Texas A&M enters 2021 with a lot more optimism than it had 12 months ago. The Aggies were better in 2020 than most experts predicted. A close win over Florida catapulted the Aggies to the top tier of the SEC.
By Matt Zemek
They were in the hunt for the College Football Playoff through the entirety of the season, getting bumped out of the playoff by Notre Dame. A 9-1 season increased confidence that Jimbo Fisher has the program in the right direction. Now he will try to build on 2020 and affirm A&M’s place as an SEC contender with national championship aspirations.
The big concern with A&M is an obvious one: Was the 2020 season – as successful as it was – more the product of LSU and Auburn taking a step back, or did the Aggies truly figure something out that will carry them forward as the superior program compared to the Tigers in Baton Rouge and the Alabama Plains? The 2021 season might answer that question. Aggie fans certainly hope A&M has truly turned the corner as a program, and that 2020 was not a one-year aberration. If LSU and Auburn – which are not frankly in a good position to have especially strong seasons in 2021 – return to an elite level in 2022, and if A&M doesn’t maintain the winning edge it cultivated last year, the Aggies could soon be back where they were in 2018 and 2019.
In many ways, this season is not solely about achieving richly in 2021; it’s about affirming a foundation so that A&M can continue to be the main challenger to Alabama in the SEC West, becoming part of the SEC’s top tier alongside the Tide, Georgia, and Florida.
A&M’s first game of the season is against the Kent State Golden Flashes. Let’s look at three areas of importance for the Aggies:
1 – Haynes King
After four years of Kellen Mond, A&M gets a fresh face at quarterback, a redshirt freshman who has a soft start to his season. The manageable slate of early-September games will give Haynes King a chance to gradually learn on the job. This first game against Kent State doesn’t need to be overvalued in its larger importance, but King needs to establish fundamentals and develop good habits. That process of development will continue through the year, but it begins here against Kent State. Starting off with an efficient performance – no big mistakes, no especially bad decisions – is what matters. Maybe he won’t make a good throw, but it’s the decision-making more than the throwing which is a first point of emphasis. Ironing out the physical component of quarterbacking can be addressed later.
2 – Establishing targets
King might have established a rapport with his receivers in preseason camp, but now it’s time to translate that to the field. A&M will need to create three dependable targets who will be there for King on a regular basis throughout the season. It’s not enough to have one security blanket. The Aggies need three pass-catchers to become targets King can trust in important situations.
3 – Defensive aggression
The difference in speed between these two teams is enormous, so A&M defenders should trust their athleticism, even if it means they might get burned a time or two. Aggression regularly beats caution on defense. A&M needs to be proactive, not back on its heels. An occasional mistake might occur, but being passive on defense is the worst sin.
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