Texas A&M Football: 3 Aggie upperclassmen who must step up in 2022

Texas A&M football had quite a few departures between transfers and the NFL Draft. Which upperclassmen should step up for the Aggies to make 2022 a success?

The Aggies lost many big names after the 2021 season — guys like Isaiah Spiller, Kenyon Green, and DeMarvin Leal — and now Texas A&M football will look to a new group of leaders to put together a strong 2022 season.

That’s especially true with the quarterback situation up in the air still, other guys will have to step up, and now, with the top recruiting class in college football coming in, who will lead them?

Junior RB Devon Achane

This kid has the talent, that much has been seen already by his last two seasons in Aggieland. However, he sat behind Isaiah Spiller for the last two years, and while he showed flashes of greatness, he never had to be the leader of the offense. He had Zach Calzada and Spiller and even Kenyon Green to do that for him.

All he had to do was line up and run the way he always has: fast. He finished with 910 yards on the season a year ago and that was sitting behind someone else. Now, it is the Achane show, but without a solidified starting quarterback and the fact that the quarterback may be a sophomore or a freshman, Achane has to be a leader — he has to step up.

Graduate DB Myles Jones

Myles Jones was a big part of the Texas A&M football defense for three years before two years of injuries shut him down. Now, with a bunch of young and new guys on defense, he has to step up and be the leader this unit needs to be strong in 2022.

There are other guys who may even end up getting more playing time than Jones throughout the season, I think that the vocal leadership of a graduate student who has been through now five seasons in Aggieland, is extremely important.

Senior WR Jalen Preston

Those who follow Texas A&M football know that many have waited for three seasons for Jalen Preston to really step up and be the receiver that he was painted to be coming out of high school.

Now, as a senior, it is his time to step up as a leader of these receiving corps and push the young guys to be as successful as they can be. He has Ainias Smith and Chase Lane to lean on as he grows into the leader he can be, but it is time he steps up and shows the world the Jalen Preston Aggieland has been waiting for.