Let’s get this out of the way early.

It’s easy to love Christian Kirk’s game. He’s fast and elusive, has soft hands and is well on his way to an outstanding career in College Station and beyond.

But after a blistering September in which he recorded 24 catches for 442 yards and four touchdowns (and a punt return for a score in the opener), the true freshman has come back down to earth a bit. In fact, his only 100-yard receiving game since then came against FCS foe Western Carolina on Nov. 14.

His season totals are still remarkable. He’s third in the SEC in catches (67) and yards (871), but when the calendar flipped to October, it looked like he was on his way to becoming an All-American.

Let’s take a look at a few reasons for the slight dip in his production:

SCOUTING

When the season began, Kirk was a highly-touted prospect. Opposing teams knew his name and that he had talent — but there wasn’t much tape on him.

Defensive coaches design game plans to limit their exposure to an offense’s best players. With his fast start, Kirk went from just a guy with talent to the first guy defensive coordinators think about when getting ready to play Texas A&M.

That means a lot less one-on-one coverage and a lot more safety help over the top. That means more physical play near the line of scrimmage. Corners are bumping him harder, and safeties are keenly aware of where No. 3 is on every play.

It takes time to get used to being the top name on every opposing scouting report.

THE FRESHMAN WALL

The adjustment from high school to college is a stressful one, and not just for football.

He’s away from home, balancing a class schedule and a social life. And, oh yeah, he’s playing football in the most competitive conference in the land.

There’s bound to be times where he’s just worn out, mentally and physically. The demands on a student-athlete are immense, and he’s learning how to deal with all of that.

QUARTERBACK ROULETTE

On top of everything else, Texas A&M has had three different quarterbacks this season. Two of them, Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray have made starts — and both of them are dramatically different.

Allen is a more refined passer while Murray is more mobile. Each delivers a different type of ball from different arm angles and from different spots on the field.

Building a relationship with a quarterback takes time. Doing that with more than one takes longer.

GOING FORWARD

Kirk is a tremendous talent, and it’s easy to see why he was considered one of the best receivers coming out of high school last season. He’s already thriving in coach Kevin Sumlin’s offense, and with a little more seasoning (and some consistency at the quarterback position) his future is extremely bright.