10 most critical questions Texas A&M must answer in 2022
There’s a lot going on in College Station leading up to fall camp and the 2022 season. NIL allegations, the verbal sparring between head coach Jimbo Fisher and Alabama head coach Nick Saban. The arrest/suspension and reinstatement of star Ainias Smith. And, of yes, football. There are some big questions that will need answering before the Aggies tee it up in September.
Here are 10 key questions that must be answered before the 2022 season arrives.
1. Does Fisher ride with LSU transfer?
Fisher likes an experienced quarterback. He likes a leader who will take care of the football. LSU transfer Max Johnson has those qualities. In 373 pass attempts for the Tigers last season, Johnson threw just 6 interceptions while piling up 2,814 passing yards and 27 touchdowns. Those key points appear to be enough to overcome the challengers for the position.
2. How long before 5-star Conner Weigman takes over?
Aggieland has been waiting for the day that 5-star quarterback Conner Weigman becomes the starting quarterback. How much longer is the wait? It appears to be at least another year, considering Fisher reached into the transfer portal to pluck a veteran QB. But does Weigman become “the guy” by the end of this season?
3. How will Ainias Smith respond?
Smith was poised to represent the Aggies at SEC Media Days in Atlanta. That plan was nixed after he was pulled over after speeding. That led to other charges. But those charges were dropped and now Smith has been reinstated and cleared for fall camp. Media Days could have been a stepping-stone type moment to build his brand. Will Smith use the experience as motivation?
4. What effect will “cheating” allegations have?
With all the trash talk about Fisher’s misuse of the NIL, one has to be concerned as to how he and the team will handle the noise? It can be a big distraction if allowed to fester, or Fisher could use it to rally the troops as they circle the wagons.
5. Are the Aggies over the 8-4 hump?
Eight-win seasons have become the unofficial ceiling for Texas A&M, it seems. The Aggies have won 8 regular-season games in 6 of the past 9 years. They have become defined by it. They haven’t won more than 8 games in a season since the days of Johnny Manziel, when the 2012 Aggies recorded 10 regular-season victories.
ESPN’s FPI projects a similar outcome this fall, too, favoring the Aggies to win 7.4 of their games.
6. How concerned should we be about the left side of OL?
The Aggies must fill the shoes of Kenyon Green (NFL 1st-round pick – Houston Texans) and Jahmir Johnson on the left side of the offensive line. Australian Jordan Spasojevic-Moko and redshirt freshman Trey Zuhn III could provide the answers. Keep your fingers crossed.
7. What will the defensive line look like?
You don’t lose talent like DeMarvin Leal, Michael Clemons and Tyree Johnson, and not feel it. The Aggies’ top 3 in tackles for loss, combining for 32.5 of them last season, including 24 of the Aggies’ 35 sacks, will be hard to replace. And that’s not even counting Jayden Peevy, who recorded 43 tackles, 6.0 for loss, and 2.0 sacks in his final. Yes, the 2022 Aggies’ defensive line will look much different. Young and talented players like Fadil Diggs, Shemar Turner, and McKinnley Jackson will have to be ready to step up.
8. How will new DC fit?
While questions must be answered along the defensive front, the man to make those decisions will be a new face himself. DJ Durkin comes to College Station after stints with Notre Dame, Stanford, Florida, Michigan, and most recently, Ole Miss. Will his style fit with the personnel at Texas A&M, and again, most importantly, how does he rebuild the defensive line?
9. Who steps up at WR?
Smith is obviously the Aggies’ go-to receiver in 2022, but where will help come from to take the pressure off? Moose Muhammad III, Yulkeith Brown and Jalen Preston have the most experience, but is freshman Evan Stewart ready to make the jump to the big stage? He caught 7 passes for 75 yards in the spring game.
10. Is Devon Achane ready for the spotlight?
He nearly rushed for 1,000 yards last year (910 yards) in only 130 carries. Now that Isaiah Spiller has departed after rushing for 1,000-plus yards in 2 of the last 3 years, it seems a certainty that Achane will fill those shoes and become the face of the Texas A&M offense in 2022. It’s a lot of pressure, but with what should be a strong offensive line to run behind, Achane should be ready to meet the challenge.
Really, it comes down to this: BEAT BAMA.
That won’t happen with a makeshift o-line like ATM
“They haven’t won more than 8 games in a season since the days of Johnny Manziel, when the 2012 Aggies recorded 10 regular-season victories.”
Beating a dead horse with this. A&M finished #4 in the AP polls in 2020.
Add the cupcake games that were eliminated that season and its an 11-1 season.
Doesn’t fit the narrative. I just sound like a broken record at this point.
11-1 in the SEC West is a fantastic year (assuming we beat UNT, ACU, and Colorado…). 8-1 is equally as salty. Not too worried about Glenn’s failure to critically think.
Also, the FPI predicts A&M wins 7.4, but texas and the U winning around 9 games. Maybe use a more reliable metric, Glenn.
It’s simply irresponsible as a journalist. Aggies finished with the best winning percentage of any P5 team not named bama. Against all-SEC schedule. Irresponsible at best.
I can see A&M dropping Arkansas, Bama, and LSU to finish 9-3… possibly tied for 2nd or 3rd in West.
I don’t see A&M dropping Arkansas this year. Last year’s issue is now in the NFL… Burks.
LSU has too much talent to count out.
Bama doesn’t stand a chance though. Those guys are toast.
lol I hope that is sarcasm.
Since the 2021 season A&M is 1-0 vs Bama… so ill let you be the judge.
haha I love this answer.
1939
Beating someone from Mississippi would help a lot too.
Facts. It is very frustrating.
Leave your petty comeback line to Florida no one out west cares about your recently ended drought.
Things seen on TV when UGA’s Drought started:
Reagan being elected
The “Miracle on Ice”
Ads for “The Empire Strikes Back
Things seen on TV when Texas A&M’s drought began:
Nothing…Commercial TV was still 2 years off and still a decade from mass adoption.
I think you have posted this on every single thread. Get some new material.
He seems to be a one trick pony, kind of like the kid on the playground that goes around telling everyone the same joke because it’s the only one he knows.
You could probably see some clips from the game in one of those newsreels in the theater though along with The Yankees winning the World Series behind Joe Dimaggio and Lou Gehrig.
Honestly Glenn Sattell is uninformed or willingly ignorant. Most experienced outside of Ainias? WR Chase Lane that was injured the majority of last season but averaged aprox 11 yds/catch in about 5 games while healthy. About 14 yds/catch, 409 total the previous season as a RS Freshman in a CO VID shortened schedule. Completely healthy now and his 4th year in the system. If you don’t know Glenn, maybe you should call somebody.
Chase is a reliable possession receiver, as is Hez. Neither have blazing speed, but they have no fear crossing the middle. Hez in particular has held onto the ball in spite of savage hits.
Well, Hez is off the board. Medically retired.
Unfortunately that lack of fear caused Jones to miss the entire 2022 season due to multiple injuries and ultimately cut his career short.
What was TAMU’s record in 2020?
10-1
9-1*. But same idea. One loss was on the road in early October to the best offense in recent memory.
2019 LSU…best offense in recent memory. There, fixed it for ya. No thanks needed.
Can’t really argue that one, Burrow was a beast.
I think the 2020 Bama offense was slightly better. Just my opinion.
Numbers on a per game basis are very similar. LSU has the edge at QB and WR, Bama at O Line and RB.
2019 LSU: 48.40 ppg; 568.4 ypg; 7.9 yds per play; 166.8 rushing ypg; 49.73% 3rd down conversion rate; 35 sacks conceded for 221 yards; 2 consensus offensive All-Americans
2020 Bama: 48.46 ppg; 541.6 ypg; 7.8 yds per play; 183.5 rushing ypg; 58.9 3rd down conversion rate; 19 sacks conceded for 116 yards; 5 consensus offensive All-Americans
@lovingdagame I think I can argue that one
I would argue that the difference in those stats was more due to Bama’s better defense than it was Bama’s better offense. When you get more time on the field and the opposing defenses are on the field longer, stats are easier to come by.
Bama’s defense was better, but I don’t think by that much. This all for fun though, both those offenses were stupid.
People need to watch Johnson’s 2021 tape before touting him.
I do not know why anyone would doubt Ainias Smith. He is self-motivated. This is a rather silly item to include in the list.
Ditto for the “cheating” allegations.
“They haven’t won more than 8 games in a season since the days of Johnny Manziel, when the 2012 Aggies recorded 10 regular-season victories.” The 2020 season is on the line for you.
Jamir Johnson being gone is a positive, not a negative.
The defensive line assessment has some viability. However, a number of players had significant playing time in 2021. The line is reloading, not rebuilding.
Durkin’s philosophy is similar to Elko’s. This is a non-issue.
At receiver, look for Ainias to have another solid season. Look for Stewart, Marshall and Thomas to break out. Brown has been overlooked, but he can be explosive. Preston must do a better job of holding onto the ball. Moose must become consistent. He swings between the fantastic and the mediocre. Tight end should be strong again.
“Pressure” will have no effect on Achane. He has been ready for the spotlight since he was a freshman.
The writer really needs to become more familiar with the team if he wishes to cover Texas A&M.
Yeah, the Achane Spotlight thing is just silly. He was the MVP for the Orange Bowl his freshman season. Does the spotlight get any brighter than that kick return against bama? A better question would be “is he ready for the grind of being the featured back?”
But, you know, it’s SDS. Don’t get expectations up.
Agreed with Jamir Johnson.
Texas A & M’s biggest question in 2022 is…Do we lose four(4) games this year like in 2021 ?
If they go 8-4 again this year people will start wondering is Fisher, the right coach to win the SEC.
I like us at 9-3, but who knows. We don’t even know who is starting at QB. We should be great in 2024 with all of the talent we’ve stacked up, but this year? Who the f knows. The only thing I feel certain of for this year is that we will lose to one of the Mississippi teams. Seams to be a hallmark of an A&M football season.