Why opponents should fear playing Texas A&M football with Tommy Moffitt running strength and conditioning
One of the consistent gripes for Texas A&M football over the last few years was the Aggies' seeming lack of ability to play up to their talent level. There were games here and there where the Ags would show their top-end execution, but that was rarely consistent. The level of play either fell off for the next week or, sometimes, within the same game.
This up and down nature of the team made it hard to predict exactly how a given game would go. It seemed to be dependent on how locked-in the team was coming into the weekend almost as much as the actual skill matchups on the football field.
Enter Tommy Moffitt. The strength and conditioning legend was apparently so intrigued by Mike Elko's strategy and plan when the former Aggie DC was the head man in Durham that he got in contact with Elko once the move to College Station was complete.
Good thing, too. The S&C program had grown neglected by the previous regime; after a decent stint under Jerry Schmidt, things tailed off significantly once he returned to Oklahoma.
Did he see the apparent lack of cohesion present in the program and get out while the getting was still good? It could be rewriting history a bit too much to say yes. The dropoff was evident once he departed, though, directly before the 2022 season.
Thus, I think it's fair to say we still have yet to see the final form of many of these five-stars and top recruits that have come into the program since that point. By many accounts, discipline and work ethic was an issue in the culture of Texas A&M football beforehand; and by equally many accounts, things have taken a complete turn since the arrival of Elko and Moffitt.
This is a man who doesn't accept anything but the very best in offseason workouts. This is a man with a dedicated, intentional plan to maximize the talent on the field with specialized plans for every position. Just a listen to his podcast or any of his media availability sessions will get any Texas A&M football fan fired up for what is to come.
Culture change doesn't happen overnight, nor does it come without a cost. That cost could be something that Aggie fans have already seen with certain portal entries. The expectation level is different within the program. It's different in the weight room, in the classroom, and on the practice field. Moffitt is the first face—and one of the most important pieces—of that culture change.
I have ultimate confidence that this new staff, Moffitt included, will be able to maximize the return they get out of these players on the field. Things will be difficult for them at first; such a change is by no means easy. Even the returning players will have to adjust their expectations. But these are the fires in which a championship team is forged. This is where it begins. And the Aggies unquestionably have the right man for the job.