ESPN's Bill Connelly compares Texas A&M football in 2024 to 2012 Aggies

ESPN's Bill Connelly ventures that Texas A&M football could see a 2012-like breakthrough this season

2011 was a frustrating time to be a Texas A&M football fan. The Aggies came into the year with high expectations, and despite fielding a talented team that could stand toe-to-toe with highly-ranked opponents, the Aggies couldn't get it done in the win column. After a disappointing Texas Bowl berth, the Ags finished 7-6, and headed into a time of coaching transition.

Every word of what I just typed is true of last year as well.

Of course, we all know what happened in 2012. A new quarterback named Johnny Manziel started for the Aggies—and the rest was history. The Ags were well on their way to launching back into one of the nation's premier programs.

2024, though, has yet to be written. There's plenty of reason for optimism—improved coaching and (hopefully) improved health could let this team leverage its talent in a way they haven't been able to as of yet.

It's not just vibes, either. It's the numbers. Bill Connelly, in his preview of the SEC for ESPN, draws this same comparison. In 2011, the Aggies went from 25th to 11th in SP+ (Connelly's advanced statistical profile); in 2023, the Ags improved from 39th to 16th.

The defensive turnover is still a concern for Connelly; the Aggies lose a lot of experience from last year's team. However, the transfer portal players that Elko added could more than make up for what was lost off of the Aggie roster—there's plenty of experience in those ranks, too.

So, is this a fair comparison? 11 wins and a Heisman is a lot to live up to. However, as Connelly points out, Weigman was just starting to scratch the surface of his potential. His ceiling? A top-3 quarterback in America.

If the Aggies get that, who knows how high they could fly.