Texas A&M’s first official depth chart was released on Tuesday night, resulting in plenty of debate from the Aggie fan base based on the ongoing competition at several key positions, especially along the defensive line. In every publicly released depth chart, the “OR” designation is listed for starting positions that are not set in stone, which includes 15 such designations in Tuesday’s release.
Based on what we witnessed during the preseason, Texas A&M’s offense has been set in stone, outside of the rise of wide receiver Ashton Bethel-Roman, combined with the competition at center between Mark Nabou and Koli Faaiu, given that Marcel Reed has been the program’s starting quarterback since the start of the offseason.
With the additions of wide receivers KC Concepcion and Mario Craver from the transfer portal, two more starting spots were up for grabs after Noah Thomas transferred to Georgia early in the offseason.
However, going back to the defensive line, losing Shemar Stewart, Shemar Turner, and Nic Scourton to the NFL opens several spots, and outside of senior edge Cashius Howell and defensive tackles Albert Regis and DJ Hicks, the defensive end will see a host of new faces during Saturday’s season opener against UTSA.
Ahead of hosting the Roadrunners, here are three key takeaways from Texas A&M’s first depth chart of the season.
Texas A&M’s defensive line competition remains fierce
The offseason additions of Dayon Hayes, T.J. Searcy and Sam M’Pemba immediately provided depth and experience at a position of need, and from start to finish, Hayes has stood out, earning substantial praise from the coaching staff, especially defensive coordinator Jay Bateman.
The fact that Hayes is the designated starter isn’t surprising, but redshirt freshman Solomon Williams, Searcy and M’Pemba are all expected to see the field during the season opener. The starting defensive end job is still open according to the depth chart, but Hayes is the leader as of this week.
The Aggies’ cornerback depth is elite, especially at nickel
The return of Tyreek Chappell is significant, but the depth behind at nickel is even more critical after last season’s poor performance after Chappell was lost for the year against Notre Dame. This season, the emergence of junior Bravion Rogers and Washington transfer Jordan Shaw has provided coach Mike Elko and Jay Bateman with a cushion at a key spot, allowing the secondary to play man coverage more often than not.
At outside corner, Dezz Ricks has officially won the job next to senior Will Lee III, which was assumed after his preseason performance, but is now official. Ricks was a former five-star prospect for a reason based on traits alone, and after playing over 650 snaps during his first season in College Station, his best play is ahead of him.
However, Georgia transfer Julio Humphrey received an OR designation alongside Ricks, so expect to see both corners receive close to an equal snap count against UTSA.
Texas A&M’s starting tight end job is still technically up for grabs
Yes, junior tight end Theo Melin Öhrström is listed as Texas A&M’s starting tight end heading into the season opener. Still, Nebraska transfer Nate Boerkircher and Texas transfer Amari Niblack both received OR designations, which is the least surprising observation outside of the wide receiver position.
Öhrström’s 6’6″ frame and speed make him the most intriguing option as a receiver, and he has reportedly improved as a blocker during the preseason. However, his inconsistency outside of two impressive touchdown receptions bred the ongoing competition. Boerkircher is already an established run blocker, while Niblack is basically built like an outside receiver.
On paper, Öhrström is the best of both worlds, so if he can put it all together this season, I expect him to receive a majority of the snaps. Still, the added depth is an absolute plus.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: 3 key takeaways from Texas A&M’s first official depth chart
Reporting by Cameron Ohnysty, Aggies Wire / Aggies Wire
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