2016 SEC West Preview: Texas A&M Aggies

As of late, Kevin Sumlin’s seat has been growing increasingly hotter in College Station as Texas A&M continues to struggle to break into the top of the SEC. For the third consecutive season, the Aggies finished fourth or worse in the SEC West, causing many to call for Sumlin to be replaced. Needless to say, 2016 will be a critical year for Sumlin and his staff.

The Aggies will have some new talent this season, but will it be enough for them to make a splash in the division? Let’s preview 2016 for Texas A&M.

Strengths:

On offense, the primary strength for Texas A&M is their wide receiver corps. The group is led by sophomore Christian Kirk, who burst onto the scene as an impact freshman in 2015. Kirk racked up 80 catches, 1,009 yards receiving and seven touchdowns, all of which led the team. As he grows more comfortable and improves his game, Kirk will bring an even bigger boost to the A&M offense.

Behind Kirk, though, the Aggies have more talented receivers. Ricky Seals-Jones and Josh Reynolds are very solid receivers that bring big-play ability to the lineup on any given play. Add into the mix Speedy Noil, one of the most electrifying playmakers in the nation, and the result is a group of receivers that should make the life of Trevor Knight much easier.

On the other side of the ball, the biggest team strength lies along the defensive line. In 2016, the Aggies will field one of the best defensive lines that the program has seen in quite some time. And it all starts with Myles Garrett.

In his first two seasons in College Station, Garrett has been marvelous – he has 108 total tackles, 32 tackles for loss and 22.5 sacks. He has established himself as a dominating force off of the edge for the Aggies that gives opposing offensive lines nightmares. The other defensive end is no slouch either, as Daeshon Hall has also proven his ability to play at a high level.

Although less heralded, A&M also has talent on the interior. Keke Kingsley, Daylon Mack and Zaycoven Henderson make up a three-man rotation that is solid and can clog up running lanes. That will only serve to free up Garrett and Hall on the edges to terrorize opposing quarterbacks.

Weaknesses:

Arguably the most obvious point of weaknesses for the 2016 Aggies will be their offensive line. They will have to find some way to replace Mike Matthews, Joseph Cheek and Germain Ifedi, the three interior linemen from 2015 who were all high-level players.

Jim Turner will be faced with a daunting task in attempting to completely replace the middle of the line. If he cannot do so effectively, the Aggies will not be able to take advantage of the immense talent that they possess at the skill positions.

Defensively, the linebacker position remains the lone weak spot in the revamped Aggie defense. In John Chavis’ first season as the defensive coordinator, the defense was vastly improved and will continue to be a big factor in the success of the team in 2016. If A&M can develop a dependable group of players and stay healthy, the defense will take its place as one of the best in the country, which will go a long way to break the program out of the “slump” it has been in in recent years.

Players to Watch:

QB Trevor Knight, RS Sr. – A graduate transfer from Oklahoma, Knight has brought hope to what quickly became a crisis situation for the Aggies. After Kyler Murray and Kyle Allen both transferred out of the program, there was no one there to take over the reigns of the offense. Now with Knight, though, A&M fans hope he will return to his 2014 Sugar Bowl form to lead the offense in 2016.

WR Christian Kirk, Soph. – As a freshman in 2015, Kirk was a breakout playmaker. If the offensive line can provide enough blocking for Knight, look for Kirk to have an even better 2016 campaign and become one of the best receivers in the country.

DE Myles Garrett, Jr. – Garrett has been an almost unstoppable force in his time with Texas A&M, virtually taking up residence in the opponent’s backfield. With an extremely talented defensive line taking some attention away from him, expect Garrett to continue his dominance off the edge in his junior season.

Games to Watch:

Sept. 3 vs UCLA – The Aggies will begin 2016 with a very tough non-conference matchup with the talented UCLA Bruins. Led by sophomore quarterback Josh Rosen, the Bruins figure to be in contention for a Pac-12 Championship berth. That will make this game a crucial one for Texas A&M to set the tone for how the 2016 season will unfold.

Oct. 8 vs Tennessee – On the second Saturday of October, the Aggies will face a major test from Tennessee. With a stacked team, the Volunteers will attempt to secure their first SEC Championship game appearance since 2007. If the Aggies can win their contest with the Vols, though, they can derail Tennessee’s hype train and gain critical momentum in the SEC West race.

Oct. 22 @ Alabama – As the country is firmly entrenched in the Alabama dynasty, the Crimson Tide will continue to be a crucial game of emphasis for any team who has them on their schedule. Coming off of their bye week and the game against Tennessee two weeks prior, this will be huge for Texas A&M in determining how the season will go. Around mid-season, the Aggies have had a tendency to falter, and if they lose two straight to the Vols and Crimson Tide, Sumlin could very well be on his way out.

Prediction:

7-5 (3-5 SEC)

Losses @ Auburn, vs Tennessee, @ Alabama, vs Ole Miss and vs LSU

Edited by Jordan Dajani

Featured image by bk1bennett

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