Texas A&M Football Ranks as SEC Team With Most Returning Production for 2024
Kool-aid season has officially begun for Texas A&M football, as Bill Connelly of ESPN has dropped his returning production rankings for the upcoming season. Connelly, the architect of SP+, my preferred statistical profile when it comes to college football, does these every year. If you’ve followed closely, you know that these rankings, more often than not, correlate strongly to how a team will do in the upcoming year relative to their SP+ rating in the previous year.
2024 RETURNING PRODUCTION (Vol. 1)!!
— Bill Connelly (@ESPN_BillC) February 5, 2024
* Va Tech, Iowa State, Texas A&M, Utah: ⬆️⬆️⬆️
* CFP teams (and Shoulda Been CFP teams) not named Texas: ⬇️⬇️⬇️
* I kinda might have a decent read on transfers now? Possibly?https://t.co/YJIhPDnxlM
That said, the Aggies are looking strong in these ratings. Not only do they rank in the top 20 in the nation, they are the top team in the entire SEC in returning production coming into the 2024 season.
Now, there are some who might ask: so what? The Aggies had a disappointing season in 2023, after all, losing 6 games. If that’s the production they’re bringing back, then that doesn’t exactly bode well for them.
Well, as Connelly points out in his article, the Aggies’ rating didn’t exactly reflect that record. In fact, they were rated as one of the better teams in the nation, finishing with the 18th-best SP+ rating out of 130+ teams. Due to many factors that the Maroon and White faithful will be well familiar with, including schedule and questionable decisions in key moments, they underachieved that mark.
The hope is that with a new Texas A&M football staff, the Aggies will be more apt to execute in those key moments. The schedule, too, is a fair bit easier in 2024. No Alabama or Georgia is a reprieve for the Aggies, and they host their three biggest games—LSU, Notre Dame, and Texas—at Kyle Field, where the Aggies have had a stellar record against big opponents over the last five years.
This is yet another sign that Texas A&M football should expect a big year going forward. 2024 is setting up to be a big year for Mike Elko, should he and his staff be able to capitalize on the opportunities presented. It would be a huge narrative boost if they do indeed achieve a ten win or more season—which is eminently possible. Being the team in the conference with the most proven production returning is a big boost there.