Texas A&M Football: 3 players to watch in Southwest Classic vs. Arkansas

Player No. 1: Texas A&M Football RB Devon Achane

Notice how I didn’t say Isaiah Spiller, who is generally thought of as the number one option in the backfield.

Arkansas doesn’t hoist a particularly strong rushing defense, allowing 121 yards per game. Unfortunately for Texas A&M, it hasn’t taken much to stop their rushing attack. They average a disappointing 184 yards per game with just three touchdowns on the ground.

Whether it’s a schematic thing with Haynes King out or simply the predictability of running the ball while your backup quarterback is under center, there’s a simple truth — A&M’s run game has been wildly disappointing in 2021.

If they struggled against Colorado, they’ll struggle against Arkansas.

The saving grace here is the fact that sometimes you can’t stop explosiveness. I think Texas A&M might struggle to run the ball on a consistent basis, but they have a not-very-secret secret-weapon in Devon Achane, who may be the fastest player in college football. Achane already has an explosive 63-yard rush on his resume this season.

He may not be a workhorse like Spiller, but Achane keeps defenses on their feet. One poor move and he’s taking it to the house. I think we’ll get at least one or two Achane breakaway runs in this year’s Southwest Classic.