5 biggest Texas A&M football spring practice storylines: Position battles and more

3. Texas A&M football spring storylines: The center position

After a stellar freshman campaign, the last two years have been tough for Bryce Foster. A highly-regarded prospect and huge recruiting win over the Oklahoma Sooners, Foster performed well enough in his initial fall to step right into the shoes of the departed Ryan McCollum. It took him a little bit to get his bearings, but he was playing at a high level by season's end.

The transition to his sophomore season was rough. He again struggled in the early part of the year, but an injury sidelined him for the second half of the season. His junior year, though he was healthy for much of the time, was again a little disappointing. The high expectations set by his play in his freshman year were perhaps becoming his own worst enemy, as fans nitpicked his performances.

It's entirely possible that the problems had to do with now-departed OL coach Steve Addazio. It's no secret that Addazio's techniques didn't exactly do the offensive front good across the board. But the scapegoat for Foster's struggles specifically, at least among fans, is his participation in track and field events during the spring.

It's somewhat ironic that an aspect of Foster's recruitment that Aggie fans viewed as a strength for their case has now become a point of frustration for so many. But the fact is that Foster will miss yet another spring football session due to his participation with the track and field team.

This season will be telling as to whether it is the lack of participation in the spring or Addazio's presence that has been the root of Foster's issues, as the latter aspect will be removed. In his stead, though, it will more than likely be Mark Nabou who mans the middle of the line. Can he gain an upper hand at the position and edge out Foster come fall camp? We'll have to see.