Texas A&M’s Kevin Sumlin reportedly wasn’t interested in Trevor Knight’s transfer initially

We all remember former Aggie quarterback Johnny Manziel and his quick fall from grace.

Offense hasn’t usually been a problem during Sumlin’s time in College Station, and the Aggies put up enough points previous year to go 8-5 overall. Here are five receivers to watch heading into the season.

“I don’t know if coach Smart is really that different, but we’re having a great time”, Kublanow said.

Sumlin was less than direct when he was asked if there was anything he could have done for Manziel during his time in College Station. To me there are three main reasons why folks seem to be pessimistic about this iteration of the Aggie Football team. Problems at quarterback and with the offense led to the leaving of Kenny Hill after 2014 and both Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray after previous year. Then, both quarterbacks chose to transfer.

There’s not much good news or spin here.

“The offense that we run at Texas A&M is very similar to the offenses that I would run in the past at Oklahoma, whether it would be under Josh Heupel who is now at Missouri or with Lincoln Riley who is still there at Oklahoma”, Knight said.

This isn’t the same Trevor Knight who attended back-to-back Big 12 media days asa Sooner, a guy who struggled with confidence – and interceptions – during redshirt freshman and sophomore seasons.

For A&M to be successful, he will need to play like the guy that threw for 348 yards and four touchdowns against the Crimson Tide in the Sugar Bowl by throwing deep and stretching the field.

16 for ’16:CFB 24/7 counts down the best of what college football has to offer in varying categories for 2016. Tennessee LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin, one of the Volunteers’ top draft prospects, is only 6-feet tall, but with the athleticism to play the pass and make open-field tackles, his skill set is well-aligned with the direction National Football League linebackers are trending.

He got one – a 15-game starter at Oklahoma who lost his job last season to Baker Mayfield.

In two seasons at A&M, the junior from Arlington Martin has gotten after it to the tune of 24 sacks and 33.5 tackles for losses, including SEC-best totals for sacks (12.5) and TFLs (19.5) last season.

What the Aggies lose in the backfield, they make up for in what is perhaps the best receiving corps in the conference. One is junior Speedy Noil, who is still looking for a big year at A&M, and the other is Kirk. If Eric McCoy can be a reliable option at center, then this group could be serviceable to solid as well.

As critical as last year’s win over the Aggies was, Auburn coach Gus Malzahn doesn’t think it was the game that had the greatest impact on the Tigers’ season. Senior starting linebackers Shaan Washington and A.J. Hilliard were both supposed to return, but Hilliard was forced to retire from football due to numerous injuries.

“He came into the first team meeting and, sitting there in the front row with his beard, all of the 17- and 18-year-old guys are going, ‘Who is that old man?” The Alamo City native could give the Aggies at least two 1,000-yard receivers this season. Garrett will still be a beast, but the rest of his teammates need to step it up.

Knight was named the Aggies’ starter following spring practice.

It just wasn’t going to be this year. The Aggies open the 2016 season on September 3 at home against the UCLA Bruins.

► “A confident leader as a quarterback, that is what we needed”. Hugh Freeze had better be ready for Thursday, because between the allegations at Ole Miss and the attempt at pre-game damage control with ESPN’s Marty Smith, there will be a lot of reporters ready to pounce.

Texas A&M visits Alabama on October 22. I am from Texas, I am a San Antonio guy, so I was thinking big-time schools closer to home, Texas A&M, it is in the SEC. If Knight plays well at quarterback and the defense holds up, those games could hold the fate of the SEC West in the balance.