Texas A&M this fall might have its most boring team since Kevin Sumlin came to College Station in 2012, the year the program switched from the Big 12 to the SEC. Out of necessity, the Aggies could be playing much closer to the vest on offense while relying heavily on a revamped defense.

Gone are the big names at quarterback. There’s no Johnny Manziel or even Trevor Knight to lead a high-flying attack. Regardless of who starts at quarterback, the pressure is on DC John Chavis, whose unit lost significant star power when DEs Daeshon Hall and Myles Garrett, the NFL’s top draft pick, turned pro.

The Aggies will hold their final scrimmage of fall camp on Saturday, giving players one last opportunity to show the coaching staff what they can do in a game-like setting. Much of the focus will be on the three QB candidates: senior Jake Hubenak, redshirt freshman Nick Starkel and true freshman Kellen Mond.

We know what junior WR Christian Kirk and senior S Armani Watts can do. So does Sport Illustrated, which named Kirk to its 2017 All-America first team and Watts to the second team. The two will be among a group of veterans who must lead the team while its quarterback and several new faces at receiver learn and grow.

With fall camp winding down, the Aggies, like most college football programs, have answered some questions but still head into the season with some remaining.

What’s been solved

1. The OL/running game: Fortunately, there’s a pretty solid fortress built around the new QB, whoever he might be. The Aggies’ offensive line is talented and somewhat experienced, especially on the left side. Center Colton Prater and LG Erik McCoy, both sophomores, started as freshmen, and LT Koda Martin is a third returning starter. Both RG Connor Lanfear and RT Keaton Sutherland also have plenty of playing time under their belts.

That not only should help with the transition to a new quarterback, but also provide running lanes for 1,000-yard rusher Trayveon Williams and bruising back Keith Ford. Don’t be surprised if Aggies OC Noel Mazzone plays to his strength and opts for a more run-oriented offense, at least in the beginning.

This is one solid 1-2 punch in the backfield and should provide enough firepower to open up the passing game.

2. The secondary: It certainly can’t hurt for continuity that both coordinators return for the first time under Sumlin. And the heat is on Chavis, who is entering his third season at A&M. He’s yet to earn his $1.558 million salary, the highest among assistant coaches in college football. Watch for “The Chief” to shake things up and use multiple looks and blitzes this season.

Despite losses in key positions, Chavis still has quite a bit of talent to work with, especially in the secondary, where seniors Watts and hybrid Donovan Wilson return along with Priest Willis. Wilson’s versatility has allowed Chavis to use him in the secondary and at linebacker, a position Chavis needs to solidify.

The secondary appears to be up to the challenges of reversing the fortunes of last season, when the Aggies were 13th in the SEC against the pass, yielding 250 yards per game.

3. D-line coming together: It all begins up front, and the Aggies appear pretty solid in that department with returning starters Kingsley Keke and Zaycoven Henderson leading the charge along with Daylon Mack and Jarrett Johnson.

Henderson recorded 40 tackles last season, including 10 for a loss. He’ll provide senior leadership in this talented bunch. Keke, a junior, made 37 tackles a year ago, including four sacks. Johnson made some big plays as well — of his 19 tackles, 6.5 went for a loss and 4.5 were sacks. The senior will look to close out his career with an even better final season. The ceiling for Mack has yet to be reached. In his sophomore season, he piled up 25 tackles.

What’s left to fix

1. The receiving corps: Obviously, Kirk will be the go-to guy, but who will step up to complement one of the top returning receivers in the SEC?

After Kirk, the top two returning pass-catchers are running backs (Williams and Ford). That leaves the door wide open for someone to step into a prominent role. Fortunately, there’s a lot of buzz surrounding true freshman Jhamon Ausbon, who impressed in the spring. The 4-star recruit has the size (6-2, 220) and speed to be a good one.

https://twitter.com/TheJhamonAusbon/status/895825960800587777

In addition, the tight ends have been featured during spring and fall workouts. That’s an area that hasn’t been used much previously and could take pressure off the team’s less experienced wideouts.

2. Linebackers: Otaro Alaka is the leader for a corps of linebackers that has taken the brunt of the criticism for the Aggies’ mediocre defense the last two seasons. The junior insists that things are changing in College Station.

Still, it is critical that Alaka’s position mates back up his talk. Linebacker play was a huge question mark coming into camp and remains the biggest concern for the defense, which must step up for the Aggies to reach bowl eligibility.

3. Inexperience at QB: No camp can provide the same pressure a quarterback is going to experience during a demanding SEC schedule.

And that could ultimately tip the scale in Hubenak’s favor. He’s the only quarterback in camp with any college game snaps. The senior played in seven games last year, starting a couple when Knight went down with an injury. He threw for 884 yards and six touchdowns last season, and tossed only two interceptions in 104 attempts.

That said, a number of analysts like Starkel to start over Hubenak or Mond. Perhaps we’ll know more after Saturday.