Who will step up and emerge at receiver for Texas A&M football in 2024?

Who will separate himself as a #1 option at receiver for Texas A&M football in 2024?

With the graduation of Ainias Smith and the transfer of Evan Stewart, Texas A&M football is coming into this year without a well-defined first option at the receiver position. They have plenty of talent in the top few spots, of course: Jahdae Walker, Moose Muhammad, and Noah Thomas have all shown their prodigious abilities in certain spots. But when it's crunch time and you need a big play, who will Conner Weigman go to downfield?

I think each one of these three guys has an opportunity to lay claim to the #1 receiver spot for Texas A&M football. Moose has the seniority, Noah has the measurables, and Jahdae has the heart. Each brings something different to the lineup, and that's why I have them as my starters for the Aggies this upcoming year.

That said, there are still some questions with each. We have such a small sample size with Noah, given his injuries thus far. Moose can disappear at times. Jahdae, though he's been here the least time, has actually been the most consistent, but can he reach another level?

We've had all this talent on campus for a while, too—is the explanation for the relative lack of production thus far really as simple as "Jimbo's offense held them back"? I actually do think this is the case. You could see the individual, one-on-one talent flash when these guys were in the right situation, but the complexity of Fisher's scheme had them thinking too much more often than they were getting out there and playing loose and free.

With all that in mind, there's still a question to answer. Who will be the top guy for the Aggies at receiver this year?

All else being equal—without regard to injuries and that kind of thing—I think the answer has to be Noah Thomas. He was one of the most slept-on recruits in the fabled 2022 class, barely scratching four-star territory when he signed, but I think that had far more to do with lack of media attention than lack of ability.

Thomas has track speed, the ability to fight for jump balls, and size that makes him an intimidating red zone weapon. If he is able to stay healthy, there's not a bad matchup in the entire country for him down the field. I think we see this Weigman-Thomas connection develop in a big way, starting with the opener against Notre Dame, and turn into one of the most oft-discussed pairings in the nation before the year is out.