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Phone: 281-971-3362
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Week 2 stab at a depth chart
(this could change again next week. It's still very fluid.)
QB: Conner Weigman/Marcel Reed
RB: Rueben Owens/Le’Veon Moss
TE: Theo Ohrstrom/Donovan Green
TE: Tre Watson/Shane Calhoun OR Jaden Platt
WR (X): Noah Thomas/Jake Bostick
WR (SLOT): Moose Muhammad/Cyrus Allen
WR (Z): Jahdae Walker/Micah Tease
LT: Trey Zuhn/Aki Ogunbiyi
LG: Chase Bisontis/TJ Shanahan
C: Mark Nabou/Koli Faaiu
RG: Armaj Reed-Adams/Kam Dewberry
RT: Demetrious Crownover/Deuce Fatheree
DE: Nic Scourton/Josh Celiscar
DT: Shemar Turner/Rodas Johnson
NT: DJ Hicks/Albert Regis
DE: Shemar Stewart/Cashius Howell
MIKE: Taurean York/Daymion Sanford
WILL: Scooby Williams/Solomon DeShields
NICKEL: Tyreek Chappell OR Jaydon Hill
CB: Will Lee/Donovan Saunders
FS: Bryce Anderson/Marcus Ratcliffe
SS: Trey Jones/Dalton Brooks
CB: BJ Mayes/Dezz Ricks
P: Tyler White
K: Randy Bond
KO: Jared Zirkel
Depth chart aside, here's who I expect to see on the field week 1
QB: Weigman
RB: Owens and Moss, bit roles for Daniels and Smith
TE: Ohrstrom, Watson, Calhoun, Platt
WR: Thomas, Muhammad, Walker, Allen
OL (players still in competition, so keep that in mind): Zuhn, Bisontis, Nabou, Faaiu, Reed-Adams, Crownover, Fatheree
DL: Scourton, Stewart, Turner, Hicks, Johnson, Howell, Regis, Celiscar, Rylan Kennedy, Malick Sylla, Gabe Dindy
LB: York, Williams, DeShields, Sanford
NICKEL: Chappell, Hill
CB: Lee, Saunders, Mayes, Ricks, Jayvon Thomas
S: Anderson, Jones, Brooks, Ratcliffe
General observations (I would like to be more specific, but we've been asked to keep it more general)
I think that the Aggies know what they want to have happen up front, but I’m not sure it’s happening yet. Right now, I’m thinking Crownover is ahead of Fatheree, but it is not out of the realm of possibility that Reed-Adams moves out to right tackle and Nabou, Dewberry or Shanahan moves in at right guard. I think they would prefer Reed-Adams at guard, but it’s something to be aware.
Right now, I feel like Nabou has a pretty good lead over Faaiu when it comes to the center competition going into the first scrimmage this weekend. But Nabou has the versatility to shift to guard if they have to move someone out to tackle. I think they’re still mixing and matching, which bothers me a little because I would have hoped they’d have their guys by now. Nabou, honestly, may be the most underrated player on the team.
Zuhn and Bisontis are set.
We know that Donovan Green is still recovering from his knee injury and it may be a while before he gets back to where he was — and he’s put on 20 pounds. So I’m not sure when he’ll get to take the key role everyone expects him to have. Watson and Ohrstrom are the guys I think will be the first options, but Calhoun and Platt have both looked really good in practice the past few days.
Elko said in the spring that Chappell could be a guy who gets a look at nickel, and that is where he now is. It’s my impression that they felt they could move him because guys like Lee, Mayes, Saunders, Ricks and Jayvon Thomas have shown enough that they feel comfortable with them.
You’re going to see a lot of rotating of players on defense. Not the way Durkin did it, which had no rhyme or reason, but guys have specialized roles depending on the situation, down and distance.
Owens and Moss will likely get the lion’s share of the carries at running back. People we’ve talked to have them well ahead of Amari Daniels and EJ Smith — and that really shouldn’t surprise anyone.
Lee is the team’s best corner right now. Mayes has had a very good camp. Ricks has come the farthest as far as improvement by far.
I think it’s very possible Jones and Brooks switch back and forth depending on opponent and then situations in the game. They’re very different kinds of safeties. Jones is a big thumper, while Brooks is faster and probably better in coverage.
I do think Reed is ahead of Jaylen Henderson for the backup QB job. Just like Weigman did a couple of years ago, he’s taken a big leap from last season to this. He’s got the big arm, but his accuracy is much better.
If you’re looking at the depth chart and freaking out over not seeing Gabe Dindy, keep in mind that he has three fourth (or fifth)-year players ahead of him on the depth chart, one of which is was All-SEC last year (Turner) and the other two (Regis and Johnson) have had excellent camps. So you, and he, need to have some patience.
The four linebackers are Taurean York, Scooby Williams, Solomon DeShields and Daymion Sanford. Sanford has had a great offseason. How they actually use them in terms of the depth chart, I don’t know yet. Williams, who I figured would be the backup to York, is making a push to start next to him.
Malick Sylla was a guy I had figured was destined to be caught up in the mass of bodies at defensive end, but he’s done a good job this summer and looks like he could be in that group of pass rushers with Howell and Kennedy. I think the upside for Kennedy is huge, honestly. He’s in his third year of playing organized football and things just come so naturally to him.
When Elko has corners and nickels he likes, he’s aggressive. He was aggressive in 2020, and yesterday, Will Lee told us that Elko and Jay Bateman have put together an aggressive scheme. I don’t think it was intentional, but that’s a bit of a tell.
I also caught Elko smiling during practice yesterday. That could be a tell.
Ranking position groups right now
Defensive line
Safety/nickel
Running back
Quarterback
Cornerback
Tight end
Wide receiver
Linebacker
Offensive line
Why is the defensive line first? Because it’s absolutely loaded. I was worried about defensive tackle depth before the season, but after seeing Regis and Johnson, I’m not. The addition of Celiscar at defensive end and the ability to move Turner back outside in situations gives me comfort there. They have size and speed.
From the defensive line to linebacker, you could pick any of them out of a hat in any order and I’d be ok with it.
Safety and nickel I put second because Bryce Anderson has looked great, Trey Jones is a monster and Dalton Brooks is a guy I’ve loved since he was at Shiner. He’s got tremendous athletic ability and now he’s comfortable. Marcus Ratcliffe is another guy who has size and speed. Moving Chappell to nickel gives them versatility with him and Jaydon Hill.
Running back is up high, and maybe higher than it should be, because I’m buying into Rueben Owens. He’s bigger, he’s running stronger and he’s more decisive. He and Le’Veon Moss can be a powerful 1-2 punch.
Quarterback could be higher, but it’s still a “show me” deal. I think Weigman’s going to have a tremendous season if he’s protected, and Reed has made giant steps. Having a guy like Henderson, who can come in at any time and keep things moving, is a comfort.
Corner maybe should be higher, but after the last couple of years I need to see it to believe it. But the idea of possibly having five competitive corners (six if Bussey comes on) after having basically zero last year is a big change. They were really good yesterday across the board.
I’m down on the tight ends because Green’s not as far along as I’d hoped he’d be. But they still have numbers. I hope Watson ends up being the game breaker he seems like he could be. And I need to see Theo do what he’s doing in games before I buy.
Wideout has five good options right now. That’s better than I thought they’d have. But do they have a #1 receiver? It should be Thomas, but he has to stay healthy. Walker looks really good. But if Moose and Allen translate work on the practice field to the playing field, then this group will exceed the low expectations many have for it.
I just need to see who’s going to start next to York before I can really pass judgment on the linebackers. They are deeper than past years, though. Jordan Lockhart and Tristan Jernigan look like they’ll be good in 2025.
The offensive line continues to scare me. Just seeing so many guys going in and out yesterday at center, right guard and right tackle made me nervous. Maybe it’s just mixing and matching and they have an idea of what they want to do and are making sure. There are still two scrimmages left. They did move the ball well for good parts of yesterday’s practice. But I want a solid five out there, one rep after another, and then for them to show it games.
So what about Jonah Williams?
The 5-star remains the top target on A&M's board and its most likely big hit (even though Landyn's been told that they're not out of it for Michael Fasusi). LSU really hyped up their chances last week and some folks (me) bit on it, but now that things have calmed down, I'm a little more skeptical. In fact, I think A&M's chances of getting him have improved.
Williams wants to be THE safety in his class. Not necessarily the only, but you know what I mean. He wants to be mentioned first. Ok, Oregon has Trey McNutt. LSU got the commitment of CJ Jimcoily, a 4-star safety, yesterday. They have DJ Pickett, who also projects as a safety, in their class. And that leaves A&M amongst his three finalists.
MLB remains a very real threat, so Michael Earley may have to get involved with this one too, but A&M still has a very good shot at Williams at this point.
Phone: 281-971-3362
Email: paul@westhoustonsf.com
Week 2 stab at a depth chart
(this could change again next week. It's still very fluid.)
QB: Conner Weigman/Marcel Reed
RB: Rueben Owens/Le’Veon Moss
TE: Theo Ohrstrom/Donovan Green
TE: Tre Watson/Shane Calhoun OR Jaden Platt
WR (X): Noah Thomas/Jake Bostick
WR (SLOT): Moose Muhammad/Cyrus Allen
WR (Z): Jahdae Walker/Micah Tease
LT: Trey Zuhn/Aki Ogunbiyi
LG: Chase Bisontis/TJ Shanahan
C: Mark Nabou/Koli Faaiu
RG: Armaj Reed-Adams/Kam Dewberry
RT: Demetrious Crownover/Deuce Fatheree
DE: Nic Scourton/Josh Celiscar
DT: Shemar Turner/Rodas Johnson
NT: DJ Hicks/Albert Regis
DE: Shemar Stewart/Cashius Howell
MIKE: Taurean York/Daymion Sanford
WILL: Scooby Williams/Solomon DeShields
NICKEL: Tyreek Chappell OR Jaydon Hill
CB: Will Lee/Donovan Saunders
FS: Bryce Anderson/Marcus Ratcliffe
SS: Trey Jones/Dalton Brooks
CB: BJ Mayes/Dezz Ricks
P: Tyler White
K: Randy Bond
KO: Jared Zirkel
Depth chart aside, here's who I expect to see on the field week 1
QB: Weigman
RB: Owens and Moss, bit roles for Daniels and Smith
TE: Ohrstrom, Watson, Calhoun, Platt
WR: Thomas, Muhammad, Walker, Allen
OL (players still in competition, so keep that in mind): Zuhn, Bisontis, Nabou, Faaiu, Reed-Adams, Crownover, Fatheree
DL: Scourton, Stewart, Turner, Hicks, Johnson, Howell, Regis, Celiscar, Rylan Kennedy, Malick Sylla, Gabe Dindy
LB: York, Williams, DeShields, Sanford
NICKEL: Chappell, Hill
CB: Lee, Saunders, Mayes, Ricks, Jayvon Thomas
S: Anderson, Jones, Brooks, Ratcliffe
General observations (I would like to be more specific, but we've been asked to keep it more general)
I think that the Aggies know what they want to have happen up front, but I’m not sure it’s happening yet. Right now, I’m thinking Crownover is ahead of Fatheree, but it is not out of the realm of possibility that Reed-Adams moves out to right tackle and Nabou, Dewberry or Shanahan moves in at right guard. I think they would prefer Reed-Adams at guard, but it’s something to be aware.
Right now, I feel like Nabou has a pretty good lead over Faaiu when it comes to the center competition going into the first scrimmage this weekend. But Nabou has the versatility to shift to guard if they have to move someone out to tackle. I think they’re still mixing and matching, which bothers me a little because I would have hoped they’d have their guys by now. Nabou, honestly, may be the most underrated player on the team.
Zuhn and Bisontis are set.
We know that Donovan Green is still recovering from his knee injury and it may be a while before he gets back to where he was — and he’s put on 20 pounds. So I’m not sure when he’ll get to take the key role everyone expects him to have. Watson and Ohrstrom are the guys I think will be the first options, but Calhoun and Platt have both looked really good in practice the past few days.
Elko said in the spring that Chappell could be a guy who gets a look at nickel, and that is where he now is. It’s my impression that they felt they could move him because guys like Lee, Mayes, Saunders, Ricks and Jayvon Thomas have shown enough that they feel comfortable with them.
You’re going to see a lot of rotating of players on defense. Not the way Durkin did it, which had no rhyme or reason, but guys have specialized roles depending on the situation, down and distance.
Owens and Moss will likely get the lion’s share of the carries at running back. People we’ve talked to have them well ahead of Amari Daniels and EJ Smith — and that really shouldn’t surprise anyone.
Lee is the team’s best corner right now. Mayes has had a very good camp. Ricks has come the farthest as far as improvement by far.
I think it’s very possible Jones and Brooks switch back and forth depending on opponent and then situations in the game. They’re very different kinds of safeties. Jones is a big thumper, while Brooks is faster and probably better in coverage.
I do think Reed is ahead of Jaylen Henderson for the backup QB job. Just like Weigman did a couple of years ago, he’s taken a big leap from last season to this. He’s got the big arm, but his accuracy is much better.
If you’re looking at the depth chart and freaking out over not seeing Gabe Dindy, keep in mind that he has three fourth (or fifth)-year players ahead of him on the depth chart, one of which is was All-SEC last year (Turner) and the other two (Regis and Johnson) have had excellent camps. So you, and he, need to have some patience.
The four linebackers are Taurean York, Scooby Williams, Solomon DeShields and Daymion Sanford. Sanford has had a great offseason. How they actually use them in terms of the depth chart, I don’t know yet. Williams, who I figured would be the backup to York, is making a push to start next to him.
Malick Sylla was a guy I had figured was destined to be caught up in the mass of bodies at defensive end, but he’s done a good job this summer and looks like he could be in that group of pass rushers with Howell and Kennedy. I think the upside for Kennedy is huge, honestly. He’s in his third year of playing organized football and things just come so naturally to him.
When Elko has corners and nickels he likes, he’s aggressive. He was aggressive in 2020, and yesterday, Will Lee told us that Elko and Jay Bateman have put together an aggressive scheme. I don’t think it was intentional, but that’s a bit of a tell.
I also caught Elko smiling during practice yesterday. That could be a tell.
Ranking position groups right now
Defensive line
Safety/nickel
Running back
Quarterback
Cornerback
Tight end
Wide receiver
Linebacker
Offensive line
Why is the defensive line first? Because it’s absolutely loaded. I was worried about defensive tackle depth before the season, but after seeing Regis and Johnson, I’m not. The addition of Celiscar at defensive end and the ability to move Turner back outside in situations gives me comfort there. They have size and speed.
From the defensive line to linebacker, you could pick any of them out of a hat in any order and I’d be ok with it.
Safety and nickel I put second because Bryce Anderson has looked great, Trey Jones is a monster and Dalton Brooks is a guy I’ve loved since he was at Shiner. He’s got tremendous athletic ability and now he’s comfortable. Marcus Ratcliffe is another guy who has size and speed. Moving Chappell to nickel gives them versatility with him and Jaydon Hill.
Running back is up high, and maybe higher than it should be, because I’m buying into Rueben Owens. He’s bigger, he’s running stronger and he’s more decisive. He and Le’Veon Moss can be a powerful 1-2 punch.
Quarterback could be higher, but it’s still a “show me” deal. I think Weigman’s going to have a tremendous season if he’s protected, and Reed has made giant steps. Having a guy like Henderson, who can come in at any time and keep things moving, is a comfort.
Corner maybe should be higher, but after the last couple of years I need to see it to believe it. But the idea of possibly having five competitive corners (six if Bussey comes on) after having basically zero last year is a big change. They were really good yesterday across the board.
I’m down on the tight ends because Green’s not as far along as I’d hoped he’d be. But they still have numbers. I hope Watson ends up being the game breaker he seems like he could be. And I need to see Theo do what he’s doing in games before I buy.
Wideout has five good options right now. That’s better than I thought they’d have. But do they have a #1 receiver? It should be Thomas, but he has to stay healthy. Walker looks really good. But if Moose and Allen translate work on the practice field to the playing field, then this group will exceed the low expectations many have for it.
I just need to see who’s going to start next to York before I can really pass judgment on the linebackers. They are deeper than past years, though. Jordan Lockhart and Tristan Jernigan look like they’ll be good in 2025.
The offensive line continues to scare me. Just seeing so many guys going in and out yesterday at center, right guard and right tackle made me nervous. Maybe it’s just mixing and matching and they have an idea of what they want to do and are making sure. There are still two scrimmages left. They did move the ball well for good parts of yesterday’s practice. But I want a solid five out there, one rep after another, and then for them to show it games.
So what about Jonah Williams?
The 5-star remains the top target on A&M's board and its most likely big hit (even though Landyn's been told that they're not out of it for Michael Fasusi). LSU really hyped up their chances last week and some folks (me) bit on it, but now that things have calmed down, I'm a little more skeptical. In fact, I think A&M's chances of getting him have improved.
Williams wants to be THE safety in his class. Not necessarily the only, but you know what I mean. He wants to be mentioned first. Ok, Oregon has Trey McNutt. LSU got the commitment of CJ Jimcoily, a 4-star safety, yesterday. They have DJ Pickett, who also projects as a safety, in their class. And that leaves A&M amongst his three finalists.
MLB remains a very real threat, so Michael Earley may have to get involved with this one too, but A&M still has a very good shot at Williams at this point.
