It’s a good day to be an Aggie.

Speaking with a number of Texas A&M fans in Alabama last week at SEC Media Days, the vast majority couldn’t be more excited about what’s next during life after Johnny Manziel.

Remnants of the lightning rod quarterback’s Heisman momentum still linger at a program that has achieved national relevance since joining the SEC in 2012. Kyle Field has never looked better and the Aggies appear to have the necessary pieces in place to keep this program in the Top 25 for the next decade and beyond.

5 reasons for Texas A&M optimism

5. Daylon Mack’s a freshman

It’s debatable, sure, but I’d say the most important position on defense is at the center of the defensive line where a dominant run-stopper or superhuman pass rusher can disrupt an opposing offense throughout a football game. Texas A&M has a potential program-changer in Mack, a five-star tackle the Aggies can build around defensively over the next three seasons. Unless he’s a catastrophic bust, which seems unlikely basing it on previous high-profile defensive standouts under John Chavis, Mack should earn multiple All-SEC nods before darting to the NFL after the 2017 season.

4. Facility enhancements

Texas A&M student-athletes are lucky — they never have to worry about the Aggies falling behind in the SEC Arms Race. Not only has the program made recent renovations to Kyle Field, but the new $20.8 million Bright Complex is top-notch and one of college football’s finest facilities. Graphically-enhanced upgrades and modern development provides an enticing recruiting tactic for the university. And the oil money from high-level boosters to make these additions that much easier isn’t drying up anytime soon. Spare no expense will continue to be Texas A&M’s motto.

3. John Chavis

The Chief and Kevin Sumlin … a match made in football coaching heaven? That remains to be seen but Texas A&M’s hopeful one of the game’s most respected defensive minds rejuvenates his side of the football at a program in desperate need of an overhaul. Chavis isn’t one to jump ship after one season and has proven that, with longevity on the defensive staffs at both Tennessee and LSU, he can establish dominance on defense.

2. No QB issues until, at the earliest, 2018

Following the 2017 season, current five-star freshman Kyler Murray will be three years removed from high school and eligible to enter the NFL draft as a junior if he so chooses. Until then, the Aggies get three more years of the Kyle Allen-Murray combo to lead the SEC’s No. 1 passing offense. The cupboard’s stocked in College Station at the most important position in the Air Raid.

1. Recruiting stronghold

This ties-in to signing premiere players on an annual basis (like Murray and Mack), but it appears Texas A&M has regained whatever ground it lost during the Dennis Franchione and Mike Sherman eras on the recruiting trail against Texas and is prepared to push the Longhorns even further into irrelevancy over the next couple seasons. Nothing against Charlie Strong and his respected collection of assistants, but Sumlin has starpower at Texas A&M and he was a home run hire for the Aggies. At some point, competing for a spot in Atlanta must come to fruition, though.