The Texas A&M Football team is trending in the right direction as the 2021 season approaches. The Aggies will look to replicate the success that they saw in 2020, and if possible, improve upon those results.
Despite losing their quarterback and a large portion of their offensive line, the Aggies will return more talent than most teams, especially on the defensive end. Among that talent, you’ll find a handful of players who could be in the running for national awards.
While there are some electric players returning on offense, a majority of the strongest members of this team will be part of a defense that was 1st in total defense in the SEC.
Honorable Mention: Texas A&M DL Jayden Peevy
Jayden Peevy is one of the best returning players on this team, so it felt wrong to leave him off of this list. That said, he seems to have hit a distinct ceiling statistically.
Of all of the players listed, Peevy may have the biggest impact on this team but will likely go unrecognized when it comes to national awards. He was a leader and a player who stood out on a star-studded Aggies defense.
At 6’6″, 295 pounds, this defensive tackle has size that cannot be taught. Last season, he recorded 35 tackles, 5 for loss, a sack, and a fumble recovery. He’ll look to build off of this in the 2021 season to help his draft stock.
Peevy will return as a super-senior thanks to extra eligibility granted by the NCAA. Again, while he may not make this list, he’ll be a guy that opposing teams will have to prepare double for before game day.
Texas A&M Football’s defensive end Jaylon Jones is destined to be a star
There are a handful of players to choose from on the defensive side of the ball, but to me, one single guy stands out as someone who could compete for All-American honors. That player is Jaylon Jones.
The former 5-star recruit came into College Station as a cornerback who could do virtually everything. There was room for improvement after his freshman year, but he did an honorable job in the toughest conference in college football.
He’s big for a cornerback, which allows him to throw receivers off of their route before it even begins. The main dig on Jones is that he’s inexperienced without knowledge of complex route combinations. As he enters his second year, he’ll have a more vast knowledge and this should slowly disappear as a criticism of his game.
In 2021, he’ll be the top cornerback for the Aggies. That said, this team has a ton of depth, so he’ll have to be strong-minded to be the number one guy in the secondary on this team.
He may not be the most well-rounded player on the team quite yet, but Jones has more potential than anybody the Aggies have seen in the secondary in a long time. If he has a good season, expect him to explode into the national spotlight.
Texas A&M Football’s Kenyon Green will be the only returning offensive lineman
Kenyon Green is the most obvious choice for this list. Why? Last year, the offensive guard was a unanimous All-American and the leader of a unit that was a finalist for the Joe Moore Award. He was also a semifinalist for the Outlander Trophy, given to the best interior lineman in the country.
The Aggies will lose four of their offensive lineman. Meanwhile, Green will be shifting from guard to tackle, so there will be some serious changes in College Station on the offensive line. That said, this should allow him to become even more of a leader for this team.
Green is now the mentor for every player that will be filling in on this offensive line. After the type of season that he had in 2020, this unit will live and die by the veteran offensive lineman.
Even though offensive line may not be the most glorious position, this man has the strongest chances of winning All-American honors out of anybody on this team. He has the physical skills, experience, and motivation to make this happen.
In all likelihood, he will find himself as an early-round pick in next year’s NFL Draft, so keep your eyes open after the coming season.
Texas A&M Football’s Ainias Smith is one of the most versatile players in the country
I’m not breaking news by saying Ainias Smith is one of the most versatile players in the country. In just two seasons with the Aggies, he has proven that he is one of the most electrifying athletes that has even played in College Station.
In 2021, he’ll look to fill a larger role than the past two years, hoping to cross the 1,000 yards from scrimmage mark for the first time in his career. With the way that he has progressed to this point in his career, there’s no reason that he won’t be able to do this with ease.
In his career, Smith has accumulated 1,159 yards and 13 touchdowns. Over 300 of these yards have come on the ground, while the other 800 were through the air.
The offense will be looking for playmakers in the absence of Kellen Mond. After a season that didn’t see any receivers step up as big-play guys, Smith could be that guy in the passing game and the running game.
Most recently, it was announced that he’d be working with the receivers through spring practice, but he’ll definitely be seeing reps with runningbacks as well. He’ll bolster a receiving room that desperately needs it and provide a spark to a runningback room that already has two other electric options to choose from.
Smith will have a huge impact on this team regardless, but don’t be surprised if he develops into an All-American utility player in year three.