Jimbo Fisher confirms Ainias Smith lost for season with injury

No. 17 Texas A&M will be without star wide receiver Ainias Smith for the rest of the season after he suffered a ‘lower body injury’ in the team’s 23-21 win over Arkansas on Saturday.

Coach Jimbo Fisher confirmed the news, though he wouldn’t get into the specifics of the injury on Monday.

“Lower body injury,” Fisher said, shaking his head. “I don’t know all the; I know the details but I don’t want to get into it. I don’t want to say the wrong thing.”

Smith was the team’s leading receiver, more than doubling the output of any other receiver on the roster in terms of yardage and touchdowns. He had accounted for 15 catches for 291 yards and two touchdowns.

Without him, the Aggies will have to turn to some younger players like freshman Evan Stewart, a former five-star prospect and top-10 recruit nationally.

Despite the loss of Smith, Fisher believes the veteran wideout can still find ways to contribute.

“Well I think diversity and leadership and experience,” Fisher said. “I mean when you go through all three of those things. But he’ll be around to help those guys and mentor those guys and that’s the best he can do. As far as that goes he’ll be right there with them, I know that.

“He’s a unique player, he’s a unique competitor and I love him to death. It’s just an unfortunate situation.”

Ainias Smith injury creates opportunity for Evan Stewart

While Texas A&M’s receiving corps certainly takes a blow thanks to the Ainias Smith injury, the Aggies have some replacements waiting in the wings.

Stewart, the five-star freshman, is the most obvious candidate to play a major role in replacing him. Stewart scored his first career touchdown on Saturday night against the Razorbacks and is quickly earning the trust of his coaches.

“Evan is getting better and better. He’s growing as a freshman,” Fisher said after the win. “Let me see what he had. He had 36. We had a touchdown. There’s some other plays in there we tried to get it to him. I think he was sliding in there. Had one he could have got.

“But he’s just getting better. Evan is going to be a really good player. He’s very dynamic guy and can make plays. You saw that one we had called back, he can catch and run with it. He can get deep. He can do a lot of things. He’s getting better and better.”

Stewart is A&M’s second-leading receiver, having caught 13 passes for 141 yards and a touchdown.

Meanwhile, guys like receiver Yulkieth Brown (5 catches for 97 yards, 1 TD), tight end Donovan Green (5 catches for 80 yards) and receiver Chris Marshall (4 catches for 41 yards) will be counted on to step up to aid a struggling Aggies passing game.