After some offseason upheaval at quarterback, Trevor Knight has been a calming influence for the Aggies.

Neither Kyle Allen nor Kyler Murray was pleased with what the future held in College Station, so Allen is off to Houston and Murray landed at Oklahoma. Knight, a former Sooner, won the job as a graduate transfer.

On offense, Knight inherits perhaps the deepest and most dangerous receiving corps in the nation. New coordinator Noel Mazzone is considered a slam-dunk hire, too. Defensively, while Myles Garrett gets the attention, he’s joined up front by fellow standouts Daeshon Hall and Daylon Mack.

Texas A&M doesn’t have wave after wave of four- and five-star talent like Alabama and LSU. Nevertheless, its stars shine as brightly as any in the conference. There are All-SEC performers up and down the roster.

The schedule is tough, with UCLA in the opener and a cross-division matchup with East favorite Tennessee.

TEXAS A&M AGGIES

SDS 2015 projection: 7-5 (3-5)
Actual record: 8-4* (4-4)

* doesn’t include postseason

Predicting every Texas A&M game in 2016:

Sept. 3 vs. UCLA (L): Bruins quarterback Josh Rosen hopes to avoid a Knight-like sophomore slump. He gets his Year 2 off to a strong start by winning on the road in College Station.

Sept. 10 vs. Prairie View A&M (W): No conference in America schedules more out-of-their-element cupcakes in Week 2 than the SEC. The Aggies dent the scoreboard liberally here.

Sept. 17 at Auburn (W): While the Tigers have a lot of blue-chip signees on defense, all of these coordinator changes make continuity next to impossible.

Sept. 24 vs. Arkansas at Arlington (W): Both the Aggies and Hogs must reinvent themselves offensively with new starting quarterbacks. At least Knight is experienced, though. Austin Allen isn’t.

Oct. 1 at South Carolina (W): Texas A&M takes road trips in conference to both schools projected to finish last in their respective divisions. First up, the retooling Gamecocks.

Oct. 8 vs. Tennessee (W): The Volunteers have a brutal four-game stretch that starts with Florida and ends with Alabama. Texas A&M is in the middle and catches the Vols napping.

Oct. 22 at Alabama (L): It’s almost as if the Crimson Tide are still seeking revenge following 2012’s upset loss in Tuscaloosa. ‘Bama makes it four in a row over the Aggies.

Oct. 29 vs. New Mexico State (W): A much-needed breather in the middle of the SEC gauntlet, A&M gets right again by running up the score on another team nicknamed the Aggies.

Nov. 5 at Mississippi State (W): No road game in the West can be considered easy these days, but the Bulldogs are definitely rebuilding with Dak Prescott now in the pros.

Nov. 12 vs. Ole Miss (L): In what is likely a battle for third place in the division, the Rebels prove to be the better team. Expect a video game-like atmosphere throwing the ball.

Nov. 19 vs. UTSA (W): With the Bayou Bengals next on the schedule, welcoming the Roadrunners to Kyle Field is the way to tune up for a daunting season finale.

Nov. 24 vs. LSU (W): One of the shockers of the year in the SEC, the Aggies overcome Leonard Fournette on Thanksgiving and knock the Tigers out of the playoff conversation.

SDS 2016 projection: 9-3 (6-2)
SEC race: 4th in the West

The Skinny: Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin has proven that he can beat just about anybody if he finds a quarterback who can run his offense effectively. Knight is a good passer, but his lack of consistency did him in at Oklahoma. Upsets of Tennessee and LSU water down losses to UCLA, Alabama and Ole Miss.

John Crist is the senior writer for Saturday Down South, a member of the FWAA and a voter for the Heisman Trophy. Send him an e-mail, like him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter.