3 Texas A&M football players who have lived up to the hype

The Texas A&M football team has not lived up to its preseason hype thus far in 2021. The Aggies were ranked 6th in the preseason AP Poll before plummeting into the teens after a loss to Arkansas. A second consecutive loss against Mississippi State would send them out of the rankings entirely.

They did bounce back with a win against Alabama, but with two losses already on the docket, it’s been a relatively disappointing season.

Even so, there are a handful of players who have managed to live up to their preseason hype. Today, I’m going to discuss who those guys are, starting with a familiar face.

Honorable Mention: Texas A&M WR Ainias Smith has found unexpected success

I’m listing Ainias Smith as an honorable mention because he was not hyped up much as a wide receiver. The Aggie wideout was thought to be the SEC’s best returning return man, pun intended.

Instead, we’ve seen Devon Achane thrive as a return man, notably taking back a kickoff to help the Aggies maintain their lead against Alabama.

Jimbo Fisher’s offensive swiss-army knife in Smith shifted from runningback to wide receiver on a more full-time basis this season and it has paid off in a huge way. The shifty Aggie receiver is the team’s leading pass-catcher, pulling in 29 receptions for 319 receiving yards and six touchdowns.

Both of those figures lead the team and have him on track to put up the best numbers of his entire career. Smith hasn’t lived up to the hype in his special teams duties, but he has exceeded the hype as a receiver.