Texas A&M Football: 10 Bold Predictions for the Aggies in SEC play

The Texas A&M football season has been full of ups and downs, and it’s only week four. Here are 10 bold predictions as the Aggies enter conference play.

From the loss of a starting quarterback to falling victim to a historic comeback, the Aggies have been through a lot. They will look to continue trending in the right direction starting on Saturday against the Razorbacks.

All things considered, the Aggies have come a long way from their collapse against UCLA in Week 1. True freshman quarterback Kellen Mond is maturing quickly and effectively as his time on the field increases. Real, vocal leaders have begun to emerge on both sides of the ball. In short, the Aggies are slowly putting it all together.

With a coach on the hot seat and a lot of uncertainty at seemingly every position, Aggie fans are understandably stressed heading into conference play. Especially with the likes of Alabama and Mississippi State on their schedule.

However, Texas A&M has many reasons for optimism as they enter the meat of their season schedule. Here are 10 bold predictions for the Aggies in conference play this season.

No. 1 Kellen Mond will continue to be a semi-successful work in progress

Quarterback Kellen Mond has come a long way from his disaster of a performance in the second half against UCLA. In the match-up against the Bruins, Mond only completed a total of three passes for 27 yards. That isn’t too great when you are trying to be the signal caller of an SEC caliber team.

He was better the next week, completing 12 of his 21 attempts for 105 yards and a touchdown. Still not exactly what the Aggies need, especially when that type of performance comes against a team like Nicholls State, but still better.

In Week 3 against Louisiana Lafayette, Mond improved even more. Despite a roller coaster of a first half, he settled down and put together a quality performance in which he completed 21 of 34 passes for 301 yards and three passing touchdowns. He also added a rushing touchdown to the mix in the third quarter that tied the game at 21. He became the first true freshman quarterback in Texas A&M history to hit 300 yards passing in a game. Not too shabby.

Coach Sumlin had plenty to say after the game on Kellen’s improvement over the last three weeks. Mond will likely not be the best quarterback to hit the SEC this season, but he does have the chance to be pretty decent. The best he can do is continue to grow and learn with every start he makes and every pass he throws.

No. 2 – Trayveon Williams will finish in the top five in rushing yards

This is honestly not too bold a prediction as Williams finished at number six in the SEC last season with 1,057 total rushing yards. He was the first true freshman in Texas A&M history to eclipse the 1,000 yard mark. He also added another 91 yards on 19 receptions in his freshman season.

Williams has already racked up 256 yards so far this season, only playing against UCLA and Nicholls State due to a tweaked ankle. He participated in warm-ups for the game vs. ULL, as shown below but didn’t see the field once the game began. He also did not participate much the week before against Nicholls State, rushing for 53 yards and a touchdown.

Big guns like Nick Fitzgerald (Mississippi State) and Derrius Guice (LSU) are predicted to finish in the top three by seasons end, but watch out for Williams because another big season could land him one of those spots as well. Entering conference play he sits at eighth in the SEC with his teammate Kendall Bussey at tenth.

During his Tuesday presser, Coach Sumlin confirmed with media that Williams will at the very least be available for Arkansas on Saturday morning. His presence on the field will be a huge addition for the Aggies, as he rushed for 153 yards on 12 attempts last season against the Hogs.

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No. 3 – Watts will play his way into the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft

Armani Watts, starting safety for Texas A&M, considered leaving early for the NFL to join teammates like Speedy Noil and Myles Garrett, but elected to stay for his senior season. This was cause for celebration amongst the Aggie faithful as much of the graduates after the 2016 season were on the defensive side of the ball.

In May, Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller had Armani Watts coming in at pick number 31 to the Dallas Cowboys, citing how Watt’s would compliment safeties Byron Jones and Xavier Woods. He called Watts’ the “enforcer” that would pair wonderfully with Jones’ athleticism. Now that the season has begun, Watts is listed as the biggest question mark at safety so far this season.

Even as a question mark however, Miller still has him ranked as the No. 9 overall safety and PFF has him as the top graded SEC safety at the end of week three. That’s pretty darn good if I do say so myself.

To date, Watts has 26 tackles to his name, four for loss along with a forced and recovered fumble and two interceptions. If he can keep up this pace and be the leader the defense needs him to be, he could easily extend A&M’s first rounder streak to eight seasons, which is pretty strong as well.

Only time will tell how great Armani Watts will be by the season’s end, but he has the potential to make it his best season yet.

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No. 4 – Otaro Alaka will make some serious noise in SEC play.

While the linebacker position has always been a question for Texas A&M, senior Otaro Alaka has been a staple in the defense since he stepped onto campus in 2014. His freshman year, although he wasn’t a starter, he jump started the defense in ways that they didn’t even know they needed. He finished with 33 tackles, including 21 solo hits in 12 games- five starts. He also earned defensive MVP honors in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl after recording seven tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss against West Virginia. And that was just his freshman year.

His sophomore season was not as excellent as the first. It ended before it really began due to a season ending injury. The loss was felt throughout the Aggie defense and the unit wasn’t the same the rest of the season.

Last season, Alaka finished third on the team in tackles with 74 in total including 30 solo stops. He registered nine tackles for loss including two sacks. He had more than five tackles in nine of his thirteen starts at linebacker for the Aggies.

This season? Oh, he’s just the highest graded linebacker in the SEC. He sits at 19 total tackles already this season, one of which was for loss. My bold prediction for Alaka? He will make some serious noise in the SEC. I see him being one of, if not the most important part of the Aggie defense as the season continues to wear on.

No. 5 – Jhamon Ausbon will be the Aggie’s next big thing at receiver

There is nothing the Aggies are known for more than their receiving corps. Josh Reynolds, Malcome Kennedy, Ryan Swope, Mike Evans, Christian Kirk, the list goes on and on. The newest member on that list? Jhamon Aubson.

The freshman wide out already has 10 catches for 108 yards and one touchdown, that came against ULL. Those numbers may not jump out at readers just yet, but they will continue to grow- especially with Kellen Mond under center.

Mond and Ausbon played together at IMG Academy in Florida. With Kellen Mond struggling to find consistency, he will turn to the one person that he is confident with and that will be Jhamon Ausbon. All offseason all we have heard is how great Trayveon Williams and Christian Kirk are, and while that’s true, it’s time for a new guy to take the reigns.

Mond’s first pass of the day went to his fellow freshman and former high school teammate, showing that he has a strong level of trust in the young man. As a senior now, the SEC is well aware of how good Kirk is. As a result of that, someone has to find a way to be open and make plays because Kirk won’t be available every play.

My bold prediction? That guy is Jhamon Aubson.

No. 6 – Tyrel Dodson will be the Aggies’ sack leader in 2017

First of all, if sophomore linebacker Tyrel Dodson isn’t your favorite Aggie defender, you’re just wrong. This young man is full of charisma, character, enthusiasm and most importantly talent. After his first collegiate touchdown, all he had to say was that he was thinking about his grandmother the entire time. Comments like that have a Myles Garrett type ring to it and Aggie fans just love that.

On top of everything described above, the kid is a baller. In his first season at Texas A&M, he appeared in every game off the bench recording a total of 27 tackles and recovering a fumble in the victory over Arkansas.

Now a full-time starter, Dodson is proving his worth every minute he’s on the field. Currently, he is sitting at 20 total tackles, including three tackles for loss and two sacks. He also has notched two interceptions, one which was returned for a touchdown against ULL and one that put the victory against Nicholls State on ice.

As this season and the next wear on, it is clear that Tyrel Dodson will be a staple for the Aggie defense. He said at the start of the season that his goal was to move the linebacker position from a liability to a strength for Aggie football. So far, he’s been pretty successful in achieving that goal.

My bold prediction? Dodson will lead the Texas A&M defense in sacks this season. He’ll finish with nine on the year.

No. 7 – Despite not being a starter, Kendall Bussey will be a big contributor

Kendall Bussey is not the starting running back for the Aggies. That honor goes to Trayveon Williams and Keith Ford, and rightfully so. However, Bussey has learned that patience is a virtue as he finally gets his shot as a regular in the Aggie offense.

The young man was ranked as the number 4 overall running back according to Rivals and was contemplating transferring as he wasn’t getting the playing time he desired. He was convinced otherwise by the Texas A&M coaching staff and now he is finally getting a chance, and he is making the most of it.

With Trayveon Williams out last week against Louisiana Lafayette, Bussey was the star of the show and he milked it for all it was worth.

Bussey had 88 yards rushing on 13 attempts against the Cajuns, but more important than that he showed the grit that head coach Kevin Sumlin is looking for as the team heads into conference play. As many analysts commented after the game on Saturday, Bussey did not intend to lose that game and it showed in his effort on the field.

That kind of effort along with the signature wiggle Bussey seems to have, this could be a breakout season for him. He obviously won’t be a 1,000 yard rusher, but he may end up close to 700 yards when the season is all said and done. Basically, keep an eye on Kendall Bussey because that kid could be special.

No. 8 – The Aggie defense will improve as they begin to work as a unit.

Texas A&M has a defense full of guys with talent and strength, but they struggle to work together toward the common goal. That is their overall struggle is as they enter SEC play on Saturday against Arkansas. This isn’t a new problem either, this has been an overarching issue that has plagued the Aggies for quite a while.

In the above video, senior defensive back Priest Willis discusses the growth of players across the defense and how they are quickly realizing the importance of each game, each season.

Last week against ULL, the defense struggled early and found themselves trailing at halftime. The Aggies were looking for an identity all game long. If they have found that is still uncertain, but holding Lafayette scoreless in the second half is surely a start. The team also outgained the Cajuns 353-82 yards in the second half, a number that is a good sign for the young Aggie defense.

If there is one thing the Aggies did well on Saturday and will continue to do well if they work as a unit is create turnovers. These turnovers ended up being a huge difference maker in Saturday’s matchup. The five turnovers forced by the Aggies included two picks by Armani Watts, a pick-six by Dodson and a forced fumble by Anthony Hines.

Overall, when the players work together instead of fighting for the top spot, you see performances like the first half against UCLA and the second half against ULL. If Texas A&M could bottle that energy and teamwork and spread it through the rest of their season, they’ve got a fighting chance in the conference.

No. 9 – Some young guys will step up and become leaders

This team is scarce on one major factor- leadership. Sure they have guys like Armani Watts and Christian Kirk and Zaycoven Henderson, but they seem to lack a true direction or a common goal as the season progresses. That is where, I believe, some of the Aggies young guns will come in to play.

For example, it is clear that Tyrel Dodson has stepped up and became a leader for the freshman defensive class. In the above video, Dodson discusses the growth of young linebacker Anthony Hines, who forced a fumble during Saturday morning’s game against ULL.

Of course, true freshman quarterback Kellen Mond will also have to step up and be a leader on the offensive side of the ball if the Aggies want this season to be a successful one. While having a veteran guy like Kirk is great to help things run smoothly, it’s the quarterback’s job to run the offense and that is what Mond has to be able to do as the season progresses.

Guys like Trayveon Williams, who was chosen to be a captain this season, have already found themselves in a leadership role. Williams will assist Mond in getting the Aggie offense running as an SEC offense should.

As these younger players, and others, begin to step up the Aggies will likely see more success not only this season but in seasons to come also.

No. 10 – The Aggies win four, maybe five, SEC matchups this season.

Head coach Kevin Sumlin has a lot riding on his shoulders this season, as many believe if he finishes 8-5 again this year he will get the boot. With the struggles A&M has had on both sides of the ball, it would not be surprising if he ends up at that juncture again.

I predict that the Aggies win at least four SEC matchups this season. That starts with Arkansas on Saturday. I believe that the Aggies have just enough talent to “out-physical” the Razorbacks just as they have in past years.

The same can be said about Florida, as the Aggies will head that way in the middle of October. I think Texas A&M will have enough of an upper hand to squeak out a victory against the Gators. South Carolina hasn’t proven that they are legit yet this season and from what I’ve seen of them, I could picture the Aggies getting a night win at Kyle Field come the matchup at the end of September.

Auburn has shown flashes of a good football team, but overall has been unable to sustain any level of success and as a result I’d put that one in the win column for the Aggies- though it could be a lot closer than many would think.

Next: Christian Kirk rising up NFL Draft boards

The Aggies could get a fifth SEC win against the Rebels of Ole Miss, but that one is a 50:50 toss-up in my opinion. The Rebels struggles on defense could allow the Aggies to put up some serious points but the same could be said about the Aggie defense against Shea Patterson.

Only time will tell how the Aggies fair in SEC play, but it all kicks off this Saturday morning in Dallas for the Maroon and White.