Texas A&M Spring Football 2023: Running back position breakdown

The Aggies will use spring ball to determine the Week 1 starter in the backfield. We break down how the current roster is shaping up at RB.

Spring football for Texas A&M is well underway, which means it’s every fan’s obligation to parse through the depth chart ahead of what will be an important 2023 season. Thankfully, we’ve got you covered by breaking down each positional battle, with this deep-dive focusing on the talent in the backfield.

Who will be the starting running back for the Maroon and White come Week 1 should be top of mind for A&M’s coaching staff, and it’s surely a hot topic among the Aggies faithful. With junior Devon Achane departing College Station after declaring for the NFL Draft, it’s up to Jimbo Fisher, Bobby Petrino, and staff to replace the production of 1,102 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground.

With that goal being vital, let’s take a look at how the current running back position shapes up for the Aggies:

Returners (2022 season stats)

  • Junior Amari Daniels: 36 carries, 200 yards, 5.6 yards per attempt
  • Sophomore Le’Veon Moss: 27 carries, 114 yards, 4.2 yards per attempt, 1 rushing touchdown

Departures

  • Junior Devon Achane (declared for the 2023 NFL Draft)

Incoming additions

  • Freshman Rueben Owens II (5-star recruit, Class of 2023)

Key thoughts and predictions:

Replacing Achane’s production is not going to be an easy feat, as he proved to be not only vital to the Aggies’ offense but was arguably one of the best running backs in the SEC. Fisher and Petrino could very well lean on a committee approach in the backfield, but deciding on a starter may come down to whether it’s right to stick with experience or go with the most overall talented back.

If we’re assessing solely on talent then the edge goes to incoming freshman Owens. He is a five-star recruit for a reason, and we’ve seen true freshmen are more than capable of playing important snaps for the Aggies. In a very important 2023 season, however, does Fisher want to take the risk of leaning too much on inexperience?

For that reason, I’d be more comfortable rolling with Daniels as the starter. I like what Moss brings to the table, and the overall running back room should only get a competitive boost with Owens, but Daniels has experience in his back pocket and is a strong, compact runner.

My belief is that Daniels is the Week 1 starter with Moss splitting snaps here and there. Once Owens gets his footing, his talent could prove too good to ignore and he may wind up being the RB1 come season’s end.

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