After taking yesterday off, 360 Sports continues it's countdown of the top 10 college football teams in the country today with No. 7 Texas A&M. Who will be #6 tomorrow? Here's a clue: NBC's Cris Collinsworth holds the record for the longest touchdown pass at this school.
#7 Texas A&M
Coach: Jimbo Fisher (9-4, 2nd season)
2018: Lost heartbreakers to Clemson (28-26) and Auburn (28-24), but regained their footing to win their final four games including a thrilling seven overtime battle against LSU in which they won 74-72. They also defeated North Carolina State in the Gator Bowl, 52-13.
Key losses: RB Trayveon Williams (18 TDs, 1,760 rush yards), TE Jace Sternberger (All-American, Leading receiver in 2018 with 48 receptions and an average of 17.3 yards per catch)
The good news: Junior QB Kellen Mond returns with a year of experience in Jimbo Fisher’s offense as well as their top wideout, Quartney Davis. The coaching staff also did an excellent job of recruiting this past year, bringing in TE Baylor Cupp, A.K.A the “Brock Gronk”. Hailing from Brock, TX, Cupp is expected to fill an immediate need at Tight End. His athleticism is without question. At 6 '6, 240 pounds, he runs a 4.55 40 yard dash along with a 36 inch vertical.
3 Ws
Who will be the key leaders on offense and defense?
QB Kellen Mond
For a team that lost both their leading receiver and running back, returning a leader on offense like Mond is a huge deal. Adjusting to a new coach and his playbook, is never an easy change, and it showed in the Aggies’ first few games of the season. However, as the 2018 season progressed, he matured and clearly began to have a better understanding of the offense, leading them to a four-game win streak to close out Jimbo Fisher’s first year in College Station. He’s an excellent runner when forced from the pocket, rushing for 474 yards on 149 attempts last year. When the Aggies’ need a successful possession, he’ll be the guy the offense looks to.
DT Justin Madubuike
Similar to Mond, Madubuike’s return is good news for defensive coordinator Mike Elko, who lost 7 of his starters after last season, including both of his leading tacklers. Madubuike, however, proved he could contribute in big ways on the defensive line, getting into the backfield and racking up 5.5 sacks as well as 10.5 tackles for loss. Not to mention, the coaches awarded him the defensive MVP award for the 2018 season. Those are some pretty hefty accomplishments for a guy whose heading into his junior year!
What is their projected record?
9-3 overall, 6-2 SEC
What will be their toughest game? A clash at Clemson in week 2 will be the Aggies’ first real test of the season. Tiger fans call their stadium “Death Valley” for a reason; Clemson hasn’t lost a game at home since November 12, 2016 when they were upset by Pittsburgh! An explosive Tiger offense will also take advantage of A&M’s inexperienced defense if the Aggies don’t stay locked in the entire game. As we saw in the 2018 National Championship, this is a team who can and will run away with a win in a matter of minutes. Led by Sophomore star Trevor Lawrence, who took over as the top quarterback on campus in week 5, and heisman caliber running back Travis Eitenne, who literally ran through opposing defenses in 2018, it’s hard to find a weak spot on the defending national champion’s roster. Without question, this would be a game that if won, would put the Aggies in the top 10, that is, if the mission can be accomplished.
Recruiting In-State leads to big wins for A&M:
With both Texas and Texas A&M contending for conference titles and top 25 spots on an annual basis, more recruits than ever are taking their talents to schools in the Lone Star State. This is especially evident when looking at the Aggies' 2019 freshman class. Of the 47 incoming players, 36 are from Texas, which would make 76% in-state players. They are some of the top guys in the country too. Baylor Cupp is ranked the #1 Tight End in the class by Athlon Sports, Isaiah Spiller is the #11 overall RB and Dylan Wright is the #12 overall WR.
My take
I ranked the Aggies higher than teams such as Notre Dame based off of one main thing and many other minor things. The one main thing was clearly their strength of schedule. Ranked sixth in the country in this category, the Aggies play every single one of the top four SEC teams as well as Clemson. Three of those games will be on the road. However, this means the Aggies will be facing tougher competition than the majority of their other SEC opponents and improving even more on a week to week basis. If they can win 3 of those 5 games, they’ll be a top 10 team for sure. Opposing coaches said when talking about the 2019 Aggies, “They’re big, they’re athletic and there’s a lot of them.”
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