Did Texas A&M Football Upgrade Their Staff Across the Board?
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Texas A&M Football's Offensive Staff: Leaps and Bounds Ahead
Discerning readers may pick up on a trend here pretty quickly.
OC/QBs: Collin Klein vs. Bobby Petrino
Petrino was clearly better than what came before him. He did a good job with the hand he was dealt, but so many of the same issues persisted and plagued the Aggies; namely along the offensive line. Yes, Addazio has some to do with that, but inconsistent offensive fronts have followed Petrino and Jimbo at other stops.
Klein's offense maximizes talent in a much more modern and intuitive way. What he was able to do with what was basically a G5-level roster at Kansas State is pretty remarkable; his scheme is extremely adaptable and dynamic.
This one is a no-brainer: Klein is a huge upgrade. There was a reason Notre Dame tried to pry him away last offseason, and Texas A&M football is lucky to have him.
WRs: Holmon Wiggins vs Dameyune Craig
There is a reason that the Aggies were able to land great receiver talent despite a lack of production there. There was also a reason they had a lack of production, and why that talent seemed to have a tough time creating separation.
Wiggins is a clear upgrade, in other words.
RBs: Trooper Taylor vs. Marquel Blackwell
Blackwell oversaw a dynamic attack at Ole Miss for a year, but his time in College Station did not see his position group have near the same success. Trooper Taylor is one of the nation's best when it comes to recruiting and has coached not only running back, but receiver and defensive back. This is another pretty easy call. Elko upgraded yet again.
OL: Adam Cushing vs. Steve Addazio
I would say this is the most unnecessary paragraph I've ever written, but I've written some pretty redundant stuff in my time. Cushing is a 1) football coach who is 2) not Steve Addazio, so I think most Aggies feel that this is an upgrade.
TE/ST: Patrick Dougherty vs. James Coley/Literally No One
Coach Coley actually was pretty good for the Aggies in his time in College Station. His play calling in the bowl was refreshing to see, and the TEs have consistently been a bright spot for the Aggies. Coley is also a huge asset in recruiting due to his South Florida ties. I'll actually give the nod to him over Dougherty on this one, though I still really like the latter in this position. Coley was one of the few former HCs that Jimbo hired as a position coach (something Saban loves doing) to actually work out pretty decently.
Special Teams, of course, did not have a coach under Jimbo. Dougherty wins by default!
So that's it. By my reckoning, the Aggies upgraded at almost every spot, especially on the offensive side. This is really an impressive crew that Elko has assembled, and I can't wait to see them get to work in the winter and spring.
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