Texas A&M Football: 5 position battles to watch in spring 2019

COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 10: Head coach Jimbo Fisher of the Texas A&M Aggies participates in the Aggie War Hymn after defeating the Mississippi Rebels at Kyle Field on November 10, 2018 in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 10: Head coach Jimbo Fisher of the Texas A&M Aggies participates in the Aggie War Hymn after defeating the Mississippi Rebels at Kyle Field on November 10, 2018 in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
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For the first time in years, there will be no quarterback battle for Texas A&M football. What other position battles are going down this spring?

Texas A&M is losing quite a chunk this offseason due to the NFL Draft. Also, one quarterback and a running back transferred, but in the grand scheme of things, that isn’t causing any kind of excess position battles. However, those guys leaving for the draft are leaving some major holes for the Aggies.

What position battles will this team have heading into spring ball? Let’s discuss starting with the center position — likely one of the most important of all.

5. Center

Erik McCoy heading to the draft was the biggest kick in the head for the Aggies so to speak. Even though he has one more year of eligibility left, he was more than ready to go and show his skills to the world and man show he did. He excelled at the NFL Combine and did nothing but make himself money. However, now the Aggies are faced with replacing him at a vital position.

There are two options, the first being junior Ryan McCollum. The current guard seems to be the favorite to slide over to center with McCoy heading into the draft as he already did so for the small amount of time that McCoy struggled with a bit of injury. That didn’t last all that long of course, because the injury didn’t last long. Either way though, the junior seems to be the leader.

However, senior Colton Prater could also see time at the position in the spring. Last season, he was the offense’s most improved player and could likely build on that and make a play for the center position. Simply put, at this point, the center position is wide open and between McCollum and Prater, someone is going to have to step up.