10 Things for Tuesday

Here’s your latest dose of 10 Things for Tuesday, sponsored by Brent Campbell:

This week, with practice starting tomorrow, I look at 10 things that can help the Texas A&M football team break out of its 8-4 funk and make a run at the College Football Playoff. Some are obvious, others maybe not as much.

1. The passing game must improve — more precisely, Marcel Reed must improve.

For a guy thrust into the starting role in a season that was supposed to be a developmental one, Marcel Reed wasn’t bad — he completed 61.3% of his passes, threw 15 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. He definitely improved down the stretch.
But he also threw for less than 170 yards a game on average, a clear sign that he was being protected and the coaching staff were trying to make things as simple as possible for him. That has to go out the window now, because he’s the unquestioned starter and has a year-plus under his belt in Collin Klein’s offense.

Reed needs to be more decisive, for starters. Some of his biggest problems were self-inflicted, as he held onto the ball too long. He’s got to work his progression faster, find an open guy and let it rip. He needs to have faith in himself and what he’s seeing — and, if nobody’s open, use his speed.

Reed needs to be more consistent, improve his accuracy and take more shots down the field. In other words, things that are expected from a quarterback going from year one to year two. If he takes that normal leap forward, Texas A&M’s offense becomes far more dangerous.

2. The receivers need to get more separation.

This reason, as much as any, is why Texas A&M has a very different receiver corps this year. Last year, the Aggies had one receiver who consistently got open: Noah Thomas. Everyone else could have been a poster children for inconsistency. This year, the Aggies have an elite receiver in KC Concepcion, a guy who averaged 21.6 yards per catch last season in Mario Craver, and a healthy and more experienced Terry Bussey, who was a 5-star just a year ago. The coaching staff also is putting their faith in Ashton Bethel-Roman, who has some size to go with his speed. True freshmen Jerome Myles and Kelshaun Johnson can run as well. The ability is there to get open; now they have to run the routes and actually do it.

3. Impose their will up front.

Fourth and one was an absolute nightmare for Texas A&M last year. The Aggies couldn’t get a yard, or less, in four critical situations against Texas and South Carolina. Those plays may have been the difference in those games; at the least, they altered momentum considerably. A&M returns all five starters from last year, including three seniors. They also have their two top reserves back. They invested in two big blocking tight ends. If they want to get past eight wins and to nine or 10, this group had better be able to get that yard in 2025, and dominate the trenches at all other times as well.

4. Make your own pass rush.

One of the biggest disappointments of 2024 was the inability of a defensive line that had a first round pick and two second round picks to get consistent pressure on the quarterback without blitzing. You can argue that Cashius Howell, who was the JACK last year, was the best pass rusher in a Texas A&M uniform and you’d have a very solid case. This year, Howell moves to defensive end. Dayon Hayes, who has 14 career sacks (two in just four games last season at Colorado before he was injured), likely moves in as the other starter. He’s a fifth-year senior, so he should have the experience to go with his talent when it comes to rushing the passer. Freshman Marco Jones, who dominated the spring game, should also get playing time along with T.J. Searcy, who had a couple of sacks last season for Florida.

Last season, pressure came mostly when A&M blitzed. Good teams find ways to pressure the quarterback when they don’t. That’s one of the challenges for this defensive front.

5. Slow down the running game.

This is probably even more important than rushing the passer. The Texas A&M defense started off poorly against the run last year, then improved, then disintegrated again late in the season. It’s not a coincidence that the Aggies stumbled in November as South Carolina, Auburn and Texas ran all over them. So out goes the big line (especially at defensive end) and in comes the fast line. 285 and 290 has been replaced with 255 and 260. They need to be faster getting to the edges and cutting off the run, so something different needs to be tried.

6. Keep 7 on the field

This is on defense, and 7 is Tyreek Chappell. The loss of Chappell threw the defense into absolute flux last season, as he had stabilized the nickel position and was just as solid against the run as he was against the pass. Jaydon Hill immediately became a target for opposing offenses, forcing Texas A&M to move BJ Mayes inside — a move that had consequences for other positions. Chappell is one of coach Mike Elko’s favorite players and Chappell has played his best under Elko’s tutelage. If he stays healthy and Jordan Shaw plays as well as he practices, the nickel position becomes an asset to the defense.

7. Find another corner.

Texas A&M has one of the SEC’s best in Will Lee, and that’s a big plus for the secondary and the defense as a whole. But opponents figured out fast last year to throw at the other guy, no matter who it was. Most of the time, that was Dezz Ricks, and no corner in the SEC was picked on more. USC ate him alive in the Las Vegas Bowl. But Ricks was out there nearly all the time because there was no one else — in part because Mayes had to play nickel. The Aggies desperately need another solid cornerback. He doesn’t have to be great, just good. Maybe that’s Ricks. Maybe that’s newcomer Julian Humphrey. But it’s got to be somebody.

8. Actually operate the defense.

Let’s face it; Texas A&M did not run a defense last year like we expect a Mike Elko defense to look like. There was confusion, a ton of busts, missed tackles, poor scheming and an overall disappointment for the talent available. There is significantly more optimism this year, as seven starters return and the majority of the defense has a year in Elko’s system. They also brought in Reggie Hemphill to work with the safeties and Elko himself is more involved. If they do the basic things right, there’s no reason they shouldn’t be improved.

9. Keep RB1 and RB2 healthy.

That was never a possibility last year, as Rueben Owens went down a week into camp and he was done for essentially the entire year, even though he gutted it out against Texas and USC. The Aggies were a well-above average team when Le’Veon Moss was healthy, but the instant he got hurt against South Carolina the wheels came off. Amari Daniels was downright heroic carrying the load with Moss and Owens out, but he was seriously hurt too. Texas A&M must keep at least two of these three guys healthy if they’re going to keep unnecessary pressure off the arm of Reed.

10. FINISH

This has been the Texas A&M football mantra since last season ended. They know 1-4 in November and the postseason is a letdown, and they know how close they were last season to things being special in spite of their shortcomings. A lot of those shortcomings are gone, and this is a veteran team. This group of Aggies should know another collapse is unacceptable.

Our sponsor

Sponsored by Brent Campbell, Fighting Texas Aggie Class of 1998. Brent is a Commercial Real Estate Broker, serving all of Central Texas and specializing in sales, leasing & development. He leads a retail acquisition and sales team and was recognized by the Austin Business Journal as a Commercial Real Estate Heavy Hitter in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020 & 2023.

In the last 22 years, he has closed deals with a total transactional value of over $375 million and has leased more than 4.5 million square feet. Brent currently serves as the president of the board of directors for Habitat Homes, Inc. and Pathways Youth and Family Services. He is a former president of the Heart of Round Rock Neighborhood Association and a former member of the Round Rock Zoning Advisory Committee, the Round Rock Business and Retention Committee, and the City of Round Rock Ethics Commission, which has led him to begin developing in Williamson and Travis County.

An Austin native, Brent lives in Round Rock where he and his wife have raised four boys. Brent works for Don Quick and Associates, Inc. in Round Rock, TX and can be reached at [email protected].