Big 12: Michael Shumard
Going:
Lee Grimes, Kevin Matthews and Michael Shumard, OL
Texas A&M isn't lacking for talent at the skill positions. They have the best combination of backs, receivers and quarterback in the conference. But if one thing derails the Aggies' offense, it will be the departure of Grimes, Matthews and Shumard, three linemen who helped Christine Michael, Cyrus Gray and Jerrod Johnson, among a few others, rush for 2,394 yards in 2009, second-most in the conference, behind Oklahoma State. If Johnson doesn't have consistent time against in the pocket to throw -- or gets hurt -- against the conference's best teams late in the season, the Aggies can forget any dreams they have of stealing the South for the first time since 1998.
Jordan Pugh, S
Pugh was Texas A&M's second-leading tackler last season, with 84 tackles. Though Texas A&M's defense brings back nine starters, Pugh isn't among them. A three-year starter in the secondary (both corner and safety), he earned All-Big 12 honors for his senior performance. He picked off a team-high three passes and made 2.5 tackles for loss.
Staying:
Jerrod Johnson, QB
Johnson is no stranger to the Big 12 Blog, but the conference's best quarterback has his eyes set on a South title -- and more -- after a 6-7 season in 2009. Johnson has plenty of receivers to help him improve on his Big 12-best 30 touchdown passes. His impressive speed helped him rush for 506 yards and eight touchdowns, too, but his arm and size (6-foot-5, 243 pounds) are what's attracted the attention of NFL scouts.
Trent Hunter, S
It's hard to talk about the Aggie defense without mentioning Von Miller, but Hunter could blossom into a household name alongside Miller in 2010 after leading the team in tackles as a sophomore last season. He was named to The Sporting News' Freshman All-America team, and earned a second-team All-Big 12 nod last season, setting the stage for a big 2010 season for an Aggie defense hoping to improve under new coordinator Tim DeRuyter.
Coming:
Luke Joeckel, OT
Mike Sherman's highest-rated recruit from 2010 couldn't have been much more impressive. Joeckel enrolled early at Texas A&M and by the end of spring, had earned the status of starting left tackle heading into fall camp. The 6-foot-6, 280-pound Arlington native looks ready to kick off a possibly special career in College Station this fall, helping plug the holes left behind by the guys listed in the "Going" section.
Toney Hurd Jr., CB
One of three Aggie recruits who earned a spot on the ESPNU 150, Hurd could help improve a pass defense that ranked last in the Big 12 and 105th nationally last season. Hurd hails from Missouri City, Texas, stands 5-foot-9 and weighs 179 pounds. He ranked as the No. 11 cornerback in the nation and the No. 125 overall prospect.
More Revolving Door:
2009 conference record: 3-5
Returning starters: Offense (8), Defense (9), P/K (2)
Top returners: QB Jerrod Johnson, LB Von Miller, WR Jeff Fuller, RB Christine Michael, RB Cyrus Gray, DT Lucas Patterson, DB Trent Hunter, WR Uzoma Nwachukwu
Key losses: S Jordan Pugh, OL Michael Shumard, OL Kevin Matthews, OL Lee Grimes
2009 statistical leaders (*returners)
Rushing: Christine Michael* (844 yards)
Passing: Jerrod Johnson* (3,579 yards)
Receiving: Uzoma Nwachukwu* (708 yards)
Tackles: Trent Hunter* (95)
Sacks: Von Miller* (16.5)
Interceptions: Jordan Pugh (3)
Three spring answers
1. Found a place for Von Miller. Von Miller will play the “Joker” position, a hybrid defensive end/linebacker spot in new defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter’s 3-4 alignment. It seems like a natural fit for the 6-foot-3, 240-pounder who led the nation in sacks last season.
2. Embracing DeRuyter’s schemes. After fielding the worst defense in the Big 12 last season and ranking 104th nationally in scoring defense, the Aggie D was ready for a change. It cam in the form of DeRuyter, who coached Air Force’s defense last season into the national top 10. Texas A&M’s defenders were clearly receptive to DeRuyter’s new approach and are ready to erase a forgettable year.
3. Joeckel can’t hide. Texas A&M is replacing three offensive linemen from last year’s team, but its new left tackle might be true freshman Luke Joeckel. The Arlington, Texas product and No. 83 on the ESPNU 150 enrolled early as the nation’s No. 6 offensive tackle prospect. He drew rave reviews from coach Mike Sherman—reluctantly, Sherman admitted—and left the spring as the starter. If the Aggies make it back to Joeckel’s hometown for the Big 12 title game, he’ll be a reason why.
Three fall questions
1. Will the defense be good enough? The offense scored the third-most points in the Big 12 last season, but still won just six games. The easy culprit is the defense, which gave up over 40 points on five occasions in 2009, and 60-plus in a pair of other losses. The offense still returns eight starters, so they won’t need to be dominant, just better. We won’t know how much better until the fall.
2. Will the offense repeat its performance behind a new line? Oklahoma experienced it last season, and Texas A&M could be a candidate in 2010. The best way to derail a dominant offense is replacing starters on the offensive line. Oklahoma went from the best offense in the history of college football to fourth in the Big 12. If the turnover process doesn’t go better for the Aggies, they could see a similar drop.
3. Is this “The Year?” Texas A&M is the only team other than Texas or Oklahoma to represent the South in the Big 12 title game, but they haven’t done it since winning the Big 12 title in 1998. Is this the year the Aggies make it back? They’ll have their best team under Sherman, and unlike Oklahoma State a year ago, they won’t begin their campaign with Oklahoma and Texas entering the season as frontrunners for the national title. If they’re going to sneak up and snatch the South, this will be their best chance in awhile.
Baylor
Defensive line: After losing starters Jason Lamb and Trey Bryant and having Phil Taylor and Earl Patin entering their senior seasons, the Bears need to add immediate depth. Xavier Ruben and Anthony Gonzales will help shore up the deficiencies and the Bears still are in the hunt for top prospects like Carlos Thompson and Byran Jones.
Secondary: Starters Jordan Lake and Jeremy Williams have graduated and four juniors in the two-deep roster will start their senior seasons. Coach Art Briles has already lured surprising strength in the defensive backfield with Ahmad Dixon, Tyler Stephenson and Prince Kent. That trio makes it one of the finest positional groupings for Baylor in recent history.
Robert Griffin’s redshirt season has lessened the immediate need at quarterback: With Griffin now having three years of eligibility remaining, recruits now see only a two-season window to play. But another Robert Griffin should help the Bears as well. Baylor coaches see the other Griffin, a junior college transfer from Coriscana Junior College, being able to contend for the starting position at right tackle from his first day in the program.
Oklahoma
Running back: With Chris Brown graduating and DeMarco Murray entering his senior season, the Sooners need some producers at the position. Bob Stoops has never hesitated to playing top freshman players in the past if they can help. Don’t be surprised if top recruits like Brennan Clay and Roy Finch get an early chance in 2010 with the Sooners.
Receiver: Ryan Broyles is entrenched in the slot, but the Sooners are looking all over for pass catchers who can challenge existing players. Recruits Kenny Stills, Joe Powell, Julian Wilson and Sheldon McClain all should challenge this summer to battle their way into the rotation.
Defensive tackle: Injuries and NFL declarations have riddled the Sooners’ depth at the postion. Gerald McCoy will leave early for the NFL draft with JaMarkus McFarland ready to take over. Adrian Taylor was set at the other position, but his nasty ankle injury sustained in the Sun Bowl has depleted the Sooners’ depth. Redshirt sophomore Casey Walker and four incoming freshmen are all that is in place as far as depth at the critical position.
Oklahoma State
Offensive line: The Cowboys lose four senior starting offensive linemen from the Cotton Bowl team, including the left side of their offensive line in tackle Russell Okung, guard Noah Franklin and center Andrew Lewis, as well as right tackle Brady Bond. Mike Gundy needs some immediate help at the position, both from existing players and incoming ones.
Defensive tackle: Starters Swanson Miller and Derek Burton both will graduate and top backups Shane Jarka and Chris Donaldson both will be senior this season. Defensive coordinator Bill Young needs to find some defensive linemen who can challenge for playing next season.
Linebackers: Young also will have to rebuild this group after the underrated group of Andre Sexton, Donald Booker and Patrick Lavine helped sparked the Cowboys’ surprising defensive growth last season. All will be gone this season, putting pressure to add some more contributors to add to the returning mix of players including James Thomas, Tolu Moala and Justin Gent.
Texas
Defensive end: With Sergio Kindle graduating and Sam Acho and Eddie Jones both entering their senior season, the Longhorns need a talent boost here. It also just happens to be the position where top target Jackson Jeffcoat would immediately fill the rather sizable hole.
The left side of the offensive line: Tackle Adam Ulatoski, guard Charlie Tanner and center Chris Hall combined for 114 starts during their careers.The Longhorns has some strong arriving talent, but they’ll still miss the leadership and savvy that this trio provided over the years.
Quarterback: Even with Garrett Gilbert seemingly entrenched as the Longhorns’ quarterback of the future, the Longhorns added depth with the commitments of Connor Wood and Colt’s little brother Case McCoy. It will make for some interesting competition this spring and fall as the rotation sorts itself out.
Texas A&M
Defensive end: The Aggies received a huge boost when Von Miller announced he would return for his senior season, but A&M needs to prepare for his departure -- particularly after losing starting defensive end Matt Moss and Miller’s backup Matt Featherston as departing seniors from 2009.
Tight end: Starter Jamie McCoy graduated and top replacements Kenny Brown and Craig Raschke both will be seniors next season. Adding at least one player would be beneficial as the Aggie coaches hope they can find a combination blocker/receiving threat at the position like McCoy was.
Offensive tackle: The Aggies lose bookend senior starters Michael Shumard and Lee Grimes. They do have Stephen Barrera and Danny Baker in the depth chart but would like more depth to help the line develop.
Texas Tech
Defensive line: The Red Raiders’ biggest need is at defensive end where all three players in the two-deep roster -- Brandon Sharpe, Ra’Jon Henley and Daniel Howard were seniors. At defensive tackle, Richard Jones departs as a senior and Colby Whitlock will be a senior next season. New coordinator James Willis needs to find some productive players in the trenches quickly.
Linebackers: Starters Bront Bird and Brian Duncan will be back as seniors next season, but Tech loses departing starter Marlon Williams on the other side. They need some depth to help build for the future at the position.
Quarterback: Taylor Potts and Steven Sheffield will wage one of the closest-watched battles for playing time in the nation during the spring and summer. But both will be seniors, meaning the Red Raiders need to prepare for their departure by grooming some young talent like Scotty Young, a recent commitment at the position.
Aggies hope to rebound after near miss last week
After watching his team blow a late lead in a 35-34 loss at Colorado last week, Sherman said that those close losses are a lot less palatable than watching his team be dominated by a superior opponent.
Ronald Martinez/Getty ImagesMike Sherman's Aggies will try to break Oklahoma's 28-game home winning streak.“It’s certainly disheartening,” Sherman said when asked about the tight loss. “I’m still struggling over that one. It was a heartbreaker. I’d rather get my butt kicked than to lose like that.”
The Aggies led for almost the entire game at Colorado, enabling the Buffaloes to escape with the wild comeback victory when they fought back from an 11-point halftime deficit and after trailing by 10 midway through the fourth quarter.
The loss came despite a weird set of statistics. The Aggies posted eight sacks, compared to one by Colorado. A&M was penalized three times, Colorado 10 times. But the plucky Buffaloes made plays they needed to win at the end of the game.
“We just need to learn how to finish,” Texas A&M free safety Jordan Pugh said. “We had the lead for the whole game until about the last five or eight minutes, whatever it was. The biggest thing is we just didn’t finish the game when we had our chances. And if we can do that, it will all take care of itself.”
Losing at Colorado didn’t seem to diminish the confidence of the 5-4 Aggies heading into their final three-game stretch of the regular season. They must win one of their final three games in order to earn bowl eligibility for the first time since 2007.
It will be tough stretch starting with A&M’s game Saturday night at Oklahoma. The Aggies have never beaten Bob Stoops at Owen Field in five previous games, losing the games by an average score of 35.4 points per game. The losses have included margins of 77 and 45 points.
The Sooners also will be bringing a nation-best 28-game home winning streak for the game. But these Aggies are capable of big road performances, as evidenced by their 52-30 victory at Texas Tech on Oct. 24 after a blowout road loss at Kansas State the week before.
“You have to draw from that,” Pugh said. “It’s been done before because we went to Lubbock and did it up there. It’s the same thing we’re doing now. And if we go up there and do what we need to do we’ll get that win.”
The fact the Sooners have struggled recently makes the Aggies wary about the challenge they will still be facing – even after the Sooners have been wracked by more injuries than any team in the conference.
“This will be our biggest challenge of the year,” A&M tackle Michael Shumard said. “But we knew that coming in. When we were working out this summer, our strength coaches didn’t say they were training us to beat New Mexico, but against Texas and Oklahoma. They wanted to get us ready to compete against those guys who will be in the league (the NFL) for about 30 years.”
The Aggies also will be challenging an injury-depleted Sooner offensive front with one of the nation’s most potent pass-rushers. Defensive end/linebacker Von Miller leads the nation with 15.5 sacks for the season. The Aggies are tied for third nationally and lead the Big 12 with 30 sacks.
Despite that success, Miller said that finishing the season strong is more important to him than any individual accomplishment.
“I’d trade every sack I’ve gotten this year to be undefeated right now,” Miller said. “I really just want to win and go to a bowl game. All of the other stuff is secondary to just winning and that’s how I’m approaching things for the rest of the year.”
Sherman's gift before win turns around A&M's season
The Texas Tech-Texas A&M rivalry is as fierce and passionate as any in college football.
There have been taunts on both sides that have made the competition some of the most bitter in the Big 12 over the years.
But the most recent game might go down in history among many in the rivalry -- at least for what it provided for the Aggies after the game.
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| AP Photo/Mike Fuentes | |
| Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman smartly motivated his team to a win over Texas Tech. |
And it all might have turned around with a few twisted metal loops.
A&M coach Mike Sherman's Aggies were struggling after a disappointing 62-14 loss to Kansas State the previous week. After that game, few prognosticators gave the Aggies much of a chance playing in Lubbock, where they hadn’t won since 1993.
“Our team was really down after that game,” senior safety Jordan Pugh said. “We needed something to point us back.”
Youth has been blamed for that defeat -- the Aggies’ first true road trip of the season.
“We didn’t play well, that was very evident,” Sherman said. “We were kind of shell shocked by what happened to us early in the game and never really ever recovered. I don’t think we competed.”
Despite the loss, Sherman went back to work with the idea that problems were fixable in a quick manner.
And the fact that the Aggies would be playing Tech only helped their turnaround.
“I know people outside might have been panicking, but I don’t think that’s how you fix things," Sherman said. “You have to fix them by being honest and accountable, and they were.”
It also helped to have a little confidence. And Sherman manifested that by presenting his team with carabiner clips, a talisman usually reserved for his team’s post-game victory celebrations, five days before the Aggies met the Red Raiders in Lubbock on Oct. 24.
Sherman has selected the carabiner, a piece of equipment used by mountain climbers, as a metaphor for the Aggies’ journey back among national football powers. The charms typically are presented after team victories.
“We have these little carabiners we pass out when we win a game,” Sherman said. “I said, ‘I might as well give it to you now. We’re going to go play and we’re going to win this football game.’ And they did.”
The Aggies then lived up to that belief with an impressive 52-30 triumph over Tech, piling up 321 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns as they scored the most points in the 68-game series history with the Red Raiders.
It was only a week removed from an atrocious performance at Kansas State, where the Aggies produced minus-13 yards rushing and allowed six sacks in the thumping at Manhattan.
"I knew we had to get up off the mat or stay down,” A&M defensive end/linebacker Von Miller said. “We fought back and got up after that game.”
That victory has helped turn A&M's season around. The Aggies followed that triumph with an impressive 35-10 mashing of Iowa State last week that left them only one victory from bowl eligibility heading into Saturday’s game at Colorado.
“We’ve always expected we would play well. It just shown up a little lately,” A&M offensive tackle Michael Shumard said. “The hard work has finally paid off.”
It also gave the Aggies a couple of chances to take some not-so-subtle swipes at Tech coach Mike Leach, who has needled the Aggies over the years. Most recently, after the Dallas Cowboys had invested a fourth-round draft pick on A&M quarterback Stephen McGee in the 2009 NFL draft, Leach suggested the pro team showed more faith in him that his college did. That sparked a public exchange of comments between Leach and Sherman.
The Aggies were the instigators at their Monday news conference. Sherman had a not-so-subtle dig at Leach when he was asked about playing at altitude this week at Colorado, suggesting it wasn't that much different from playing earlier this season in Lubbock.
“Lubbock’s got a pretty good altitude up there,” Sherman said. “There’s a lot of hot air up there, too. We had to deal with it.”
Shumard joined the chorus when he talked about the integrity that Sherman showed when he took a knee rather than try to score another touchdown late in the game against ISU last week.
“That shows class,” Shumard said. “I would hate to be a player for a team that would try and score with … 20 seconds left in the game. That would call time out to try and score.”
Aggies everywhere remember when Graham Harrell scored on a 1-yard plunge with 20 seconds left in the Red Raiders’ 43-25 victory over the Aggies in 2008.
They finally got some revenge on Monday, by skewering Leach with stories of how a few twisted pieces of metal helped turn around their season at his expense.
A&M's offensive line inspired by watching Ali's mastery
Old boxing films must appeal to the toughness of football players and particularly offensive linemen everywhere.
Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman realized his team was a huge underdog heading into its game against Texas Tech. In order to provide a teaching point, Sherman had his team watch Muhammad Ali’s stunning upset knockout over George Foreman in the 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle” fight.
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| Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images | |
| The inspired play of Texas A&M’s offensive line boosted quarterback Jerrod Johnson in a win over Texas Tech. |
"I really challenged those linemen," said Sherman, whose career started as an offensive line coach. "I was on them during practice and really backed them into a corner and they came out swinging."
Suitably inspired, the Aggies’ offensive line played the game of the season by shredding Texas Tech’s No. 24 ranked run defense for 321 rushing yards and six touchdowns to help power an impressive 52-30 victory over the Red Raiders.
It was only a week removed from an atrocious performance at Kansas State, where the Aggies produced minus-13 yards rushing and allowed six sacks in a 62-14 thumping to the Wildcats.
"I told the guys during the week that this game was more about them as a man, than as a football player,” Sherman said after the game. “I'm proud of them, both as men and football players."
The performance was noteworthy to quarterback Jerrod Johnson, who appealed to the line’s sense of honor before the game by saying he had unflagging confidence in them despite their earlier struggles.
“My hat is off to them,” Johnson told the San Antonio Express-News. “I’m more happy for those guys, especially the seniors. They’ve taken a lot of flack every week. Their parents been calling them, media’s been pretty tough on them. I’ve been telling them ‘Look, I got a lot of faith in you guys. We’re all we got. Just go out there and keep fighting, keep battling.’”
Johnson was sacked only once by the Red Raiders, who came into the game ranked eighth nationally with 23 sacks.
The stunning turnaround in the offensive line’s performance was the major reason the Aggies were able to win in Lubbock for the first time since 1993, scoring the most points in the 68-game history of the series with the Red Raiders. .
Sherman made a tactical move in terms of personnel before the game, inserting redshirt sophomore Evan Eike and freshman Patrick Lewis into the starting lineup at guard to go along with senior starters Lee Grimes and Michael Shumard at tackle and Kevin Matthews at center. And they didn’t get away from the run, repeatedly mashing the Red Raiders at the point of attack.
"I'm not a big guy on moving offensive linemen around. I hate it," Sherman said. "It's been out of necessity because we've had to find the right combination."
The moves worked as the Aggies caught fire from the beginning of the game. A&M produced 15 plays of 10 or more yards in the first half to spark the surge. The Aggies had 334 yards in the first half after produced just 301 the previous week against KSU. That sparked a run of 24 straight A&M points that blew the game open.
The line’s confidence was bolstered by Sherman electing to run the ball more.
A&M’s play-calling ideas built on the line's strong work as Cyrus Gray ran for 131 yards and Christine Michael chipped in with 121 yards – both career bests. They became the first pair A&M running backs to both rush for more than 100 yards since Derek Farmer and Courtney Lewis did it in 2003 against Baylor.
“A lot of us were recruited primarily for a running offense,” Shumard said. “I love running the ball. There’s nothing better, or demoralizing than when the running game is working”
And that big effort proved something to doubters everywhere.
“We were just trying to right the ship. We knew we would get things going in the right direction eventually,” Shumard said. “I heard a lot of talk about how we needed a miracle. That they were going to put 100 points on (us). But that's why the game is played.”
What a difference a week makes. The Aggies came into the game after losing their last three games by an average of 27 points per game. But after beating Tech, the 4-3 Aggies now have solid bowl hopes if they can muster two more victories this season starting with Saturday’s game against Iowa State at Kyle Field.
And even with the strong performance at Tech, Sherman expects more improvement in the offensive line as the season continues.
“It wasn’t a perfect performance by any stretch of the imagination, but we protected our quarterback and we were able to mix it up with the run and pass, which makes it a heck of a lot easier to call the game,” Sherman said. “They did a nice job. They’ll continue to get better. They are a work in progress but there are a lot of things we need to fix.”
Patterson's switch aided by 'nasty disposition'
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin
IRVING, Texas -- There's something about playing football that brings out a different side in Texas A&M junior Lucas Patterson.
And that might be an understatement. Once the 6-foot-4, 308-pounder puts on the pads, he has a different attitude.
"I'm a laid-back, quiet kind of guy except when I get on the field," Patterson said. "But coach said I have a mean streak and I kind of want to rip the head off the guy in front of me."
That disposition helped convince Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman to move Patterson from defensive tackle to offensive tackle, where he's penciled in as the Aggies' starting left tackle.
That position speaks to the athleticism that Sherman believes Patterson will bring to the position, where his major job will be protecting quarterback Jerrod Johnson's blind side.
"When I look at a football team, I look at a pass-blocker as pretty important," Sherman said. "If he was a dominant pass-rusher, unblockable and can change context of the game, I would probably keep him on defense. But if he's not playing left tackle, the other guy could probably change the context of the game against us.
"I think that Lucas is a guy, athletically, if he would probably be more ready to play than defense. He has the confidence and a 'Cool Luke' attitude. He doesn't get flustered and is very smart and tough and gives us a certain amount of credibility to that group by joining them."
Johnson said he has no hesitation about Patterson, despite his recent lack of experience on offense. The A&M quarterback remembers his contributions as an offensive lineman when both were freshmen players.
"I have the ultimate confidence in Lucas," Johnson said. "He played offensive line then and held his own every day."
Patterson produced 34 tackles in 11 starts at defensive tackle last season.
That move will enable A&M to move Michael Shumard to left guard. Lee Grimes will move to right tackle and several players are competing for the right guard position with Kevin Matthews at center.
"I think it makes us stronger," Sherman said. "On offense, if we can keep the ball longer on offense we can help our defense. I thought long and hard about that. It does weaken us a little in the defensive line. But I feel like Lucas can be a good offensive lineman and really help us."
Aggies show flashes of promise during practice
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Sorry about the delay in getting my practice report up after this afternoon's work. My wireless stick didn't work so I hurried back home as soon as I could to file this missive.
During my time at Texas A&M, I was impressed with the enthusiasm the Aggies brought to their workouts. The practices were open to current A&M students and faculty members, invited guests and former A&M students with an Aggie ring. It resulted in a crowd of about a hundred people on a sun-splashed afternoon with ideal conditions for the practice.
Here are some of my observations after watching A&M work:
- The Aggies' offense likely has had better days of work than its outing Tuesday afternoon.
Quarterback Jerrod Johnson had what would have been sacks on three straight plays, followed later in the practice by an interception and a fumble. The offense never maintained any sense of real continuity throughout the two-hour workout.
"We did a good job, but once we got going, we gave up a sack or a pressure and started falling apart a little bit," A&M coach Mike Sherman said.
Despite the struggles, Sherman said the Aggies are making good progress with two weeks left in practice before their April 18 spring game at Kyle Field.
"We're working hard and we're making progress," Sherman said. "It's never as much as I would like and probably anyone would like at this point. But as long as they work hard, we'll get better and make the progress we need to make. I'd like to be further ahead, but we're not very far from where I'd like us to be."
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin
After struggling through a disappointing 4-8 season that was Texas A&M's worst since 2003, coach Mike Sherman has redoubled efforts in his first full recruiting season with the Aggies.
Sherman has seen some strong results with increased athleticism from several top early commitments, most notably breakaway running back Christine Michael from Beaumont, Texas -- the program's first five-star recruit at the position in the past decade.
Michael's arrival is important as the Aggies lose Jorvorskie Lane and Mike Goodson opted to declare for the NFL draft as a junior. The Aggies have little experience at the position as sophomores-to-be Cyrus Gray and Bradley Stephens and Keondra Smith will likely be battling Michael for immediate playing time. Any improvement would be noticeable after the Aggies ranked 114th nationally in rushing last season.
The Aggies' passing game looks in good shape with the return of quarterback Jerrod Johnson, freshman receiver Jeff Fuller and redshirt freshman receiver Ryan Tannehill. There's a need for an upgrade in the offensive line considering last season's struggles and the fact that starting tackle Michael Shumard, starting guard Lee Grimes and starting center Kevin Matthews all will be seniors in 2009.
The defensive line will take a hit as starting defensive ends Michael Bennett and Cyril Obizor and top substitute Amos Gbunblee all were seniors last season. But the development of freshman tackles Eddie Brown and Tony Jerod-Eddie will make the need less immediate inside.
An upgrade is also needed in the secondary after the Aggies lost starting cornerback Arkeith Brown and rover Devin Gregg and the top two substitutes at the position as seniors. And it behooves the Aggies to develop some young players quickly with starting cornerback Jordan Pugh and starting free safety Jordan Peterson both entering their senior seasons in 2009.
The Aggies ranked no better than 108th in any of the four major defensive statistical categories as they finished with losses to all of their South Division rivals for the first time in school history. So an immediate upgrade of defensive talent is mandatory after those struggles.
A&M's offensive line aims to dispel the doubters
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Most observers believe that Texas A&M's offensive line is the team's biggest question mark heading into the season.
Senior tackle Travis Schneider has heard some of the concern from A&M fans. But he said that the retooled offensive line will be ready to surprise some doubters when the Aggies open the season Aug. 30 against Arkansas State.
"I don't read a lot of preseason stuff, but I come from a big college town so you're going to hear it regardless," Schneider. "I'm not surprised. We had four great guys leave us. But the guys we have filling that role will show people they can play. I'm not worried about offensive line at all."
The Aggies return jet-quick running back Michael Goodson, quarterback Stephen McGee, bruising fullback Jorvorskie Lane and heralded redshirt freshman Bradley Stephens to highlight one of the nation's deepest backfields. The lack of returning talent along A&M's offensive front are prompting the questions of whether the Aggies will be able to match last season's average of 211.6 rushing yards -- good for 13th nationally -- if they don't have any holes to run through.
A&M's new line will be anchored by junior Kevin Matthews, son of NFL Hall of Famer Bruce Matthews. He is expected to be flanked by junior guards Lee Grimes and Vincent Williams. Schneider and junior Michael Shumard are the leaders at tackle heading into fall camp.
Gone from last season are all-Big 12 center Cody Wallace and guard Kirk Elder and tackle Corey Clark -- who both earned honorable mention for conference honors. Wallace and Clark both were selected in the 2008 NFL Draft.
"We had four guys leave from last year who played a lot of games for us and there's no doubt they will be hard to replace," Schneider said. "But we have some young guys with the right attitude about them. We do a lot of stuff together as a unit and these guys will show people they can play."
New A&M coach Mike Sherman will change A&M's basic offensive philosophy from an option-based attack favored by former coach Dennis Franchione to a pro-style attack that will feature more play-action passing and running between the tackles.
The change would be daunting -- even if Sherman's new group had much returning experience.
"Regardless of what you do, whether you're an option team or a West Coast offense or a spread offense, it's a challenge," Sherman said.
The transformation of the unit to a more physical, aggressive offensive attack has suited the new A&M line.
"We're more like a pro-style offense now running the ball between the tackles and it's good," Schneider said. "It's kind of a fresh breath for us to start playing with it. We're rolling. This offense lets us play more aggressively. We're a better football team."
The lack of star power or returning experience isn't necessarily a liability, Sherman said.
Earlier in his career, Sherman has developed a cohesive offensive line that wasn't necessarily composed of the best athletes or most heralded players. He has 13 years of previous experience as a college offensive line coach, including seven seasons at A&M from 1989-93 and 1995-96 under R.C. Slocum.
"I think an offensive line is measured collectively -- how well they work well collectively," Sherman said. "I've had lines with the star player that didn't mesh very well. So our goal is to get these guys to play well together. We have to accelerate the learning curve as soon as we can get our hands on them in a couple of weeks."
Schneider now serves as his group's leader and says he revels in his new role. The offensive line is also thriving because of Sherman's arrival.
"Change is good," Schneider said. "I'm looking forward to it and the rest of the team has too. We're all in this together and I think we'll do good."
ABOUT THIS BLOG
David Ubben
Ubben joined ESPN.com in March 2010 after covering Big 12 football for two seasons at the Columbia Missourian and The Oklahoman. Ubben, a native of Springdale, Ark., lives in Dallas.
BIG 12 TEAM COVERAGE
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