Jordan Pugh calls Ainias Smith the 'ultimate mismatch' for defenses

We are two days away from the start of fall camp, and former Texas A&M and NFL safety Jordan Pugh joined Monday's TexAgs Radio to detail a bunch of thoughts on the Aggies this season. Pugh discusses his expectations, the wide receiver room and much more.

Key notes from Jordan Pugh interview

• I thought a lot of the praise last year was a year too early. The way the season went, I thought it was the best thing that could’ve happened because it forced change. You look at Bobby Petrino coming in and all the young guys who played. I think this year is the year expectations should be up. You have multiple QBs who have been in the system for a year now. You return almost everybody on defense. You’ve got experience — Guys who are hungry, guys who are being overlooked and guys who have been talked about all offseason. I love the state of where the team is. I love the changes that have been made. I’m excited about this year and what the potential can be.
   
• Having Petrino call the offense and be the play caller was a phenomenal move. You look at Conner Weigman and what he did last year. You saw the potential coming out of high school. You first saw it against Ole Miss, but then you saw it translate over to the LSU game. The athletic ability, the arm talent, the poise he showed against LSU. Knowing what the offense can be now with the new play caller, I think this is a hidden gem and a team that could be a dark horse. I think our time is now.
   
• When you look at Weigman, he is the future. Weigman has the most upside. He has a good experience. I like Max Johnson. I think Max Johnson is good, but Weigman is great. The offense can flourish with his skillset.
   
• The offensive line is one of those positions where you just need to grow up a little bit. They’ve got to grow together, and they are getting that experience.
   
• I think the secondary with corners is where that weak spot would be. If we are being picky, I’d go with corners being the weakness, but overall, from a team aspect, I don’t think it will be a huge thing to look for in terms of weakness.
   
• The wide receiver position is the strongest. Evan Stewart, Ainias Smith is back, Moose Muhammad is back, and you’ve got the emergence of Noah Thomas. Our wideout unit is the most underrated unit in the country. They talk about Ohio State and Texas, but people are not looking at what we have at the wide receiver spot. We have explosive playmakers. Guys who can win 1-on-1, and guys who can attack the football and make contested catches.
   
• Smith and Demani Richardson are the anchors of the team. Every team has talent, especially with how we recruit. There’s talent everywhere, but you need those anchors. Smith brings that anchor to the offense. He’s played every year, experiencing all the highs and lows. Same thing with Richardson on the defensive side. He can help our young guys continue to grow and develop. Having them is absolutely important. I think it’s huge. It gives our team and our quarterbacks confidence. It’s absolutely vital.
   
• One of the best players I’ve ever played against was Percy Harvin, and that’s who Ainias Smith reminds me of. They can use him in the backfield and in the slot. They can split him out wide, and he can return punts and kicks. He’s the ultimate Swiss Army Knife. Ainias Smith is the ultimate mismatch problem for a defense. You need to get him the ball, and he’ll be one of the top playmakers in the SEC in Petrino’s offense.
   
• Edgerrin Cooper has experience being able to stop the run game. He brings stability and leadership. With what he brings, you’ll see this defense overhaul and be explosive and dominant this season. He’s a playmaker and has all the athletic ability to be a foundational piece and a glue piece within that defense to really help us excel.
   
• My expectation is to be in Atlanta. There is no excuse this year for this team. I think the experience that this team has and all the young talent that was forced to play last year and grow up right in front of your eyes, so this is the time. They need to be at least in Atlanta this year. You have the pieces, the most explosive receiving core in the country, two quarterbacks with SEC experience and an offensive line that grew up. This is the time for me. I’m excited about the group. I think this is the year they can creep up on a lot of people because the expectations aren’t high, and they play better when they are being doubted.