2008 Texas A&M Aggies Preview

Ever since the 2007 season concluded, Texas A&M has made headlines for returning to its roots. The Aggies hired Mike Sherman, a former assistant coach on R.C. Slocum’s staff, to restore the school’s gridiron reputation. Sherman then hired several assistants with previous A&M experience.

Two Minute Drill

A Quick Look at the Aggies

Texas A&M senior quarterback Stephen McGee sincerely believes the 2008 Aggies are talented enough to beat any opponent on their schedule. McGee isn’t naive, though. He realizes A&M is also quite capable of being beaten by practically any team on the schedule. With McGee and a bevy of talented running backs, the Aggies feature some big names and big-play potential. The offense under Mike Sherman should be far more innovative and exciting than in recent years. And thanks to some personnel changes and new alignments, the defense could be quicker than A&M’s units under Dennis Franchione. At the very least, this A&M team should be more entertaining to watch on a weekly basis. But don’t expect an overnight turnaround. This team is probably still another year or two away from being a serious contender in the Big 12 and would be doing quite well to reach a lower-level bowl game. A&M has a favorable schedule, as the Aggies do not face new North Division heavyweights Kansas and Missouri and meet two South Division favorites — Oklahoma and Texas Tech — at home. But with uncertainty in the offensive line and in the receiving corps and a number of new faces in the defensive front seven, the Aggies probably do not have enough horsepower to run with the thoroughbreds of the Big 12 week in and week out.

A&M also announced during the spring that in 2009 it will be renewing its longtime rivalry with former Southwest Conference member Arkansas. And this November, A&M will play Texas on Thanksgiving night for the first time since 1993 — when Sherman was an assistant in Aggieland and A&M was in the SWC.

But not everything in College Station is resembling yesteryear. The product on the field — especially on offense — looks more modern than throwback. The Aggies won’t be returning to a ground-bound, option-oriented attack under Sherman. Much to the delight of many A&M fans, that style left town with former head coach Dennis Franchione, who was fired immediately after A&M ended the ’07 regular season by beating Texas for the second consecutive year.

Sherman, the former head coach and executive vice president of the Green Bay Packers, has implemented an offensive style that more closely resembles what many NFL teams utilize.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” A&M senior quarterback Stephen McGee says of the Aggies’ new offense. “It’s much different than what we ran (last year). During the first 10 practices of the spring I probably only ran the ball three times. I’m really excited about seeing what we can do with the passing game. It’s much more of a pro-style attack.”

Unfortunately for A&M, there may not yet be a ton of pro potential running Sherman’s attack. Led by McGee and some outstanding ball-carriers, the Aggies’ backfield is loaded with pro prospects. But that is not necessarily the case anywhere else on the field. A&M must replace almost its entire offensive and defensive lines from last season. The Aggies also lose three of their top four receivers from last year, as well as their top two leading tacklers from 2007.

“We’ve obviously got some work to do and some holes to fill,” Sherman says. “But we’re excited about the young men we have and about building a bright future.”

With so many holes to fill, the Aggies’ long-term future under Sherman may be brighter than the immediate one.

Quarterbacks

McGee may benefit the most from the arrival of Sherman. The hard-nosed, gutsy competitor is the consummate team player, and he never complained about Franchione’s offensive style. Not even when he carried the ball 35 times against Nebraska and practically had to be carried off the field afterward. McGee arrived at A&M in 2004 as one of the Lone Star State’s most heralded high school passers. He’ll finally have the opportunity to consistently display those passing skills in this offense. McGee has thrown for 4,606 yards the last two seasons, but his passing productivity should dramatically increase this year. The Aggies also feature an extremely talented and athletic backup in Jerrod Johnson, who has a rifle arm and quick feet.

Running backs

Sherman inherited two outstanding running backs in monstrous Jorvorskie Lane and lightning-quick Mike Goodson. Lane, who is listed at 285 pounds but probably played last year at 300 or more, is a punishing runner who rushed for 16 touchdowns last year. Meanwhile, Goodson is the explosive speed burner who helped turn the Texas game in A&M’s favor the last two years with big plays in the open field. Goodson was responsible for producing 13 plays of 20 yards or more last season. Both players were tailbacks last year. But Sherman says Lane will be utilized primarily as a fullback this year. He also says that both Lane and Goodson must battle redshirt freshman Bradley Stephens this fall for touches. Stephens, who rushed for almost 8,000 yards in high school, made a particularly strong impression on Sherman with his physical skills and work ethic.

Receivers

Running the option hasn’t helped the Aggies recruit premier receivers in recent years. But as soon as Sherman was introduced as head coach, A&M landed a premier playmaker in wide receiver Jeff Fuller, who may make a sizeable impact as a true freshman. But even with Fuller, the wide receiver position is an area of concern. Pierre Brown, E.J. Shankle, Roger Holland, Cody Beyer and Howard Morrow, who missed 2007 with an injury, all possess impressive physical skills. But none of them has yet proven to be a consistent playmaker on Saturdays. The same can be said at tight end, where former quarterback Jamie McCoy is receiving a long look, and redshirt freshman Frank Avery could play a key role as well.

Offensive linemen

How this inexperienced unit performs will go a long way toward determining the success or failure of the ’08 team. The Aggies must replace a ton of experience and leadership. Departed veterans Kirk Elder, Cody Wallace and Corey Clark, for example, combined to start 122 consecutive games during their collegiate careers. In comparison, the only offensive lineman returning this year with a string of consecutive starts to his credit is Michael Shumard, who started the last six games of ’07. Shumard and senior Travis Schneider have proven to be solid run blockers, and new starter Lee Grimes has been tested in the rigors of Big 12 play. One of the keys to the development of this group could be center Kevin Matthews. The junior has not played much, but his bloodlines are impeccable. Matthews is the son of NFL Hall of Famer Bruce Matthews.

Defensive linemen

Like the offensive line, there are significant holes to fill, as three of the four primary starters from last year are gone. But the lone returning full-time starter, end Cyril Obiozor, is a big-time playmaker. Obiozor is a quick and relentless pass rusher who may be primed for a big senior season. Tackle Kellen Heard also is capable of a breakout season. The monstrous Heard is a run-stopping specialist, and he is quick enough to pressure opposing quarterbacks. The Aggies need a big year from Michael Bennett, an athletic end who has all-conference potential but has struggled in the classroom and has sometimes disappeared on the field.

Linebackers

During his two stints as an assistant at A&M, Sherman concluded that there were three keys to the success of the Aggies’ storied Wrecking Crew defense — speed, speed and more speed. The lack of team speed has been a major problem for the Aggies in recent years, but one of Sherman’s immediate priorities is to resurrect the Wrecking Crew. “We are looking for bunch of guys who can fly to the football,” he says. Sherman may have found players who fit that description in outside linebackers Von Miller and Johnathan Haynes. Miller was an explosive defensive end last year, earning Freshman All-Big 12 honors with 22 tackles. He should create just as much havoc at linebacker. Haynes, who impressed in the spring, adds plenty of speed to the Aggies’ 4-3 alignment. And even in the middle, where juniors Matt Featherston and Anthony Lewis are waging a battle for the starting spot, the Aggies should be much speedier than they were last year.

Defensive backs

Texas A&M was an average defense last year against the pass, finishing in the middle of the Big 12 pack by allowing 254.9 yards per game. With the return of veterans like Devin Gregg, Jordan Pugh, Jordan Peterson, Alton Dixon and Arkeith Brown, however, the Aggies have a chance to be one of the better pass defenses in the league. Gregg is a tremendous leader in the secondary.

Specialists

With a number of questions on offense and defense, the Aggies need to win more battles in the kicking game to have a chance to rise in the Big 12 standings. Junior placekicker Matt Szymanski was 7-for-7 from inside 30 yards last season, but he was only 8-of-18 from beyond 30. Leg strength is not a problem for punter Justin Brantly, who averaged 44.2 yards per kick and helped the Aggies lead the Big 12 in net punting. Holland is slated for punt return duty, and the Aggies are hoping for big returns from Brown and E.J. Shankle on kickoffs.

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