Despite the Texas A&M football team’s recent struggles in 2021, the squad is still as talented as almost any team in the country. According to 247Sports’ team talent rankings, the Aggies have the 8th-most-talented squad in the country.
So far, this talent has not shown up on offense. After an injury to Haynes King, Jimbo Fisher’s team looked completely lost, even with stars all over the field in players like Kenyon Green, Jalen Wydermyer, and Ainias Smith.
Sure, the offense won’t be very good at all this season. Still, there are players who can step up and make a difference. Here are three Aggies who need to step up on offense.
Texas A&M football players who need to step up, No. 1: WR Caleb Chapman
I’ll give wideout Caleb Chapman a pass, as he’s been sidelined with an injury for the past three games. That said, the Aggie receiver is expected to return soon, according to Jimbo Fisher.
Hopefully, he’ll return for the Alabama game.
If he does, he needs to step up as a leader on offense to make Zach Calzada’s life easier. If the offensive line can hold off ‘Bama’s pass rush for more than five seconds, there may not be a cornerback on Nick Saban’s roster who can match Chapman’s combined size and speed.
Again, Chapman does need to step up, but he’s been strong when he has been in the game. In the first two games of the season, the tall receiver has averaged 19.8 yards per reception with a limited sample size.
Texas A&M football players who need to step up, No. 2: TE Jalen Wydermyer
Granted, I can’t fully blame Jalen Wydermyer for his shortcomings in 2021, as the offensive line has gone through a handful of injury-related issues and the quarterback situation has been less than ideal. That said, we still expected more out of Wydermyer.
The Aggie tight end saw steady improvement from his first to second season in the maroon and white, increasing his receptions by 14 and his total yardage through the air by 59. That said, we haven’t seen much of a step forward in 2021.
In fact, the argument could be made that Wydermyer has taken a step backwards, with just 15 receptions and 176 yards through five games. Prior to the Aggies’ loss against Mississippi State in Week 5, Wydermyer hadn’t yet caught a touchdown pass. Now he has one.
If the Texas A&M football team’s offense wants to become serviceable again, it starts with their veteran leaders. On offense, one of this team’s most experienced players is Wydermyer, who has been trying to force things rather than letting the plays come to him.
This is also a situation where we’ll likely see improvements from Wydermyer upon the return of the Aggies’ original starting quarterback in Haynes King in the near future.
Texas A&M football players who need to step up, No. 3: Kenyon Green. . . and the entire offensive line
I don’t really want to point the finger at Kenyon Green in this situation, as the All-American Texas A&M offensive lineman is still one of the best in the entire country. The former All-SEC offensive lineman is as talented as ever.
Unfortunately, the rest of the offensive line has been, well… complete garbage. More often than not, the Aggies’ offensive front has been blown up by three-man rushes. We saw this on display throughout the entire Arkansas game in a contest where it seems like the Razorbacks could have rushed a single guy and still rushed QB Zach Calzada.
The only reason why I point out Green specifically is that he does play a part in how this team plays. As a leader, he won’t turn them into the best offensive line in college football, but he can inspire them to play closer to his level.
Say what you want about Calzada and this offense — the bad performances start on the offensive line, which has been the worst unit on the team by a mile.
After a loss to Arkansas, Jimbo Fisher announced during his weekly press conference that offensive lineman Luke Matthews would be missing the remainder of the season, complicating this situation further. On the bright side, a handful of young guys will get valuable experience as the season progresses.