Will Texas A&M be able to muster 85 scholarship players next year?
- Inside the 40 Acres
- 31 Replies
Without delving into who might have covid years....
A&M has 18 recruits currently verbally committed to play there next year.
They have 18 seniors.
19 Aggie players have entered the transfer portal.
I don't know their roster very well but surely they have some Juniors and Redshirt Sophomores that will enter the draft.
So if all the players that have entered the portal actually transfer out they have at least a 19 player gap to fill, probably more.
I'm not going to spend a whole lot of time analyzing the players that will be available to them next year or what positions those players fill, but a three deep plus backup kicker and punter would require 70 players. Even if the players that show up next year are evenly distributed across positions, which is an improbability, they are at least 4 players short of having the depth they will need to get through a season in the... you know... vaunted SEC.
We play them in the last game of the season. I'm a little worried that they make it
A&M has 18 recruits currently verbally committed to play there next year.
They have 18 seniors.
19 Aggie players have entered the transfer portal.
I don't know their roster very well but surely they have some Juniors and Redshirt Sophomores that will enter the draft.
So if all the players that have entered the portal actually transfer out they have at least a 19 player gap to fill, probably more.
I'm not going to spend a whole lot of time analyzing the players that will be available to them next year or what positions those players fill, but a three deep plus backup kicker and punter would require 70 players. Even if the players that show up next year are evenly distributed across positions, which is an improbability, they are at least 4 players short of having the depth they will need to get through a season in the... you know... vaunted SEC.
We play them in the last game of the season. I'm a little worried that they make it
Just a Bit Outside ... Goodbye to Worthy and others but Hello to the 2024 CFP!
- By Travis Galey
- Inside the 40 Acres
- 62 Replies
"Just a Bit Outside" is brought to you by:
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I know the pain is real. You could taste it. The national championship was literally just one second away. And now the season is over.
“When you get into sport, all you can do is put forth maximum effort in your preparation, get yourself in the right frame of mind, and then play as hard as you can,” said Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian after the game. “In the end, somebody's going to win and somebody's going to lose.
“Either way, that should build character and that should help these guys in whatever they end up going doing in life, that how to go about your business on a daily basis and put yourself in position to be successful, you got a chance in this life. And hopefully, they can walk out of this season knowing that.”
Another former Texas coach said something similar after the Longhorns came out on the other side of the win/loss column.
(Go to the 5:34 mark of the video)
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The character of this 2023 Texas Longhorn football team shone brightly all season long. Texas fans should be proud of these young men. They fought until the final second.
Now it is time to say goodbye to some of the leaders of the team.
Xavier Worthy wasted no time in doing what everyone in the world expected him to do – he declared he was leaving school early for the NFL.
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Would the outcome of the Washington game have been different if Worthy were fully healthy? I guess we’ll never know.
Worthy could very well end up being a first round draft pick in April. How can you possible ask a guy not to go to the draft when that’s the case?
The same can be said of Adonai Mitchell. Mitchell came in for a year and provided a much needed counter balance to Worthy. No longer could defenses focus on one receiver. Mitchell’s impact was felt the most in the red zone where he was the go-to guy racking up 11 touchdowns. Mitchell says he hasn’t made a decision yet on his future, but he sure sounded like a player who was on his way out the door after the game.
“All the things I wanted to do when I came here, I did,” Mitchell said. “I met a lot of great people. I’ve got a lot of great relationships. You know, I'm Texas forever in my blood. I'm just glad I was able to come back home and play for my home.”
And of course, they’re having to kick Jordan Whittington off the team. I know he has NFL dreams and the talent to make those dreams a reality. But I’m not sure he wouldn’t stick around for another season if the choice were his. After all, he loves this university as much as any of you.
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T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy are both gone as well. Those two DT’s became an immovable force in the middle and are as responsible as anybody for Texas’ season. The Horns would have lost against K-State, for example, if not for Sweat making plays. Seriously, their impact can not be underestimated.
THE FUTURE IS STILL BRIGHT
While it will be hard to say goodbye to players who have defined this season, the Longhorns move into 2024 still in very good shape to make it back to the playoffs again next year.
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Vegas knows what most you know … this team is still going to be very loaded.
Quinn Ewers has yet to publicly declare that he’ll be back, but you know he’s not going to want his last pass as a Texas Longhorn to be the one that got swatted out of Adonai Mitchell’s hands.
Ewers, for all of his talent, has struggled to win over some of the fan base. Yet, the guy has put his head down, worked hard. He did exactly what you want an underclassman to do, he got better as the season went along. Give Ewers one more offseason of learning Sarkisian’s offense and he could end up being the best of the best. Think experience doesn’t matter? Go ask Michael Penix how much better he was this season than his Sophomore year.
The offensive line returns mostly intact and will likely be even better next year. Kelvin Banks will be playing what will likely be his final season in 2024 before being a top-10 draft pick in the NFL. Cam Williams will step in at right tackle to replace Christian Jones and he steps into the starting lineup with far more natural talent than Jones had (and two years of learning under his belt). The interior will be stout with some combination of DJ Campbell, Hayden Connor, Hutson Cole, Neto Umeozulu, Connor Robertson, Malik Agbo and maybe even Jake Majors. Majors walked with the seniors during senior day, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be back and he has eligibility left.
The running backs are oozing with talent, even if Jonathan Brooks heads off to the NFL, as expected. CJ Baxter won the starting job during fall camp last year before an injury slowed him down. He actually looked like he had a little more burst on Monday than what we’ve seen from him the rest of the year.
Jaydon Blue is explosive and is not to be underrated. Savion Red isn’t going away either. They’ll be joined by ultra-talented freshmen Christian Clark and Jerrick Gibson. (Am I too late to claim the presidency of the Christian Clark fan club? That guys agility in traffic is elite.)
The obvious question mark will be at wide receiver. All three starting wide receivers will be gone. Certainly you would probably like another wide receiver out of the transfer portal if you can find an experienced player with some skins on the wall. However, the good news is that there is a lot of talented young players already on campus that are ready to step up.
Johntay Cook is ready to not just step up but to shine out. The former 5-star recruit has got everyone in the program excited to see what he can do as a starter.
Matthew Golden, the transfer from Houston, has already shown what he can do and everything he does is FAST! Not only will Golden be the experienced voice in the wide receiver room, he’ll also be an impact replacement for Worthy as a punt returner.
The third receiver could be any combination of Ryan Niblett, DeAndre Moore or incoming freshmen Ryan Wingo, Parker Livingstone, Freddie Dubose, Jr., or last minute signee Aaron Butler. Personally, I placing my money on Wingo. You don’t find many 6’-2”, 190 wide receivers who can run like he runs.
DEFENDING YOUR HORNS …
I don’t think there is any way the Horns can replace Sweat and Murphy. Those guys were the brick wall that shut down every run game they faced. They were also a disruptive force in the pass game. Yes, even Michael Penix Jr. felt pressured by this dynamic duo, he just was able to stay alive more than anyone else Texas faced this year.
Alfred Collins coming back will be a huge boost. Collins has flashed amazing abilities throughout his time in Austin. The key for him to both help the Horns and improve his draft stock will be consistency. Guess what, the key to Sweat’s explosion this year was consistency as well so it can be done. Also, I have seen Collins play faster and with more attitude this season. I look forward to more of Collins this year.
The edge position should be actually even stronger next year. Trey Moore is transferring in to Texas from UTSA. The sophomore has already tallied 22 sacks in two seasons with the Roadrunners.
Moore will be joined by Barryn Sorrell, Ethan Burke, J’Mond Tapp, Justice Finkley, Billy Walton and Colton Vasek.
Oh, and then there’s some guy named Colin Simmons who signed with Texas and will be a freshman next year. Simmons wants to be a freshman all-American next year and he has the talent to be able to do that.
Frankly, one of the most interesting things early in the season will be to see how the playing time for all of these edges will be divvied up.
The DB’s will see some new faces but I thought two freshmen were actually the best players on this year’s team. Malik Muhammad and Derek Williams really played well this year and got better all season. They will form the nucleus of the DB group.
Seriously, the 2024 Texas Longhorns may make you forget the pain of how the 2023 season ended. The talent is there. If next year’s team is able to build the same chemistry and character as this year’s team, then the sky is the limit.
TWEETS OF INTEREST
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Xavier Worthy’s spot in the Texas record books has been cemented. He leaves as one of the best Longhorn WR’s of all time.
Despite all of his speed and accolades, I am still not entirely sure that Worthy will end up being a first round NFL draft pick.
Worthy checks in as the 5th best wide receiver on Mel Kiper’s “Big Board.”
1. Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State
2. Rome Odunze, Washington
3. Malik Nabers, LSU
4. Keon Coleman, Florida State
5. Xavier Worthy, Texas
6. Brian Thomas Jr., LSU
7. Adonai Mitchell, Texas
8. Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State
9. Xavier Legette, South Carolina
10. Ladd McConkey, Georgia
You have to believe Harrison, Odunze and Nabers are locks to be first round picks. After that, it just depends on how many teams need WR’s.
Certainly, the old cliché that it only takes one team to fall in love with a prospect to be a first round pick is a cliché because it’s true. And you have to think if anyone can make a team fall in love with him then it’s Xavier Worthy. It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to picture him in a Raiders uniform.
Still, Worthy’s health will be a concern for some NFL teams. It’s hard for guys weighing less than 200 pounds to make it through a 16 game scheduled unharmed. Still, if anyone has proven that he will play through pain it is Worthy. The guy is tough as nails and he just does not come off the field for any reason.
Oh, and he’s fast. Real fast. Did I mention that before? Worthy is fast.
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I have been such a huge fan of Jonathan Brooks, it will be a real shame when he officially declares for the draft … but I think he has a bright future.
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This really does need to change.
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I don’t want to pile on Quinn Ewers but this was not his best game. Frankly, if he did play a little better then Texas would be playing again next Monday.
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Just how good has Penix been?
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There have been lots of rumors of LSU being interested in Texas DL coach Bo Davis. Davis has certainly shown he is capable of producing elite defensive line play. I trust Sark to find a good replacement if he goes, but there’s no denying that it will be a blow if he goes.
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The chutzpah with this guy.
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Frank Harris could have gone into coaching but instead he decided to go to work for the UTSA NIL collective. That should tell you how important NIL has become in the college football game.
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This would be a big blow for Missouri … but hey have to know where they stand on the pecking order.
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Good for former Texas baseball coach Woody Williams finding a new gig.
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If anyone knows how to pitch to Big Papi it would be his wife.
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YOU!
Now is your chance to sponsor the column. Our previous sponsor paid for more than three months of sponsorship fees in the first two weeks of signing up. That can be you! Contact @BlakeSkaggs if you want that kind of successful promotion for your business. Don't miss out on this amazing opportunity!
===========================================================================
I know the pain is real. You could taste it. The national championship was literally just one second away. And now the season is over.
“When you get into sport, all you can do is put forth maximum effort in your preparation, get yourself in the right frame of mind, and then play as hard as you can,” said Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian after the game. “In the end, somebody's going to win and somebody's going to lose.
“Either way, that should build character and that should help these guys in whatever they end up going doing in life, that how to go about your business on a daily basis and put yourself in position to be successful, you got a chance in this life. And hopefully, they can walk out of this season knowing that.”
Another former Texas coach said something similar after the Longhorns came out on the other side of the win/loss column.
(Go to the 5:34 mark of the video)
Login to view embedded media
The character of this 2023 Texas Longhorn football team shone brightly all season long. Texas fans should be proud of these young men. They fought until the final second.
Now it is time to say goodbye to some of the leaders of the team.
Xavier Worthy wasted no time in doing what everyone in the world expected him to do – he declared he was leaving school early for the NFL.
Login to view embedded media
Would the outcome of the Washington game have been different if Worthy were fully healthy? I guess we’ll never know.
Worthy could very well end up being a first round draft pick in April. How can you possible ask a guy not to go to the draft when that’s the case?
The same can be said of Adonai Mitchell. Mitchell came in for a year and provided a much needed counter balance to Worthy. No longer could defenses focus on one receiver. Mitchell’s impact was felt the most in the red zone where he was the go-to guy racking up 11 touchdowns. Mitchell says he hasn’t made a decision yet on his future, but he sure sounded like a player who was on his way out the door after the game.
“All the things I wanted to do when I came here, I did,” Mitchell said. “I met a lot of great people. I’ve got a lot of great relationships. You know, I'm Texas forever in my blood. I'm just glad I was able to come back home and play for my home.”
And of course, they’re having to kick Jordan Whittington off the team. I know he has NFL dreams and the talent to make those dreams a reality. But I’m not sure he wouldn’t stick around for another season if the choice were his. After all, he loves this university as much as any of you.
Login to view embedded media
T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy are both gone as well. Those two DT’s became an immovable force in the middle and are as responsible as anybody for Texas’ season. The Horns would have lost against K-State, for example, if not for Sweat making plays. Seriously, their impact can not be underestimated.
THE FUTURE IS STILL BRIGHT
While it will be hard to say goodbye to players who have defined this season, the Longhorns move into 2024 still in very good shape to make it back to the playoffs again next year.
Login to view embedded media
Vegas knows what most you know … this team is still going to be very loaded.
Quinn Ewers has yet to publicly declare that he’ll be back, but you know he’s not going to want his last pass as a Texas Longhorn to be the one that got swatted out of Adonai Mitchell’s hands.
Ewers, for all of his talent, has struggled to win over some of the fan base. Yet, the guy has put his head down, worked hard. He did exactly what you want an underclassman to do, he got better as the season went along. Give Ewers one more offseason of learning Sarkisian’s offense and he could end up being the best of the best. Think experience doesn’t matter? Go ask Michael Penix how much better he was this season than his Sophomore year.
The offensive line returns mostly intact and will likely be even better next year. Kelvin Banks will be playing what will likely be his final season in 2024 before being a top-10 draft pick in the NFL. Cam Williams will step in at right tackle to replace Christian Jones and he steps into the starting lineup with far more natural talent than Jones had (and two years of learning under his belt). The interior will be stout with some combination of DJ Campbell, Hayden Connor, Hutson Cole, Neto Umeozulu, Connor Robertson, Malik Agbo and maybe even Jake Majors. Majors walked with the seniors during senior day, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be back and he has eligibility left.
The running backs are oozing with talent, even if Jonathan Brooks heads off to the NFL, as expected. CJ Baxter won the starting job during fall camp last year before an injury slowed him down. He actually looked like he had a little more burst on Monday than what we’ve seen from him the rest of the year.
Jaydon Blue is explosive and is not to be underrated. Savion Red isn’t going away either. They’ll be joined by ultra-talented freshmen Christian Clark and Jerrick Gibson. (Am I too late to claim the presidency of the Christian Clark fan club? That guys agility in traffic is elite.)
The obvious question mark will be at wide receiver. All three starting wide receivers will be gone. Certainly you would probably like another wide receiver out of the transfer portal if you can find an experienced player with some skins on the wall. However, the good news is that there is a lot of talented young players already on campus that are ready to step up.
Johntay Cook is ready to not just step up but to shine out. The former 5-star recruit has got everyone in the program excited to see what he can do as a starter.
Matthew Golden, the transfer from Houston, has already shown what he can do and everything he does is FAST! Not only will Golden be the experienced voice in the wide receiver room, he’ll also be an impact replacement for Worthy as a punt returner.
The third receiver could be any combination of Ryan Niblett, DeAndre Moore or incoming freshmen Ryan Wingo, Parker Livingstone, Freddie Dubose, Jr., or last minute signee Aaron Butler. Personally, I placing my money on Wingo. You don’t find many 6’-2”, 190 wide receivers who can run like he runs.
DEFENDING YOUR HORNS …
I don’t think there is any way the Horns can replace Sweat and Murphy. Those guys were the brick wall that shut down every run game they faced. They were also a disruptive force in the pass game. Yes, even Michael Penix Jr. felt pressured by this dynamic duo, he just was able to stay alive more than anyone else Texas faced this year.
Alfred Collins coming back will be a huge boost. Collins has flashed amazing abilities throughout his time in Austin. The key for him to both help the Horns and improve his draft stock will be consistency. Guess what, the key to Sweat’s explosion this year was consistency as well so it can be done. Also, I have seen Collins play faster and with more attitude this season. I look forward to more of Collins this year.
The edge position should be actually even stronger next year. Trey Moore is transferring in to Texas from UTSA. The sophomore has already tallied 22 sacks in two seasons with the Roadrunners.
Moore will be joined by Barryn Sorrell, Ethan Burke, J’Mond Tapp, Justice Finkley, Billy Walton and Colton Vasek.
Oh, and then there’s some guy named Colin Simmons who signed with Texas and will be a freshman next year. Simmons wants to be a freshman all-American next year and he has the talent to be able to do that.
Frankly, one of the most interesting things early in the season will be to see how the playing time for all of these edges will be divvied up.
The DB’s will see some new faces but I thought two freshmen were actually the best players on this year’s team. Malik Muhammad and Derek Williams really played well this year and got better all season. They will form the nucleus of the DB group.
Seriously, the 2024 Texas Longhorns may make you forget the pain of how the 2023 season ended. The talent is there. If next year’s team is able to build the same chemistry and character as this year’s team, then the sky is the limit.
TWEETS OF INTEREST
Login to view embedded media
Xavier Worthy’s spot in the Texas record books has been cemented. He leaves as one of the best Longhorn WR’s of all time.
Despite all of his speed and accolades, I am still not entirely sure that Worthy will end up being a first round NFL draft pick.
Worthy checks in as the 5th best wide receiver on Mel Kiper’s “Big Board.”
1. Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State
2. Rome Odunze, Washington
3. Malik Nabers, LSU
4. Keon Coleman, Florida State
5. Xavier Worthy, Texas
6. Brian Thomas Jr., LSU
7. Adonai Mitchell, Texas
8. Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State
9. Xavier Legette, South Carolina
10. Ladd McConkey, Georgia
You have to believe Harrison, Odunze and Nabers are locks to be first round picks. After that, it just depends on how many teams need WR’s.
Certainly, the old cliché that it only takes one team to fall in love with a prospect to be a first round pick is a cliché because it’s true. And you have to think if anyone can make a team fall in love with him then it’s Xavier Worthy. It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to picture him in a Raiders uniform.
Still, Worthy’s health will be a concern for some NFL teams. It’s hard for guys weighing less than 200 pounds to make it through a 16 game scheduled unharmed. Still, if anyone has proven that he will play through pain it is Worthy. The guy is tough as nails and he just does not come off the field for any reason.
Oh, and he’s fast. Real fast. Did I mention that before? Worthy is fast.
##################################
I have been such a huge fan of Jonathan Brooks, it will be a real shame when he officially declares for the draft … but I think he has a bright future.
Login to view embedded media
##################################
This really does need to change.
Login to view embedded media
##################################
I don’t want to pile on Quinn Ewers but this was not his best game. Frankly, if he did play a little better then Texas would be playing again next Monday.
Login to view embedded media
##################################
Just how good has Penix been?
Login to view embedded media
##################################
There have been lots of rumors of LSU being interested in Texas DL coach Bo Davis. Davis has certainly shown he is capable of producing elite defensive line play. I trust Sark to find a good replacement if he goes, but there’s no denying that it will be a blow if he goes.
Login to view embedded media
##################################
The chutzpah with this guy.
Login to view embedded media
##################################
Frank Harris could have gone into coaching but instead he decided to go to work for the UTSA NIL collective. That should tell you how important NIL has become in the college football game.
Login to view embedded media
##################################
This would be a big blow for Missouri … but hey have to know where they stand on the pecking order.
Login to view embedded media
##################################
Good for former Texas baseball coach Woody Williams finding a new gig.
Login to view embedded media
##################################
If anyone knows how to pitch to Big Papi it would be his wife.
Login to view embedded media
