Texas A&M Aggies Will Not Miss Johnny Manziel

Offense

Sophomore quarterback Kenny Hill won the starting job over freshman Kyle Allen, but remember this was a close battle. And it was close in a good way, as in both quarterbacks looked great, according to reports. Hill showed enough in garbage time last year to prove that he is very accurate in games against Sam Houston State and Vanderbilt, and as a dual threat he is Johnny Football’s perfect replacement. On top of that, he’s playing under possibly the best quarterbacks coach in college football, so here’s the prediction of the year: the Texas A&M Aggies will not notice any drop-off at quarterback. Book it.

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Hill should be able to replace Manziel as a running quarterback as well, and the loss of Ben Malena means very little when you look at who’s replacing him. Sumlin has a breakout superstar at running back this year in junior Trey Williams, who managed 407 yards and 6 touchdowns on just 58 carries as the third-string running back last year. Add in junior Tra Carson, who had 329 yards and 7 touchdowns on only 62 carries, and you have a duo that will make up a three-headed running monster with Hill which should, to quote Manziel himself, wreck the SEC. Forget about Manziel. There’s too much talent in this running game, and expect it to be dominant this year. Add in 5-star junior Brandon Williams, and it’s easy to see why this running game should be the anchor of the offense this year. Nobody will miss Malena.

The wide receiver position is where the Aggies take the biggest hit. Manziel is replaceable with another good, Sumlin-coached quarterback. Mike Evans is not replaceable. His incredible frame and nearly 1,400 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns provided Manziel an amazing safety blanket when he tried to roll out and make a play. This is where you will see a drop-off with Hill: he has nobody like Evans to throw to. The loss of No. 2 receiver Derel Walker after 818 yards and 5 touchdowns also hurts. Senior Malcome Kennedy is the most proven option after 658 yards receiving and 7 touchdowns last year, but then Travis Labhart was the No. 4 receiver and is also gone after 626 yards and 8 touchdowns. This position will obviously be a drop-off, but there are some tools to salvage the losses. Redshirt freshman Ricky Seals-Jones provides incredible, beyond Mike Evans size at 6’5″ 235 pounds and should make a huge impact his first year playing after being highly recruited. Freshman Speedy Noil is a 5-star who should make an immediate impact as well, and junior college transfer sophomore Josh Reynolds provides another nice frame at 6’4″. Sophomores LaQuvionte Gonzalez and Edward Pope get to see larger roles after the 4-star freshmen saw limited action last year as well. Overall, this is a very deep unit that has a ton of raw talent. The future of the receiving corps. is bright, but this year, with so much youth, it won’t be as good as last year. However, because of the depth, the drop-off will be minimal.

Nov 2, 2013; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Kenny Hill (7) runs with the ball during the third quarter against the UTEP Miners at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The most exciting part for the Aggies is the offensive line, which should be very deep with almost everybody back. Unfortunately, the only loss is the biggest loss it could have in All-American left tackle Jake Matthews, who was the best and most experienced player on the line. But senior left tackle Cedric Ogbuehi already has 30 career starts, is an All-American candidate, and should fill the spot just fine at 6’5″ 305 pounds. Add senior guard Jarvis Harrison, who also has 30 career starts and stands at 6’4″ 330 pounds, and the left side of the line is set. Junior center Mike Matthews started all of last year and should turn into a breakout star, and the same could happen for junior guard Joseph Cheek, who stands at 6’7″ 310 pounds. Both players were 4-star recruits, and sophomore tackle Germain Ifedi is another budding star after starting every game as a freshman. Seniors Ben Compton and Garrett Grambling will also be in the rotation for depth as well. Then add juniors Jeremiah Stuckey, Avery Gennesy, and Jermaine Eluemunor, sophomore Ryan Lindblade, and 4-star freshman Zach Ledwik, and you have a very deep unit that is experienced, skilled, and should be much better than last year. Not to mention that this line sets up for at least three starters to be returning each of the next two years, so Sumlin has it set for the future.

It all sounds crazy with the loss of Manziel, but the offense should be just as efficient as last year. With so much youth in the passing game, it may not score as much because Sumlin will turn more to the running game. But that will mean more time of possession and ball control with the same amount of efficiency as last year, so expect no drop-off whatsoever. Continue to Next Slide for Defense