Unfortunately, the Texas A&M Football team has had to use their depth more than they would have liked this season with just three games played and a 3-0 record on the books. The Aggies have already turned to their backup quarterback in Zach Calzada and have been working through a handful of receivers week-by-week.
On the bright side, there may not be a team with more offensive depth than A&M. For example, in the absence of Caleb Chapman, Demond Demas filled in and had a 100-yard receiving game where he reeled in his first touchdown reception. He looked like a man among boys.
But this very same replacement raises an interesting question.
Who will lead the Texas A&M Football team in receiving yards and touchdowns in 2021?
Prior to the year, there would have been a few obvious candidates: Caleb Chapman, Ainias Smith, or Jalen Wydermyer. As things stand, Wydermyer and Smith remain as the team’s top two yardage-compilers this season. Wydermyer stands at 141 yards, while Smith is at a cool 135.
But neither of these numbers are overly impressive and as you look down the list, it seems like this could be anybody’s year to lead the team. For example, Chase Lane and Demond Demas are both at 100 yards or more, while a pair of running backs in Devon Achane and Isaiah Spiller each have at least 69 yards through the air. Somewhere in between, you’ll see Caleb Chapman with 98 receiving yards.
In all likelihood, this is simply a testament to the quarterback situation’s impact on this team’s offense as a whole. Whether you like it or not, Calzada will prefer to pass to different players than Haynes King would have. It’s that simple.
So with a quarterback spot that is bound to reshuffle when King returns from injury sometime next month, we may not get a clear view on who will lead this team through the air until the end of the season.
For the past few weeks, Smith may have looked like the obvious candidate, but Demas nearly amassed his total with just two catches — that’s how close this is. If I had to guess, I’d say Wydermyer becomes a more prevalent target down the road, as he has been a rare piece of consistency on this team.
Still, depending on Caleb Chapman’s status, he could be the receiving leader. Or Smith. Or Demas. Or even Lane. And we’re right back where we started.
If you take anything away from this article though, it should be one thing — any of the five primary pass-catchers on this team are talented enough to be the number one guy on a top ten team. You shouldn’t worry about who it will be. Rather, be excited about the fact that anyone can be that guy.