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Texas A&M players weighed in on the Thursday firing of coach Mike Sherman. Some did so through a school release, and others vented through social-media outlets.

"I consider myself fortunate to have had the opportunity to play for such a great coach and great man as Mike Sherman," quarterback Ryan Tannehill said. "As a coach and person, he reflected everything that's great about Texas A&M's traditions and values. He helped us become not only better football players but better men. I wish him and his family the very best as they move forward. He will be missed."

Safety Trent Hunter, a senior captain and four-year starter, said Sherman was "a father figure."

"He's a guy that really taught us core values that I will take with me for the rest of my life," Hunter said. "He is a man of integrity, character and honesty. There's not much more that you can ask for in a man than what Coach Sherman brings to the table. His door was always open to us and you could count on him being brutally honest with you no matter what. That's one of the things that I will always respect him for."

On Twitter, more Texas A&M players weighed in, and did so in much more pointed terms.

"What I'm reading better be fake. Not kidding," receiver Uzoma Nwachukwu wrote in a series of tweets as news broke Thursday evening. "Way way wayyyy beyond livid. Furious. Funny how all these decisions are made without thinking of the players. Funny how things work."

Offensive lineman Cedric Ogbuehi was angry, too.

"Everybody in the front office are so fake I swear, come to us smiling all the time n (expletive) then do this," he tweeted. "People told me its all a business they dont care about the players, but damn! (I don't know) what to think anymore."

Former quarterback Stephen McGee, who played under Sherman and is now with the Dallas Cowboys, weighed in, too.

"Disappointed of news that Coach Sherman will be released. Was a great football coach and an even better man! A&M has lost a really good one!" he wrote on Twitter. "I find it extremely difficult to point to Sherman for the seasons' shortcomings.. He put his team in situations to win every game and at some point players have to make plays.. A&M has made some bold long term decisions. All that being said I will always love and support Texas A&M! Special place, great people and an unmatched spirit!"

Linebacker Von Miller was one of the best Aggies of all time, winning the Butkus Award last season and being selected No. 2 overall in last year's NFL draft.

"It's unfortunate to see Coach Sherm go He is like another father to me He helped me become the person I am today I will never forget, never," he tweeted on his verified account. "Integrity, honor, accountability, faith, brotherhood, and my definition of the aggie spirit all came to me playing for Coach Sherman. gig em"

Unranked Texas A&M's 33-19 upset of then-No. 8 Oklahoma last season left two lasting images.

For the first time in a long time, players left the field to chants of "Wrecking Crew," the moniker ultimately reserved for the best Texas A&M defenses.

The other was the dominant play on the line of scrimmage that birthed those chants.

Three times, Von Miller's crew stuffed Oklahoma at the goal line, the biggest coming in the final minutes to seal the win, denying DeMarco Murray the end zone on three runs inside the 5-yard line.

Once again, Texas A&M is unranked and facing Oklahoma with three losses. This time, it travels to Norman, where it was beaten 65-10 in its last trip back in 2009.

The Sooners and Aggies are the two most physical offenses in the Big 12, and if A&M is going to spring another upset, it will have to win the battle of the line of scrimmage. The Big 12, with its elite skill-position talent and deep stock of quarterbacks, doesn't always have games decided up front. This one will be.

"Our offensive line is coming around," said Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman, who played true freshmen last year at both offensive tackle spots. "Until this last ballgame, defensively, we’ve been pretty good against the run."

Consider: Oklahoma leads the nation with 34 sacks. The Sooners have allowed three sacks, tied with Boise State for the fewest nationally.

Texas A&M, meanwhile, has given up just seven sacks and is third nationally with 30 sacks.

"A lot of us have definitely stepped up," said Texas A&M defensive lineman Spencer Nealy. "We definitely always play with a lot of effort, and at times, like any other position, we’ll have mistakes, but as a whole, we played pretty good."

The Aggies, though, have ascended to second in the Big 12 at 224 yards rushing per game while Oklahoma has sunk to eighth, though the Sooners possess the league's top passing attack.

Oklahoma will be without leading rusher Dominique Whaley, too, who suffered a broken ankle in Saturday's win over Kansas State.

Texas A&M fields the league's best 1-2 punch at running back, and last year's growth took place without one of them even on the field.

"The maturation of [the offensive line] really helped us. We struggled early in the season. We gave up a lot of sacks in the first half of the season. We didn’t run the ball very well," Sherman said. "We weren’t protecting well, we weren't running the ball well. They started to come into their own. A couple of our young tackles were talented but they didn’t have the experience. I thought they grew up in the second half of the season and we emphasized the run game more and took some pressure off the passing game and tried to stay out of long-yardage situations. ... They had a big part in the second-half run last season."

It's only continued into 2011. Christine Michael's broken leg that forced him out of the second half of the season has healed, and he's on course for a career season with 811 yards, third-most in the Big 12. Cyrus Gray has 704 yards of his own to rank ninth in the league.

Those two are fully capable of carrying the Aggies to the upset.

Despite the high sack numbers for A&M, it's given up more passing yards per game than any team in the country. How?

"It’s not ability at all. We’ve got some of the best players in the Big 12," Nealy said, pointing to fundamentals.

The best way to slow Oklahoma's passing attack is to keep it off the field. That means running the ball well and pressuring Landry Jones.

Texas A&M's offensive and defensive lines can do that. They proved it last year.

Now, it's time to do it again.

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Texas A&M fans won't have to rack their brains much to remember today's honorary captain.

Former Aggie linebacker Von Miller made a surprise appearance at Midnight Yell last night, and will be back at Kyle Field today to be recognized as the honorary captain.

Miller, a rookie for the Denver Broncos, won the Butkus Award last season as the nation's top linebacker, and set a school record with a nation-leading 17 sacks in 2009.

His Broncos are on a bye this week.

Miller was also the biggest reason for the rise of the Aggies' defense last season and the late-season revival of the Wrecking Crew.

Expect him to get a big welcome before today's games from a fan base planning to wear white and wave maroon towels, rather than its usual maroon shirt and white towels.

The move is to support wildfire relief throughout Texas.

One final note: I'll be chatting right here until kickoff, so come by and say a last-minute hello.

When Nebraska left the Big 12 for the Big Ten, few questioned the Huskers ability to compete in their new league. Being one of college football's most storied programs with five national titles in 40 years carries with it respect.

But Texas A&M?

The Aggies move has drawn criticism from plenty as the historic underachievers (relative to resources), and have plotted a move to college football's top conference.

The program hasn't enjoyed a 10-win season since 1998, but the best way to combat those criticisms?

The answer for everything in college football: Win.

A&M's move isn't official yet, but much more so than Nebraska, Utah, Colorado, Boise State or TCU's recent moves, the perception of Texas A&M's decision will be heavily colored by its results in 2011.

The Aggies closed the regular season in 2010 in style, with six consecutive wins. But early struggles prevented the Aggies from truly winning big.

"Our offensive line didn’t really jell. We just put in a new defense, we had a freshman tackle, we had a young group of linemen," coach Mike Sherman said. "We just put our defense in that spring, and we were feeling our way through that as well."

Texas A&M lost close contests to Oklahoma State and Arkansas before being blown out by Missouri on its home field. At 3-3, the Aggies looked like they were headed for another disappointing season and a third consecutive losing season under Sherman.

"They didn’t panic. They continued to work hard. They looked to the next game. They didn’t wallow and feel sorry for themselves. I thought they demonstrated an eagerness to pull themselves out of it," Sherman said. "I’m as proud of them in those three weeks in how they worked and how they prepared as I was in the ensuing weeks when they won."

That freshman left tackle, Luke Joeckel, emerged as one of the league's best at his position. The Aggies benched an injured Jerrod Johnson for Ryan Tannehill. And the defense further grasped new coordinator Tim DeRuyter's 3-4 defensed, buoyed by the leadership from Johnson and linebacker Von Miller, whose freakish athleticism spurred the defense, too.

"The tempo picked up," running back Cyrus Gray said. "The main thing I don’t think people realize is our offensive line jelled. They were able to help open running lanes and help protect the quarterback even better, so it was a big thing for our team."

But those early struggles are what prevented the Aggies from winning the Big 12 South outright. Instead, they settled for a share of the division and a night at home while Oklahoma battled for a Big 12 title and a spot in the BCS.

"We learned we can fight through adversity. A lot of teams can’t do that. We beat some good opponents," Gray said. "The 12th man really helped us. You can see, like in the Nebraska game, they really helped pull that game out for us."

If Texas A&M is going to exit the league in style, it has to avoid those kinds of early struggles.

The good news about this year's team? It's simple make-up is built to avoid those same pitfalls from a year ago.

"We’re a little bit more experienced. When you start the season and you’re playing with a true freshman at left tackle and we really haven’t solidified the offensive line and we had a brand-new defense in there, and that won’t be the case this year," Sherman said. "That element should not be a problem for us. ... . Even still, with everybody coming back, you still haven’t played a game against an opponent in some time, and until you step on that field, you really don’t know where you’re at. We’ll find out Sunday night."

The Aggies national reputation depends on it.

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- There's only so much you can take from a 90-minute workout without pads, but here are a couple quick thoughts and observations from Sunday afternoon's workout inside the indoor facility at Texas A&M.

I'll be there this morning for a live scrimmage with pads, too.

• Last year, when I visited College Station in the preseason, it was pretty obvious during team work that Jerrod Johnson had a ways to go before he was back to the same player he was in 2009. He obviously never quite got there. This year? Not the case. All the usual suspects looked great. Ryan Tannehill was as good as you'd expect, Jeff Fuller looked great, and Christine Michael showed some nice explosiveness and lateral movement. Cyrus Gray is limited after suffering a minor hamstring injury on the first day of camp, but he's expected to be 100 percent for the season opener against SMU on Sept. 4.
• Every time I've come to a practice at College Station, I've been impressed with what Jameill Showers had to offer as a backup quarterback, and Sunday was no different. It's a limited sample size, sure, but he throws an outstanding ball, and he made good decisions throughout Sunday's workout in team drills.
• An offseason arrest didn't put Damontre Moore in the good graces of the coaching staff, and as a result, the possible star had spent the first week of camp working primarily with the third and fourth groups, according to other A&M reporters who had attended earlier practices. On Sunday, however, he was back working with the first team at the Joker position. A good sign for his future, no doubt. The sophomore may have struggled off the field during the offseason, but remember: Von Miller infamously wasn't the personification of a leader early in his career, and left as one of the program's all-time greats -- on and off the field. There's plenty of time for Moore to shore up his act.
• Inside linebacker is a primary concern for the Aggies this fall camp, especially after they got a preview of a grim future without Michael Hodges this year when Hodges missed the majority of the Cotton Bowl with a knee injury. Garrick Williams is one of the defense's leaders and a returning starter at one of the two spots in the 3-4 scheme, but Donnie Baggs and Jonathan Stewart have been earning lots of time together with the first team -- and without Williams. Coach Mike Sherman's explanation for the approach: "I always like to see guys with the first group, because that's when you get to evaluate them. When you're with the second group, you're going up against the second group of offense. So let's see how they do against the first group guys, so it's really a more accurate evaluation of where they stand. They could be killers in the second group but go to the first group and it's a little bit more challenging, so I want to see them against the better competition."
• Sherman says he's still trying to sort out who his starter will be, but I like the approach to throw them in with the first-team and see who outperforms the other. Stewart is the more experienced player, but Baggs, a true freshman, has obviously impressed enough to even be in this position. Sherman expects the position to be more solidified early next week.
• Sherman played it coy when asked about a "rumor" that Texas A&M's coaches met with university president R. Bowen Loftin about the possibility of a move to the SEC. "Rumors? Really? Are you saying it's a rumor? I don't comment on rumors," he said. "You led with a rumor, so..." A poor choice of words, sure, but a fruitless line of questioning, no doubt, regardless of word choice.
• Safety Trent Hunter did discuss the prospect of the SEC, but only that the team has been told not to discuss it. "Our coaches made a point on the first day. Don't talk about it, don't tweet about it, don't Facebook about it," Hunter said, adding that it hasn't been difficult to focus on the field while rumors swirled. "It's not anything that's going to affect us playing SMU on that first week."
• Today's scrimmage will be live with plenty of hitting, Sherman says. Should be exciting. I'll have some notes and stats up on the blog later.

Heading into the season, I see five teams in the Big 12 with a realistic chance to win the league. I'll be breaking them down in order (which won't be the same as my post-spring power rankings) of their chances to leave the season with the Big 12 title.

No. 1 on the list was the favorites: Oklahoma

Today, we take a look at my No. 2: Texas A&M.

Why the Aggies will win the Big 12

1. They've got the most complete offense.

Center Matt Allen is the only offensive starter not returning, but the Aggies have a solid line, headlined by a maturing, but already talented pair of bookends with big potential, tackles Luke Joeckel and Jake Matthews. At the skill positions, you won't find anything close to a weakness. Texas A&M returns the best running back corps in the league and maybe the best 1-2 punch in the nation with Christine Michael and Cyrus Gray. All of the team's top five receivers return, and Jeff Fuller, who chose to return for his senior season, is arguably one of the five best in the country. Ryan Tannehill doesn't have a ton of starts (six) under his belt, but he was great in a tight spot last year, and led the team in receptions his first two years on the field.

2. They're especially strong in great places on defense.

Those places: Secondary and pass-rushers. That's huge in the Big 12. New joker Damontre Moore, defensive end Tony Jerod-Eddie and linebacker Sean Porter should combine for more than 15 sacks this year and tons of quarterback pressures that could result in some big plays for another defensive strength: the secondary. All four starters return, and Terrence Frederick, Coryell Judie are experienced seniors at corner, while Trent Hunter and Steven Campbell hold down the safety spots.

3. They made it hard to win nine games last year.

Texas A&M already won a share of the Big 12 South last year, despite ranking 10th in the Big 12 in turnover margin at minus-5. Its 30 turnovers (15 INTs, 15 fumbles lost) were the most in the Big 12 and 111th most in the nation. You'd have to think that number will drop this year with Tannehill at quarterback. He struggled in the loss to LSU, throwing three interceptions, but he had just three in his six previous games at quarterback, compared to 11 touchdowns. Five of those 30 turnovers came from Jerrod Johnson in a loss to Oklahoma State, and if the Aggies take care of the ball then, or this time around, they're likely Big 12 champions.

Why the Aggies won't win the Big 12

1. The defensive losses will be too much.

Damontre Moore should slide in and replace Von Miller. I'd expect him to do well, but what about middle linebacker? Michael Hodges was the heart of the defense in 2010 and its leading tackler. When a knee injury forced him out of the Cotton Bowl against LSU, the Tigers gashed the Aggies' defense, which for the few weeks to end the season, looked like one of the Big 12's best and topped the league in rush defense. Hodges is gone for good now, and the Aggies left spring without a solid replacement. For now, it looks like Jonathan Stewart will slide in, but it could end up being true freshman Donnie Baggs. Either way, A&M won't be as strong there, and teams that can run the ball (i.e., OSU, OU) may take advantage. Lucas Patterson is the only other loss on the defensive side of the ball, but my money is on Hodges being missed the most on the field, even though Miller was the No. 2 pick in the NFL draft.

2. They have to travel to Norman.

Texas A&M has been outscored 107-24 in its last two trips to Norman, and Les Miles at Oklahoma State in 2001 is the only Big 12 coach to ever beat Bob Stoops at Owen Field. The odds are definitely against Mike Sherman becoming the second. The Aggies knocked off Oklahoma in College Station last year, but did it largely on the strength of the linebackers, and Hodges and Miller, who helped orchestrate those three goal-line stops to beat the Sooners, are gone.

3. Hype and the Aggies are not happy bedfellows.

Texas A&M looked like a possible Big 12 South contender last year, but the Aggies lost all three of their first real tests, and nearly lost to Florida International in College Station, erasing a 21-7 fourth-quarter deficit to avoid embarrassment. After being written off by most, they rallied for a share of the Big 12 South, but this year, the attention is back on the Aggies, who will likely be toting a top-15 ranking into the preseason. How will the team handle big games early in the season against Oklahoma State and an early trip to Lubbock before the showdown in Norman? Their recent history suggests "not well."

This one's pretty simple? Who's winning the Big 12?

Oklahoma is the presumptive favorite, if not the favorite to win the national title. The Sooners have won the Big 12 seven times in the past decade and are the defending champs, bringing back the core of last season's team. Will they take it home once again?

Oklahoma State came close last season, losing a high-scoring matchup in Stillwater to the Sooners with the Big 12 South on the line. Can Mike Gundy finally knock off his in-state rival for the first time ever? Oklahoma has to come to Stillwater for the second consecutive season.

Texas is the wild card from this group, coming off a 5-7 season after an appearance in the national championship game in 2009. Do you believe the Longhorns' new coaches can get them back on top in just one season?

Missouri brings back a complete team, but has a gaping hole at quarterback after Blaine Gabbert left. Can the Tigers surround James Franklin with enough talent to win the Big 12 for the first time?

Texas A&M was the hottest team in the league at the end of the regular season, but finished the year with a lopsided loss to LSU. Can the Aggies shake it off, as well as the loss of Von Miller, and win their first Big 12 title since 1998.

College football is all about promotion and development. Players undergo enormous growth in their time on campus, but every year, there's a handful of guys who make the jump from good to great. Who will make the biggest jump in the Big 12?

Brad Madison led Missouri in sacks last season, but did it as a backup. Fellow defensive end Aldon Smith is gone now, though, and Madison slides into a starting role. What's he have in store for 2011?

Like Madison, Damontre Moore filled in for an injured future top 10 pick early in the season, and excelled. Moore, though, did it as a true freshman. Once Von Miller got to full strength from his ankle injury, Moore was relegated back to the bench. Will he become a household name as a sophomore?

Baylor's Josh Gordon showed some flash as a sophomore in 2010, but has the size and speed to become one of college football's top receivers. Will that potential turn to production?

Joseph Randle caught more passes last year than every running back but DeMarco Murray. This year, though, he'll be counted on in a bigger role in the running game. What will be bring as a sophomore?

Corey Nelson made huge waves this spring, further intensified when Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops called him the best player on the defense. There's no room for him, it would seem, in the starting lineup for the Sooners, but he'll be on the field somehow. Can he crash the party?

We'll kick off our polls with a look at which players across the league leave behind the biggest voids. Lots of big names stuck around for 2011, but others will take their talents to the NFL next season.

Von Miller is the only defensive player on the list, but can Texas A&M find a way to replace his one-of-a-kind combination of size and speed?

Kendall Hunter was a constant for the Cowboys last year, running for 100 yards nine times in 2010. Can Jeremy Smith and Joseph Randle fill in?

Blaine Gabbert left early, and his younger brother transferred earlier this week. Is James Franklin the answer?

DeMarco Murray scored more touchdowns than any player in Oklahoma history. Will the Sooners' committee approach to replacing him be enough to prevent a drop-off?

Despite having a struggling passing game, Daniel Thomas led the Big 12 in carries and rushing yards the last two seasons. Can Bill Snyder's team get back to a bowl game behind Bryce Brown and John Hubert?

Which player will be the toughest to replace?

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Ryan Tannehill felt like he had to apologize. But you can't blame him for the effort.

Receiver Jeff Fuller, the Texas A&M passer's top target, was considering the NFL, and Tannehill zeroed in on convincing the 6-foot-4, 215-pounder to stick around Aggieland for his senior season.

"I felt like a college coach trying to recruit," Tannehill said. "I tried everything."

He'd call. He'd text.

"We're going to do big things next year," Tannehill texted him.

Texas A&M returns 19 starters from last year's nine-win team, and should be one of the Big 12's most-experienced teams.

He'd call or text to remind Fuller how many balls he could catch as a senior. He reminded the receiver, already the only Texas A&M player to record a 1,000-yard receiving season, that he'd own about every receiving record and then some if he came back.

Finally, on a Friday in January, Tannehill's phone buzzed.

"Yeah, I'm coming back," read a text from Fuller.

Tannehill breathed a sigh of relief, took a deep breath and let out an excited, "Yes!"

"He was good about it. I knew I was probably annoying him, and I told him, 'Hey, I’m sorry,'" Tannehill said. "But he was cool about the whole thing. He just told me, 'Hey, you’re not annoying me. I’m always open to hear what you have to say, man. We’ve grown up together here and I respect your opinion.'”

Tannehill took an aggressive approach, but Fuller's decision came with plenty of thought. After Texas A&M's loss to LSU in the Cotton Bowl, he spent time at home in Dallas and met with his parents. He met with coach Mike Sherman, then went back home and met with his family once more.

"Being here in Aggieland is definitely an experience and I didn’t want to cut that short," Fuller said. "It’s like a step up from deciding what college to attend. It’s not for the next four years, it’s for the rest of your life."

Sherman spent a decade in the NFL before coming to Texas A&M in 2007, and polled his sources in the league, relaying their assessments of his play to Fuller and his parents. Fuller's father, an Aggie himself, played for the 49ers in the 1980s and polled his own sources in the league.

"Playing in the NFL, it’s not about getting drafted, it’s about staying in the league for 10-12 years," Sherman said. "Therefore, you want to be ready when you go."

A year ago, his teammate, linebacker Von Miller, decided he wasn't ready, and hadn't projected as a first-round pick. He stayed, and looks likely to be selected in the top 5 of this month's draft.

Fuller reportedly received a middle-round grade from the NFL draft advisory committee and sought Miller's advice throughout the process.

"He was telling me the pros and cons and the reason why he made his decision, and he explained to me that just because it’s the decision he made, that doesn't mean it’s the right decision for me," Fuller said. "We’re completely different people."

The decision to stay was aided, from Sherman's perspective, by the possibility of a lockout that's become a reality since Fuller made his decision, but not for the money reasons that were most often cited for keeping underclassmen in school.

"Not having the ability to go into a minicamp or the preseason possibly can set a young player back that may not be quite ready to make that jump," Sherman said.

So instead, Fuller sought the safety of another year in school, chasing his degree and a Big 12 title, rather than a spot on an NFL team's depth chart.

The Big 12 title is a stated goal for the Aggies with Fuller back on the team, but the big goal is to win all 13 games next season, a goal that's not entirely unrealistic for Texas A&M, which will likely begin the season inside or near the top 15.

"We’re a better football team with Jeff than without Jeff, and I was pleased for us," Sherman said, "but I’m also pleased for him, because I think he can benefit."

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Von Miller was the Big 12 sack champ for two consecutive seasons and the leader of a Texas A&M defense that made big strides in 2010.

In 2010 Miller took over the most crucial position for the Aggies' defense: The Joker, which is a hybrid linebacker and defensive end position that serves as the linchpin of Tim DeRuyter's 3-4.

The joke position is now vacant with Miller headed to make millions in the NFL, and if Texas A&M is going to make a serious run at its first Big 12 title since 1998, someone will have to fill the void.

"To be able to replicate what he did would be very, very difficult. There’s not a whole lot of those people out there in high school right now. He was an exceptional athlete," coach Mike Sherman said. "We think we have recruited some really good guys who could accomplish that, maybe not at Von’s level, but we hope pretty close."

First on that list is 6-foot-4, 248-pound Damontre Moore. Last year, Miller was slowed by an ankle injury early in the season.

Sherman may not be sure anyone can replicate what Miller did over the course of a season, but Moore outperformed Miller early on, albeit in nonconference games against Stephen F. Austin, Louisiana Tech and Florida International.

Miller put together a season worthy of Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year consideration, but was held without a sack until the fifth game, a loss to Arkansas.

While spelling the hobbled Miller, Moore racked up three sacks, four tackles for loss and 16 tackles in the season's first three games, including a seven-tackle, two-sack performance in a blowout win over Louisiana Tech.

"He has tremendous length. He played pretty well as a freshman, he had his ups and downs like everybody else, but had a good start to a freshman year," Sherman said. "His whole thing now is to learn the finer elements of his position."

He came to Texas A&M as an athlete who had spent a lot more time on the basketball court than on the football field, and as a result, he had plenty of work to do.

"When we got him he was on the raw side," Sherman said.

Sean Porter has worked some at the Joker position, too, but he's been sidelined during spring practice with a foot injury and missed several practices. For now, the slot belongs to Moore.

"I wouldn’t say anything’s locked in as a freshman," Sherman said. "We’re still evaluating to see where he’s at. It’s a real important position, and for him to hold on to that spot, he has to do some extraordinary things in practice."

Last year, that was a bit of a problem. As a freshman, flashes of expected immaturity surfaced.

When Saturday meant starting, problems in practice were few. But late in the season, when Miller returned to form, Moore's practice performance suffered, perhaps influenced by the lack of anticipation for a starting role.

"When he didn’t get the reps in practice, he didn’t play quite as well as he had been playing," Sherman said. "He played better as a starter than he did as a backup."

That inconsistency in practice and on the field is expected from a freshman, but eliminating that, along with developing a better understanding of the responsibilities that come with being DeRuyter's Joker, are necessary for Moore to become the possible star.

"He’s a work on progress, but we’ll continue to work with him," Sherman said.

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- It's tough to plan around which practices I'll get to see when I come to campuses during the spring or preseason camp, but it was a pretty ideal situation at Texas A&M on Wednesday. The team was in full pads, practiced for about an hour and a half, and the vast majority of it was 11-on-11 team drills.

Texas A&M's practices are open to the public, something that's increasingly rare in college football, but there were probably 70-80 fans who made it to the afternoon workout on a gorgeous day for spring football. To my knowledge, the only teams in the new Big 12 that open up spring practice to fans are Texas A&M, Missouri and Baylor.

Additionally, it takes a lot for women's hoops to generate buzz, but there was definitely a bit out at practice. The Aggies beat rival Baylor, featuring arguably the game's biggest star, 6-foot-8 Brittney Griner, in Dallas earlier this week to reach the first Final Four in school history. I'm sure there will be plenty of maroon in the stands in Indianapolis this weekend. (More on that here from colleague Mechelle Voepel.)

But back to football.

A few thoughts and observations from practice:

Two guys a bit under the radar who had great days: Receiver Kenric McNeal and running back Ben Malena. With all the skill-position talent at Texas A&M, both get a bit overshadowed, but Malena, at least for one day, looked every bit as good a runner as the backs ahead of him on the depth chart, Christine Michael and Cyrus Gray. He has a lot of development to do in things like feeling creases in the line but when he got a chance to get to the second level and let his instincts take over, he was giving the defense fits. He looked solid in the open field.

Additionally, McNeal has a reputation as a shifty slot receiver who works best underneath, but he was stretching the field on Thursday like I hadn't seen from him before. His two longest plays of the year (27 and 32 yards) came late last season, but he had a couple of deep catches in the end zone after slipping past the safeties and bringing it in behind the defense. He got open a few more times, and quarterback Ryan Tannehill missed a couple of deep balls to him, but it has to be encouraging for the offense to see him break a few off like that.

Michael looking confident on healed leg

Michael was one guy I wanted to see, and it was tough to get a read on his mobility -- he didn't get into the open field very much. But one encouraging sign was he didn't look like he was shying away from contact at all. That's exactly what A&M wants to see. Michael brings a mean running style that no other back on the roster can provide. Early in the conference season last year, he was running over plenty of linebackers. He looks like he wants to get back to doing exactly that, and he did it on Thursday, dragging a couple of defenders at times.

I don't think the mental side of returning from the injury will be an issue. He's never been quite as shifty as Cyrus Gray, but he runs with power that you won't find anywhere else in the Big 12, and considering how the rest of the league defended the run during the bowl season -- especially power runners -- the Aggies will once again be glad he's on their team this fall.

Wrecking Crew missing a few members

Diehard A&M fans are surely already aware, but the Aggies' defense is missing quite a few key pieces this spring, especially in the back seven. Defensive backs Terrance Frederick and Coryell Judie are both sidelined after offseason shoulder surgery and linebacker Sean Porter is out with an injury to his left foot from earlier in spring practice.

Lionel Smith is also out for spring ball.

Former Aggies on hand

It's always good to see alums and former coaches on hand for spring practice. Former Aggies linebacker Michael Hodges was milling around the practice field. He's one of just three defensive starters (Von Miller, Lucas Patterson) the Aggies have to replace this spring.

Additionally, former Aggies coach R.C. Slocum was in attendance.

Former Texas A&M linebacker Von Miller was curiously listed as one of 10 plaintiffs on the class-action lawsuit filed against the NFL by NFL players.

Miller was the only draftee.

There's a bit of risk involved in that, but NFC West blogger Bill Williamson examined whether or not doing so would hurt Miller's draft stock.

His verdict: Miller is too good of a prospect for it to hurt him.

But the question of why is still there. And speaking with the Pro Player Insiders web site, Miller gave a look inside the decision.

At the Super Bowl, Miller's agent was contacted about being part of the suit, and after three weeks of consideration that involved consulting with several people including the New York Jets' LaDainian Tomlinson, Miller decided to put his name to the players' cause.

"I just wanted to do my part to make sure football continues to get played,” Miller told the site last week. "Football is a business, and I really wanted to be informed about the business aspect of it. I was asked to be a part of this, and I wanted a chance to help out this elite group of guys."

Miller isn't an NFL player just yet, but his presence puts a face to the players' cause of preventing the rookie wage scale from changing.

Miller, who joins players like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Mike Vrabel and Drew Brees on the suit, says the rookie wage scale wasn't a big issue for him, but he still decided to sign up.

"I’m in this for the guys who have come before me,” he told the site. "I’m a team guy, and I’m ready to help the team."

Miller said he hasn't been asked and hasn't decided whether or not he'll attend the draft. NFL veterans suggested this month that rookies boycott the draft.

As for his draft stock? Miller says this priority came first, though he's a likely top-5 pick.

"I hope it wouldn’t hurt my draft stock," he said. "But you can’t really get possessive over something you never had. So if I fall, then that’s the way it will be. I’ll still be signed with someone and playing football in the NFL."

Schedule: Texas A&M opens spring practice today and will close with its spring game on April 16. Selected practices are open to fans and media. Here's the schedule.

What’s new: Not very much, and that's a good thing for Texas A&M's immediate future. Defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter is back for a second year after being heavily pursued by Tulsa in the offseason following his re-establishment of the Wrecking Crew in 2010. The Aggies bring back nine offensive starters, eight defensive starters and two special-teamers from a team that won nine games in 2010. That's the most in the Big 12.

On the mend: Running back Christine Michael is expected to return in the spring after breaking his tibia in the middle of his sophomore season last year. After his injury, Cyrus Gray emerged with seven consecutive games of at least 100 yards, but getting both Michael and Gray on the field is a big help for the Aggies offense. Cornerbacks Terrance Frederick and Coryell Judie will be held out of the spring with injuries, but should be healed up by summer.

On the move: Damontre Moore played plenty of the Joker position last season, especially when Von Miller was slowed by an ankle injury early in the season. He's likely to slide into the same spot, but the coaching staff is open to moving him to a more traditional defensive end spot if the rising sophomore's frame fills out past the 6-foot-4, 248 pounds he played at during his freshman year in 2010. Lucas Patterson is gone, so if necessary, there's a hole at defensive end for Moore to fill. This spring will be a critical period in deciding his future role on the defense. Wherever he plays, he's likely to be a big piece of the Wrecking Crew.

New faces: Quarterback Johnny Manziel is on campus, but early on, he might play a bit of receiver like the Aggies' starting quarterback, Ryan Tannehill, used to. Linebacker Donnie Baggs and offensive lineman Joseph Cheek have also enrolled early.

Breaking out: Linebacker Sean Porter was overshadowed by a pair of stars at linebacker in Michael Hodges and Miller last season, but he could become one of the leaders of the Wrecking Crew this spring and a star himself. The junior outside linebacker could be a household name soon.

Don’t forget about: Defensive lineman Tony Jerod-Eddie. He suffered a broken foot last season against Texas and missed the rest of that game, but he should be back for a big senior season this year.

All eyes on: Tannehill. He took over as the starter midway through last season and was a big reason behind the Aggies' six-game winning streak to close conference play. All of his top targets are back, but he needs to grab a hold of the offense this spring. It will get more difficult next season for Tannehill as teams collect more tape and learn his tendencies. He already knows the offense as well as anyone, but making sure running it is second nature will be integral to making sure his late-season success last year continues into 2011. He'll get a chance to shore up his timing and chemistry this spring.

Von Miller "officially" ran a 4.53 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine last month, despite clocking a 4.46 in his first run that would have been the best mark among linebackers.

Miller got another chance on Wednesday at Texas A&M's pro day, and officially clocked a 4.50 40-time that would have been just .01 behind Martez Wilson's 4.49 time as the best among linebackers.

At the combine he solidified his status as a sure top-10 pick, and he was impressive again on Wednesday.

"Is there anything else anyone wants?" Miller said while smiling, according to a release. "I’m ready to keep going. Whatever they want, I’m ready to do it."

Miller improved his time in the 40-yard dash, the three-cone drill and the 20-yard shuttle.

Texas A&M quarterback Jerrod Johnson also showcased his throwing arm, which scouts haven't seen much of since Johnson was benched midway through the season after being unable to fully recover from offseason shoulder surgery.

"I’m ready to go. I’m about healed," Johnson said. "I’m ready to get back on a team, so I’m looking for somebody to give me the opportunity and I’ll make the most of it. I say I’m about 95 percent healed (from shoulder surgery). I’m about ready to go. I still need some strengthening, but I’m fine.

Representatives from 14 NFL teams were on hand in College Station.

Representatives from 22 teams were in Stillwater to see Oklahoma State, where a pair of defensive linemen stole the show.

Defensive end Ugo Chinasa ran 40-yard dash times of 4.78 and 4.76, which would have ranked ninth among defense ends at the combine. Defensive tackle Shane Jarka bench pressed 225 pounds 34 times, which would have ranked fourth at the combine.

Linebacker Orie Lemon also improved his 40-time from 4.99 at the combine to 4.76 on Wednesday. He still would have been outside the top 15 with the 4.76 time, but it helped show scouts he's not nearly as sluggish as he looked in Indianapolis. He had 133 tackles in 2010, second-most in the Big 12.