Were these Texas A&M football players holding the offense back?

The Texas A&M football team had a lot of talent last season — the Aggies could send upwards of seven guys to the NFL via the draft this summer. A few of the higher-profile draft prospects are offensive players for this Aggie football squad.

Specifically, that list is headlined by names like Kenyon Green, Jalen Wydermyer, and Isaiah Spiller, three of the team’s best performers over the past three seasons.

The three Aggie offensive players have eight All-SEC selections between them and more than their fair share of hype as the NFL Draft approaches. That said, nobody ever asked an important question — what if these players were holding back Texas A&M’s offense?

The Texas A&M football team’s stars underperformed in the Combine and at their Pro Day — what gives?

What if Jalen Wydermyer and Isaiah Spiller were holding back the offense?

I’d like to be clear that I don’t think the answer to this question is yes. That said, I think it’s worth considering what’s on everybody’s minds.

Throughout the entirety of the 2021 season, we watched Zach Calzada sit back in the pocket for… well, too long. The backup-turned-starter Aggie quarterback had clear talent but was seemingly afraid to release the football. Why?

The easy answer here is that Calzada wasn’t ready for the spotlight and was simply nervous in the pocket. In a sense, that was disproven with a gutsy performance against No. 1 Alabama that saw the Jimbo Fisher become the first former Nick Saban assistant to knock off the Crimson Tide. Still, the Aggie quarterback struggled to release the ball oftentimes throughout the 2021 year.

But Calzada wasn’t always hesitant to throw the football. Heck, during games against lesser opponents, he had no issue slinging the ball with success.

This turns eyes toward A&M’s receiving corps, which was less-than-successful last season. Caleb Chapman continued to struggle with injuries, while Demond Demas (who has since been kicked off of the team) couldn’t seem to break out in his sophomore season.

The Texas A&M football team’s Pro Day did not churn out the results some were hoping for

The team’s leader through the air was Jalen Wydemyer, who has been struggling with testing. The Aggie tight end ran a disappointing 5.03 on his Pro Day. This went along with disappointing times from virtually every player who ran, including Isaiah Spiller and Kenyon Green.

It’s not the most appealing question for Texas A&M football fans but somebody has to ask it — did the Aggies’ lack of speed hurt them offensively?

Heck, even Kenyon Green’s 5.25 40-yard dash would have made him one of the slowest offensive linemen at the NFL Combine. Wydermyer’s would be dead last among tight ends. Spiller would be third from last among runningbacks. Those are all very bad numbers.

I’m not going to sit behind a keyboard and say that these players caused the demise of Texas A&M’s offense but the lack of speed on this unit may have given them a metaphorical batting weight. A lack of speed only makes a team easier to cover, which may have been the primary reason behind Calzada’s hesitance to throw the football.

Next year, we’ll get an idea of how well this offense can survive without these key contributors. Don’t be surprised if the offense looks physically fast, especially with Devon Achane leading the backfield.