There was a time not so long ago when college football coaches welcomed media into practice.
Now, media is as welcome into practice as crows in a cornfield.
We partially have ourselves to blame.
Once, reporters had an understanding that certain things should not be reported without the coach's consent.
For example, if a team is working on a trick play or a fake punt, such information should not be made public.
Then came cell phones and social media.
Soon after injuries were being tweeted before players and coaches even consulted doctors or informed parents.
That — and more and more coaches following the Nick Saban philosophy of controlling the narrative — resulted in media exile from practice.
No longer could we make our own evaluations of player development. Reporters became dependent on unnamed sources. That can be a risky proposition, as certain reporters in Austin were reminded of last week.
Reporters also attempt to decipher a coach’s code. Sometimes what he doesn’t say may reveal more than what he does.
Therefore, projections of winners and/or probable starters at various positions are rarely — if ever — based on what we’ve seen. Rather, it’s trying to piece together what’s heard from various voices.
With that in mind, here are some projections — guesses, actually — of who will emerge as the winner of the most uncertain position battles and be in Texas A&M’s starting lineup against Sam Houston in 12 days.
Tight end: Later in the season freshmen Jake Johnson, Donovan Green or even Theo Melin Öhrström may elevate. But veteran Max Wright has consistently drawn praise. His experience and reported improvement suggest he’ll be No. 1 on the depth chart.
Receiver: Ainias Smith is certain to start in the slot. Freshman Evan Stewart is a sure bet at wideout. So, who’s the No. 3 receiver? The Aggies have no shortage of candidates, but the pick here is junior Chase Lane remains entrenched there. When healthy, he has been productive in that role. He’s healthy.
Left guard: Comments from coach Jimbo Fisher seem to indicate either Jordan Moko or Aki Ogunbiyi start here. The pick is Ogunbiyi. He received some starting experience last season, and Fisher has raved about his improvement.
Defensive tackle: McKinnley Jackson is a sure starter inside. The bet is he’ll be joined by fellow junior Isaiah Raikes, who started one game last season but got a lot of action in a backup role. Raikes probably gets the start over sophomore Shemar Turner, but look for Turner to come in on passing downs.
Defensive end: Freshman Walter Nolen is A&M’s all-time highest-rated recruit. His recruiting ranking of 0.9997 is even higher than that of Myles Garrett, whose ranking was 0.9993. Garrett was an immediate starter in 2014. Nolen doesn’t have to be in 2022. Instead, the guess is Defensive Coordinator D.J. Durkin goes with Fadil Diggs (a sure thing based on comments) and redshirt freshman Tunmise Adeleye, a prized prospect in 2021 with a 0.9811 rating.
Linebacker: Edgerrin Cooper is a lock. The other spot is likely Andre White, a senior who started nine games in 2021.
Safety: Fisher has shown over and over that he won’t hesitate to start a true freshman at any position. Three years ago, Demani Richardson started as a true freshman at safety. He’s a senior now. The guess is he’ll be joined by true freshman Jacoby Mathews. By all accounts, Mathews had had a spectacular August camp. However, if Mathews falters at all, he could get a quick hook with sophomore Jardin Gilbert waiting in the wings.
Quarterback: Always save the best for last, right? The bet here is Haynes King gets the nod over Max Johnson and Conner Weigman. King has three years of experience in Fisher’s system. He also has great speed which creates versatility and interesting possibilities. Fisher chose King as his starter last season. Expect him to choose King again.
4 said:
Since when is Walter Nolen a DE? He's a DT.
djktamu said:
Three catches doesn't make me think Max Wright is gonna bust out with a boatload of catches. How has he improved? Better hands would be nice. Seems like he'd be more of a blocking TE, probably lining up at FB in short yardage situations. Is there such a thing as Tight End by committee?
Sterling82 said:4 said:
Since when is Walter Nolen a DE? He's a DT.
I agree. And if he's going to play DE I would think he would compete on the strong side rather than against Diggs. Either that or he is very, very athletic for a 300 pounder.
Max (59.8%) has a lower, career completion percentage than Haynes (61.5%). So you hope if Max gets the nod, he improves on his accuracy as well, right?Cojack said:
MJ is the more consistent and durable QB. If King gets the nod, I hope he has improved his accuracy.
4 said:Sterling82 said:4 said:
Since when is Walter Nolen a DE? He's a DT.
I agree. And if he's going to play DE I would think he would compete on the strong side rather than against Diggs. Either that or he is very, very athletic for a 300 pounder.
He's not going to. Don't know what Olin was thinking. Nolen is a classic 3-5 technique.
Haven't heard a single coach mention his name and DE in the same sentence even once.
NoahAg said:
Not much of a sample size for King. One and one quarter game? I'd take Max's 27 TDs and 6 interceptions from last year.
You can watch the Kent State game on YouTube in about 20 minutes, you'll see why King is going to be the qb. Johnson can't do what King can do. I think the 3 interceptions have turned in to something they weren't. One was tipped at the line of scrimmage, it happens. The other two were both tight, Chapman let a guy get through him, maybe not, not horrible. The first may have been tipped by Wydermeyer coming underneath, maybe not, not horrible. He hit Ainas in stride for what which could have been a house call, dropped. He hit Chapman deep, man we're gonna miss that possession guy.NoahAg said:
Not much of a sample size for King. One and one quarter game? I'd take Max's 27 TDs and 6 interceptions from last year.
Ah the tried and true false narrative of our wideouts.SinKiller said:You can watch the Kent State game on YouTube in about 20 minutes, you'll see why King is going to be the qb. Johnson can't do what King can do. I think the 3 interceptions have turned in to something they weren't. One was tipped at the line of scrimmage, it happens. The other two were both tight, Chapman let a guy get through him, maybe not, not horrible. The first may have been tipped by Wydermeyer coming underneath, maybe not, not horrible. He hit Ainas in stride for what which could have been a house call, dropped. He hit Chapman deep, man we're gonna miss that possession guy.NoahAg said:
Not much of a sample size for King. One and one quarter game? I'd take Max's 27 TDs and 6 interceptions from last year.
Observations outside of King, the OL was just not good. I can't wait for the day when our wr's can get constant separation, the db's are constantly in our pocket.
Go watch the two plays in question here, and get back with me...ironmanag said:Ah the tried and true false narrative of our wideouts.SinKiller said:You can watch the Kent State game on YouTube in about 20 minutes, you'll see why King is going to be the qb. Johnson can't do what King can do. I think the 3 interceptions have turned in to something they weren't. One was tipped at the line of scrimmage, it happens. The other two were both tight, Chapman let a guy get through him, maybe not, not horrible. The first may have been tipped by Wydermeyer coming underneath, maybe not, not horrible. He hit Ainas in stride for what which could have been a house call, dropped. He hit Chapman deep, man we're gonna miss that possession guy.NoahAg said:
Not much of a sample size for King. One and one quarter game? I'd take Max's 27 TDs and 6 interceptions from last year.
Observations outside of King, the OL was just not good. I can't wait for the day when our wr's can get constant separation, the db's are constantly in our pocket.
