Jimbo Fisher and Texas A&M football desperately need to turn things around in 2023 if the head coach plans on keeping his job.
If the Aggies have another underwhelming season, Fisher may be on his way out, looking for a new job. He has too much talent on the roster, thanks to the best recruiting class of all time last year, to have another bowl-less season.
If Texas A&M is going to turn things around, these guys need to have breakout seasons.
Texas A&M is going to be relying on a new backfield next season with Devon Achane moving on. The Aggies have to find a running back to replace 1,102 yards and eight touchdowns on 5.6 yards per carry and I think Amari Daniels could be that workhorse.
The junior running back played in six games last season and finished second on the team in rushing with 200 yards on 5.6 yards per touch.
While he didn’t quite have the same workload as Achane, he was the most capable runner behind the 1,000-yard rusher. He was the only running back on the team to average more than 5.0 yards per game who’s coming back this year.
There may be a debate about who will be replace Achane between Daniels, Le’Veon Moss, and five-star freshman Rueben Owens but I think the safe and smart choice would be the junior.
Daniels will have a big season.
I’m really high on Shemar Stewart heading into the season and I think it’s because he has all the potential in the world and showcased that in limited action last year.
Now that he’ll likely be a starter on the defensive line next season, I think he’s going to end up being one of the best defensive linemen in the entire country, not just the SEC. He was a five-star recruit for a reason and with a massive opportunity staring him in the face, the sophomore is going to step up and become a superstar on defense.
In 2022, Stewart finished with 23 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks in 12 games. He showed the ability to get into the backfield with ease and he should draw more attention in 2023 and beyond when he proves that he can be a star.
What kind of defensive lineman will we see in 2023? The 6-4, 285-pounder will have length, strength, athleticism, and plenty of size to dominate on the edge.
I could see him putting up 50-plus tackles, 10-15 tackles for loss, and somewhere around 10 sacks.
This was the most obvious choice on the roster and I had to go for it because a breakout list wouldn’t make a ton of sense without the one guy who could go from backup to All-SEC quarterback in one year.
Conner Weigman was also a five-star during his recruiting days and when he committed to Texas A&M, there was some chatter that he could even contend for the starting job right away.
Haynes King got the nod and struggled while LSU transfer Max Johnson only played four games. Weigman played in five games and didn’t do too shabby, passing for 896 yards and eight touchdowns with zero interceptions. A freshman throwing 132 passes without a single interception is unheard of and it should be a sign of things to come.
The Aggies should be in good hands this coming season when Weigman takes over as he looks like a strong, capable starter who just needs to work on his accuracy.
I’m thinking a 3,000-yard, 20-plus touchdown season is coming.