Greetings from very pretty, if a little weird, Flagstaff, Ariz. Anyway, on with the show.
Antwuan Space transferring: shed no tears for either side
The Aggies are in a numbers crunch when it comes to scholarships, and they need to drop a couple of guys to get down to the 13 scholarship limit. Space had played himself out of the rotation with his lack of defense and desire to shoot every time he got the ball, no matter whether or not anyone else was open.
Space wanted to play more, and that wasn't going to happen at A&M. He'll graduate in May, so he'll be able to transfer without sitting out and will be ready for next year. This is an arrangement that is best for both sides. The Aggies have more guys coming that would take up even more minutes, and he'd already fallen behind Tavario Miller (possibly the nicest surprise of 2014-15) in the rotation.
Now, as we say goodbye to Mr. Space and thank him for beating Tennessee last season, let's look at more serious stuff: who's going to be the other casualty? There are a few options: Avery Johnson Jr., Dylan Johns and Devonte Fitzgerald. AJ Jr. isn't going anywhere, even if he doesn't play -- his role off the court is too important. Also, A&M didn't take a point guard in this last class, and Alex Caruso's gone after next year. Johns makes sense, with the big men coming in in the new class. Fitzgerald is a bubble guy, because Admon Gilder is going to come in and play off the bat, as is D.J. Hogg.
So, stay tuned.
10 players to watch for "the progression"
They say the biggest progression in college football comes from the freshman to sophomore year, and if that's the case, there should be a good amount of optimism for this year. Here are 10 guys I'm looking at (some are redshirts) to make a big step this year, and why. I'm not going to include Myles Garrett, because that's just not fair. He's already making the move, which should make A&M fans grin.
1. Zaycoven Henderson: There was no question about his motor last year, and he played better as the season went on. He was a little banged up last spring, which hindered his development some. This spring, he's got a full year of weight training under his belt (remember, he was a mid-term enrollee) and he's steamrolling people. A rotation of Henderson and Hardreck Walker next to Alonzo Williams and Daylon Mack should make for a formidable interior group.
2. Josh Walker: Walker isn't practicing the rest of the spring, but here's a guy who made the switch to middle linebacker last fall and developed into a strong tackler by season's end. He's going to be more familiar with his job and should be more physically prepared for the SEC grind by the time fall rolls around.
3. Otaro Alaka: Mark Snyder loved Alaka's upside because he's extremely smart and has tremendous speed. He was still undersized when he was pressed into duty last year, but he showed he's a player. He should be back in the weight room before the other guys recovering from shoulder surgeries, which is another benefit.
4. Kyle Allen: This is his football team now. He's got command of the offense and the huddle. He was outstanding in the bowl game and the reviews so far this spring are very strong. Everything depends on him, but it looks like he's up to the challenge of leading an SEC football team.
5. Speedy Noil: Remember, this is a player who was a quarterback in high school. He was playing, and excelling, on natural talent alone last season. This year, he really knows what he's doing -- and, like Garrett, that should scare people.
6. Qualen Cunningham: I've been a big fan of this guy since he was in high school, and he's now bigger and still extremely quick. Putting him across from Garrett should give the Aggies two pass rushers on the field in passing situations this fall.
7. Armani Watts: He was thrust into a tough situation last year and responded well. He didn't do everything right all the time, but he made plays. This year, he should have a better understanding of his role, and that should mean more big plays and fewer goofs.
8. Nick Harvey: It looks like he's pushing to the top of the depth chart in the derby to replace Deshazor Everett (with Victor Davis). He's got a ton of natural ability, and the coaching change should work to his benefit.
9. Koda Martin: This is another tremendous athlete who was learning a new position. He's learning yet another this spring, but he's just got the knack. Eventually, he's going to be a big part of the offensive line, even if we don't see it this year.
10. James White: There's no question he's a power back, and he's got really good speed to boot. He needed to improve in pass blocking, and there's ben a concerted effort to do that. He's going to be in the rotation this season, and how much he plays really could end up being completely up to him.
Antwuan Space transferring: shed no tears for either side
The Aggies are in a numbers crunch when it comes to scholarships, and they need to drop a couple of guys to get down to the 13 scholarship limit. Space had played himself out of the rotation with his lack of defense and desire to shoot every time he got the ball, no matter whether or not anyone else was open.
Space wanted to play more, and that wasn't going to happen at A&M. He'll graduate in May, so he'll be able to transfer without sitting out and will be ready for next year. This is an arrangement that is best for both sides. The Aggies have more guys coming that would take up even more minutes, and he'd already fallen behind Tavario Miller (possibly the nicest surprise of 2014-15) in the rotation.
Now, as we say goodbye to Mr. Space and thank him for beating Tennessee last season, let's look at more serious stuff: who's going to be the other casualty? There are a few options: Avery Johnson Jr., Dylan Johns and Devonte Fitzgerald. AJ Jr. isn't going anywhere, even if he doesn't play -- his role off the court is too important. Also, A&M didn't take a point guard in this last class, and Alex Caruso's gone after next year. Johns makes sense, with the big men coming in in the new class. Fitzgerald is a bubble guy, because Admon Gilder is going to come in and play off the bat, as is D.J. Hogg.
So, stay tuned.
10 players to watch for "the progression"
They say the biggest progression in college football comes from the freshman to sophomore year, and if that's the case, there should be a good amount of optimism for this year. Here are 10 guys I'm looking at (some are redshirts) to make a big step this year, and why. I'm not going to include Myles Garrett, because that's just not fair. He's already making the move, which should make A&M fans grin.
1. Zaycoven Henderson: There was no question about his motor last year, and he played better as the season went on. He was a little banged up last spring, which hindered his development some. This spring, he's got a full year of weight training under his belt (remember, he was a mid-term enrollee) and he's steamrolling people. A rotation of Henderson and Hardreck Walker next to Alonzo Williams and Daylon Mack should make for a formidable interior group.
2. Josh Walker: Walker isn't practicing the rest of the spring, but here's a guy who made the switch to middle linebacker last fall and developed into a strong tackler by season's end. He's going to be more familiar with his job and should be more physically prepared for the SEC grind by the time fall rolls around.
3. Otaro Alaka: Mark Snyder loved Alaka's upside because he's extremely smart and has tremendous speed. He was still undersized when he was pressed into duty last year, but he showed he's a player. He should be back in the weight room before the other guys recovering from shoulder surgeries, which is another benefit.
4. Kyle Allen: This is his football team now. He's got command of the offense and the huddle. He was outstanding in the bowl game and the reviews so far this spring are very strong. Everything depends on him, but it looks like he's up to the challenge of leading an SEC football team.
5. Speedy Noil: Remember, this is a player who was a quarterback in high school. He was playing, and excelling, on natural talent alone last season. This year, he really knows what he's doing -- and, like Garrett, that should scare people.
6. Qualen Cunningham: I've been a big fan of this guy since he was in high school, and he's now bigger and still extremely quick. Putting him across from Garrett should give the Aggies two pass rushers on the field in passing situations this fall.
7. Armani Watts: He was thrust into a tough situation last year and responded well. He didn't do everything right all the time, but he made plays. This year, he should have a better understanding of his role, and that should mean more big plays and fewer goofs.
8. Nick Harvey: It looks like he's pushing to the top of the depth chart in the derby to replace Deshazor Everett (with Victor Davis). He's got a ton of natural ability, and the coaching change should work to his benefit.
9. Koda Martin: This is another tremendous athlete who was learning a new position. He's learning yet another this spring, but he's just got the knack. Eventually, he's going to be a big part of the offensive line, even if we don't see it this year.
10. James White: There's no question he's a power back, and he's got really good speed to boot. He needed to improve in pass blocking, and there's ben a concerted effort to do that. He's going to be in the rotation this season, and how much he plays really could end up being completely up to him.
