Texas A&M football: 5 players who could take on leadership role in 2019
By Jeff Shull
Keldrick Carper
This is one player I couldn’t leave off the list simply because he’s admitted to reporters he’s taking on a leadership role this season with guys like Donovan Wilson and Deshawn Capers-Smith no longer on the team. According to TexAgs.com:
“I’m just playing more of a leadership role and being more vocal – encouraging a lot of young guys and challenging a lot of the older guys,” he said. “(I’m) just playing that leadership role and continuing to be that guy that helps other guys out and being that voice on the field.”
Carper isn’t expected to be a starter at safety next season, but his experience the past two years should get him into the defensive backs rotation if he performs well during spring practices. He’s currently been lining up with the second string as a safety, but that shouldn’t make his leadership any less valuable. It can come from anyone, starter or otherwise.
He appeared in six games last season, recording 13 tackles and two pass deflections. The Aggies need some serious improvement from the secondary. They ranked last in the SEC in big plays given up and were near the bottom in the entire country in just about every pass defense statistic.