Forty-seven college football athletes were named to the 2025 Biletnikoff Award Watch List on Wednesday, and none of them represent Texas A&M.
In a vacuum, its easy to understand why: the Aggies were a bottom-half team in the nation last season in passing offense, had no receiver amass more than 575 yards, and replaced their top five pass-catchers during the offseason.
I don't think that any Aggie is shocked by this, but it certainly signifies just how far they have to go before this is a nationally-respected receiver group. Though A&M has had some star tight ends in recent history, it's been a long time since their wide receivers have struck fear into the heart of defenses.
Lack of Aggie representation on Biletnikoff watch list shows lack of national respect
The hope in College Station is that the portal acquisitions take this unit to the next level, but even those additions come with caveats. Take KC Concepcion, for instance, who was the ACC Rookie of the Year in 2023.
While that accolade speaks for itself, he's coming off a year where his receiving totals were cut in half from the year prior, raising doubts that his strong freshman season may have been a flash in the pan. Mario Craver, the addition from Mississippi State, is a potent deep threat but has just 17 catches in his young career.
That being said, this watchlist is about projecting what's to come, not recapping what just happened, which paints a murky picture for what's expected nationally from the Aggies this upcoming year. The buzz surrounding fall camp is that this passing attack is expected to take a significant leap, but clearly, those on the outskirts need to see it before they believe it.
The national perception around this passing offense certainly needs a facelift, and the group will have its work cut out this fall if they're to shed the stigma lingering from the 2024 campaign and before.