominently featured in ESPN’s updated power rankings for 2024.

Winter workouts are happening across the country. Spring ball is right around the corner. Though the 2024 college football season is still more than six months away, the SEC is shaping up to be a lot of fun in the new era of college football.

Realignment has consolidated power in the SEC and the Big Ten, and it’ll be on full display this fall, especially as the College Football Playoff expands to 12 teams this season.

As the Oklahoma Sooners get set for their first season in their new conference, the schedule provides a number of challenges. But having marquee matchups throughout the schedule is what the Sooners were looking for. In ESPN’s most recent power rankings update ahead of spring ball, 10 SEC schools were featured. Here’s who made the cut.

Where does Jackson Arnold rank in early 2024 Heisman odds according to Fan Duel?

Jackson Arnold is already getting some preseason Heisman buzz before his first year as a starter.

If you think [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] is going to win the [autotag]Heisman[/autotag] in 2024, now is the time to bet on it. You probably won’t see the odds this low again if he has the season you think he’s going to have.

Arnold is heading into his first year as the starting quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners. The sophomore quarterback showed flashes in games last year. Even though his bowl game was soured with all of the turnovers, he showed in that game why people are so high on him and his ability.

He’s definitely got all of the makings to be Oklahoma’s next great quarterback and Heisman contender. Arnold’s going to have plenty of opportunities to show out against several high-quality opponents.

So where does Arnold land in 2024 Heisman odds according to Fan Duel Sportsbook? Let’s take a look at the early contenders.

[gambcom-standard rankid=”3006″ ] Fan Duel

Oklahoma Sooners in the top 5 of Josh Pate’s SEC Power Ratings

The Oklahoma Sooners are considered a top five program in the SEC according to Josh Pate.

The Oklahoma Sooners are heading into a new era of college football. Now, there are two mega conferences in college football with the additions the [autotag]SEC[/autotag] and Big 10 are making in 2024.

The Sooners elected to join the SEC, which sort of started this new wave of conference realignment. Much has been made about whether Oklahoma is “SEC ready”? Even after a 10-3 season, that question still looms over the program.

The program is heading in the right direction. They may not be ready to compete for an SEC championship in 2024, but you can tell with how they are recruiting, especially on the defensive side of the ball, they have a vision of what it’ll take to make this team ready for the week in, week out grind of the SEC.

While Oklahoma will be competitive in their inaugural season in 2024, 2025 is the year they’ll be serious title contenders. They’re still a young team and by 2025 a lot of this young talent will be seasoned.

But what about next season? How well can the Sooners do in Year 1? CBSSports’ and the Late Kick Show’s Josh Pate shared his SEC Power Ratings heading into the 2024 season Sunday night. In it, he values a rolling three-year snapshot of on-field performance, talent acquisition, and stability resource pool. Given all of that, he feels the Sooners are the fifth-best SEC program heading into 2024.

That means Oklahoma is probably around an 8-4 or 9-3 team in 2024, which is what I would have them at. And with the 12-team playoff incoming, there’s a possibility that puts them in the College Football Playoff in 2024.

I do think the LSU Tigers are a little overvalued because last year they were so bad defensively and were carried by their offense. Well, gone is Heisman winner Jayden Daniels and their star receiver Malik Nabors. Both are first round picks in 2024.

Here’s a look at how the SEC stacks up, according to Josh Pate.

How does Oklahoma stack up against the SEC in team recruiting rankings for the 2024 cycle?

A look at how the Oklahoma Sooners stack up with the SEC in average team recruiting rankings for the 2024 recruiting cycle.

The 2024 signing class will be the Oklahoma Sooners first freshman class in the SEC. With the move to the SEC, the stakes for the Sooners and the Texas Longhorns just got a lot higher.

They’ve been going head-to-head with SEC schools on the recruiting trail for some time, but now, they’ll have to put their recruiting results to the test on the gridiron.

The 2024 class may not show its full potential for a couple of years, but it will have an impact on the Sooners’ first season in the SEC next fall.

So, how does Oklahoma’s 2024 signing class compare to their future conference foes? Here’s how the SEC ranks in 2024 recruiting based on an average of the team rankings from 247Sports, On3, and Rivals.

More from the [autotag]2024 early signing period[/autotag].

Texas A&M LB Edgerrin Cooper is named to the AFCA All-American First Team

Texas A&M LB Edgerrin Cooper is named to the AFCA All-American First Team

Edgerrin Cooper went on a tear this season and was the best Linebacker in the SEC and possibly the nation. He’s been racking up the accolades all year long and there might be a few more before Bowl season is over.

With this selection, Cooper is now officially a consensus All-American. His first team honors include the following:

  • American Football Coaches Association (AFCA)
  • Walter Camp Football Foundation
  • Associated Press
  • CBS Sports

Congratulations to Cooper on another well-deserved honor as he prepares for the 2024 NFL Draft.

Below, you can see the stats through 12 games:

  • 84 Tackles
  • 17 Tackles for Loss (Led the SEC)
  • 8 sacks
  • 2 forced fumbles

The Award: Members of the AFCA Coaches’ All-America First Team will receive a plaque commemorating their selection to the team, while members of the Second Team will receive a certificate.

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 Jarrett Johnson on Twitter: @whosnextsports1.

Texas A&M LB Edgerrin Cooper is named to the Walter Camp All-American Team

Texas A&M junior LB Edgerrin Cooper is named to the Walter Camp All-American Team.

Edgerrin Cooper went on a tear this season and was the best Linebacker in the SEC and possibly the nation. He’s been racking up the accolades all year long and there might be a few more before Bowl season is over.

Below is a brief history of the foundation:

This is the 134th edition of the Walter Camp All-America team, the nation’s oldest college football All-America team.  Twenty-five players were selected to the first team by the 131 Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors.  In addition, 25 players were selected to the Second Team.

Congratulations to Cooper on another well-deserved honor.

Below, you can see the stats through 12 games:

  • 84 Tackles
  • 17 Tackles for Loss (Led the SEC)
  • 8 sacks
  • 2 forced fumbles

The 2023 Walter Camp All-Americans will be honored at the Foundation’s annual Awards Weekend on March 15-16, 2024, in New Haven.

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 Jarrett Johnson on Twitter: @whosnextsports1.