On the surface this looks like a no-brainer. How in the world is the Texas A&M offense going to come anywhere near the production it generated last season when Trevor Knight was its quarterback and leader?

But let’s take a little bit deeper look at the Aggies’ offense coming into this season and examine whether or not it can meet or perhaps even exceed the numbers put up last year.

Statistically, it’s a tall task. The 2016 offense ranked second overall in the SEC at 467 yards per game. The Aggies were fourth in passing yards per game (255.2) and sixth in rushing (211.85). They ranked third in the SEC at 34.8 points per game.

Those are some pretty lofty numbers. Can this year’s offense compare? Let’s take a look:

Running game

This is the area in which the Aggies have the best chance of equaling or even exceeding last year’s totals. The team’s top two running backs return. Trayveon Williams rushed for more than 1,000 yards in his freshman season, scoring eight rushing touchdowns. Also returning is senior Keith Ford, a bruising back who added 669 yards and six rushing touchdowns. Combined, the two averaged 135 yards rushing per game. OC Noel Mazzone’s task is to maximize the run game without becoming too one-dimensional while a new quarterback and a relatively fresh group of receivers get acclimated.

Quarterback

It’s critical to have a strong leader under center. The Aggies had that last year. They don’t so far this year. And that’s the question mark that will likely define this team. If one of the trio of frontrunners for the job can step up and take control, the Aggies will be very good. But that’s a big “if.” Senior Jake Hubenak is the only one of the contenders with game experience, and his is very limited. He’s played in 13 games over the past two season, throwing for 1,283 yards and nine touchdowns with only three interceptions on 101-of-179 passing. Hubenak is serviceable. He’s not Knight, but he’s not completely raw, either. Redshirt freshman Nick Starkel and true freshman Kellen Mond had their moments this spring, but neither stepped on campus and took control from Day 1 the way Knight, a seasoned graduate transfer, did a year ago. So the question mark remains at the game’s most critical position.

Receivers

This is another area in which new faces must come through. Gone are veteran standouts Josh Reynolds, Ricky Seals-Jones and Speedy Noil. The receiving corps must rebuild around the multi-talented Christian Kirk, who finished his sophomore season 72 receiving yards shy of 1,000 with nine touchdowns. After Kirk, however, it’s a group of relatively inexperienced receivers, led by senior Damion Ratley, who caught 15 passes for 200 yards and two touchdowns in his sophomore season but only made two catches for 26 yards last season. The remaining candidates for receiver positions include Jhamon Ausbon, Hezekial Jones, Kirk Merritt and Aaron Hansford. In addition, Mazzone might look to get the tight ends into the passing game more. That’s where Tanner Sharpe and Kalvin Cline could make an impact.

Red zone

The Aggies managed to score 85.19 percent of the time in the red zone last season, which ranked sixth in the SEC. They scored on 46 of 54 chances — 33 touchdowns, 13 field goals. A solid run game helped punch in some scores, and that should continue with another potentially stout ground attack.

Better or worse in 2017?

Without the leadership that Knight provided at quarterback, it’s going to be extremely difficult for the Aggies to be as effective. Worse seems to be the play here.