With just under two months till the start of meaningful college football, it allows for preseason rankings to start rolling out in droves.
College football guru Phil Steele compiled the 2023 iteration of his ‘Preseason Top 40’ rankings, with Steele noting two important guidelines about his latest rankings that take into account rosters and interviews with coaches 12 months out of the year:
“My preseason rankings are not my power ratings…These rankings take into account the totality of the circumstances that I feel each team will face in the 2023 season such as schedule strength, foes’ schedules (coming off byes), experience edges at the start of the year, and so forth.”
And with that precedent set, Texas A&M clocked in at No. 12 in Steele’s preseason rankings. In his own words, Steele noted that the Aggies’ talent level on paper is too hard to ignore ahead of what should be a bounce-back season:
“With a roster as talented as the Aggies possess this fall, it’s hard not to like Texas A&M as one of the nation’s top turnaround teams. Jimbo Fisher hired Bobby Petrino to fix his offense, but there are questions surrounding how much he’s actually willing to give up as a play-caller. This defense is stacked with former four and five-star signees, so if there’s a darkhorse team capable of winning the SEC, Texas A&M is quite the sexy selection based on roster alone.”
No one should be questioning the talent level of a defense that boasts a mix of experienced players and young future stars such as Walter Nolen, Shemar Turner, and McMcKinnley Jackson. The Aggies ranked top 25 in defensive scoring last season, and are equipped to be the most daunting defense in the SEC heading into 2023.
The true upside lies in the offense, which should take a seismic leap with new OC Bobby Petrino holding the keys to the playbook. The renowned quarterback guru should unlock sophomore signal-caller Conner Weigman, who flashed his potential in throwing for 896 yards and eight touchdowns without an interception in 2022.
Coupled with a top 10 receiving corps that is headlined by Evan Stewart, Ainias Smith, and Moose Muhammad III, it’s safe to say that the Aggies could boast one of the more balanced teams in the country come the fall season. Granted, the SEC schedule will be no less daunting, with a road matchup versus LSU, as well as a bout with Alabama (at Kyle Field) highlighting the tougher matchups on the docket.
And yet, this Aggies team has proven time and again to rise to the occasion when the stakes are at the highest, much like their upset win over the Tigers in last year’s regular-season finale. The preseason rankings illustrate the faith in what’s brewing over in College Station, and it will be up to the Maroon and White to back up that confidence with wins.
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