NFL Draft results shed light on when everything went wrong for Texas A&M football in 2024
Texas A&M football was rolling coming into the game against South Carolina in 2024. The Aggies were winners of seven games in a row, were alone atop the SEC standings, and had not lost a game in conference.
Especially after the dramatic win over the LSU Tigers the week before, the offense finally looked like it had some direction. Behind an unbelievably potent rush game out of Marcel Reed and Le'Veon Moss, along with Reed's apparent improvement as a thrower, Aggie fans thought the maroon and white had a good shot to play for the conference title with only three more SEC games to go.
However, it all came to a screeching halt one night in early November. The Aggies came up against a South Carolina team on the road that was out for blood: after being all but cheated out of a win against LSU earlier in the year, not to mention coming extremely close to knocking off Alabama in Tuscaloosa, the Gamecock faithful needed a signature win.
That's what they got against the top-10 Aggies, storming the field when the result went final. Outside of the normal BAS, though, most A&M fans didn't really see this one coming. Hindsight is always 20/20, but after the NFL Draft this year, Aggie fans have a greater appreciation for just what they were facing on that chilly November night.
Every starter from South Carolina’s defensive front was drafted except one — future top 10 pick Dylan Stewart.
— Brad Crawford (@BCrawford247) April 26, 2025
Kyle Kennard, Tonka Hemingway, and TJ Sanders all went in this past NFL draft, showing just how tough of a line that the Aggies were facing. Especially considering the Ags were unable to convert on a couple of key 4th-and-1s, this seems extremely relevant to what went down.
As Brad Crawford mentions in the above tweet, the only starter to not be drafted was the freshman Dylan Stewart, as he is not yet eligible. When that time comes, though, he will no doubt be an extremely high selection if he keeps up the level of play we saw this last year.
This nigh-insurmountable obstacle for the Ags on that night was made worse by the loss of Le'Veon Moss, which did more than anything else to begin to tank the season from that point. Could he have converted on those fourth-down opportunities? It's extremely possible, but we'll never know.
The Aggies had some defensive line talent of their own go in the draft, but there was only one unit playing like an NFL DL on that night. A few highlights came up for Shemar Stewart and company, but it was the Gamecocks that looked like they were playing up to their next-level potential.
That's life in the SEC, though: no matter who, you're going up against some guys that will be playing on Sundays. Hopefully, the Aggies are better prepared next year.