Texas A&M Football: Devon Achane has All-American potential in 2022

You can try to act like you know how the Texas A&M football team’s 2022 season is going to go — you’ll likely be wrong. With a handful of losses coming off of the tail of an odd 2021 season, next season could go in a few different directions.

Some believe that A&M will always be stuck as an eight or nine-win team, as they’ve been for the entirety of Jimbo Fisher’s tenure, while others think the head coach’s star-studded class can propel them to an elite level of college football. Again, it’s truly impossible to say, as the season will be full of uncertainty.

One thing, however, is certain: Texas A&M will return one of the best runningbacks in the nation in Devon Achane. The two-year Aggie RB2 will finally have a chance to step into a starting role after the departure of Isaiah Spiller. But just how high is his ceiling?

Some media outlets have Texas A&M football RB Devon Achane as an early-preseason Heisman candidate

Okay… before anybody gets too upset — I did not call Devon Achane a Heisman candidate. Everything that I’m going to tell you in this article is in reference to an article written by Sports Illustrated’s Fan Nation. Go after them if you’re bored (don’t actually).

I digress.

As recently as February 18th, All Aggies’ Timm Hamm published an article with a headline that reads “As we step into the ‘way-too-early-to-predict’ category, someone’s going to win the Heisman in 2022 … Why not Devon Achane?” And to be honest, I’m almost ready to buy into this narrative.

Hamm goes on to explain that without Spiller splitting carries, Achane has a serious chance to replicate his stats. Read for yourself.

"If we just extrapolate numbers, as writers often do, let’s imagine he doubles his efforts from last season, which is not out of the question. That would leave Achane with 1,820 yards on 260 carries with 18 touchdowns, and put his name in the middle of the Heisman discussion.And those numbers don’t include his receiving and kickoff return totals."

Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing technically wrong with what Hamm is saying. The Aggie back could very well have an explosive season, especially considering his jaw-dropping yards per carry total, which led the nation in 2021. If he can do this as the team’s primary back, his stats will undeniably have him in the Heisman conversation.

That said, the odds of a runningback winning the Heisman are extremely slim. Pair this with the fact that its extremely unlikely that he’d continue his same production per carry with more reps, as that’s a number that generally drops with more carries.

That said, one thing is clear — Jimbo Fisher always has elite runningbacks. While a Heisman Trophy may seem far-fetched, it’s not unrealistic to say that Achane has a serious shot to be an All-American.

The Heisman narrative is fun, but will it happen — I think not.