Aggies have experience, talent out wide
Wide Receiver may have been the position that underachieved the most under former head coach Jimbo Fisher, with Texas A&M failing to produce a single 1,000-yard receiver in his six-year tenure. But with a new staff and a new offense, hope spring eternal that we can see some breakout performances from this group in 2024.
Who did we lose?
Ainias Smith: A staple of the Aggie passing attack for the past five seasons, Ainias led A&M in receptions (53) and receiving yards (795) last season. His versatility and tough-to-bring-down-ness will be missed.
Evan Stewart: The former five-star recruit transferred to Oregon this offseason after two seasons in Aggieland. Stewart’s 2023 can be summed up with the following:
-First two games: 19 receptions, 257 yards, 2 TDs
-Rest of the season: 19 receptions, 257 yards, 2 TDs
Who do we bring back?
- Noah Thomas: Thomas battled some nagging injuries last season, but flashed his potential with 29 catches for 359 yards and a team-leading five TD catches. His height and length give him a significant advantage, especially in the red zone.
- Jahdae Walker: As a transfer player last season, Walker made himself invaluable to this team, catching 35 passes for 590 yards two TDs. He had issues with drops at times, but has the length and speed to be a real offensive weapon.
- Moose Muhammad: Moose’s usage was often perplexing, but if he can find consistency, his skillset is tantalizing. He finished 2023 with 27 receptions for 345 yards and two TDs.
What other names should we know?
- Micah Tease: The 2023 four-star recruit caught only two passes last season as a freshman, but may see increased usage this coming season.
- Cyrus Allen: The Louisiana Tech transfer has been seen running with the first team offense in practice footage, so it wouldn’t be surprising for him to see a lot of snaps against Notre Dame this weekend.
- Jabre Barber: A foot injury in spring practice will keep Barber from beginning the season healthy, but it sounds like he could be back by October. Before his injury, the staff appeared to be excited about what the speedster could bring, both as a receive and in the return game.
- Freshmen: The Aggies have a handful of freshmen would could make an impact at the WR position, including Izaiah Williams and Ashton Bethel-Roman. But perhaps the biggest name to watch here is five-star Terry Bussey. While A&M primarily recruited him to be a cornerback, the depth chart has necessitated his switch to offense, at least for the 2024 season. Bussey played on both sides of the ball in high school, and it could be interesting to see how his elite athleticism is implemented into Collin Klein’s offense.
Overall Grade: B
This is another group that has the potential to receive an “A” by season’s end. But with past underachievement and a lot of new faces, I can’t give them above a B for now. But there is talent there, and if the offensive line play, QB injuries and scheme shortcomings that plagued previous seasons are indeed solved, they could see a major uptick in production.