1. Elko will probably wipe out the offensive line, probably save one man
This is not surprising at all and should have been expected. New coach Mike Elko has not worked with any of the offensive staff, other than tight ends coach James Coley, and is the only one likely to stay. Offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino, offensive line coach Steve Addazio and wide receivers coach Dameyune Craig have all been informed they will not return. And why should you? Petrino did a good job considering the situation he had to deal with, but the same can’t be said for the other two. They also don’t know much about what Elko might want to implement.
2. Craig’s tenure was a prolonged disappointment.
Dameyun Craig spent five of his six seasons as the wide receivers coach at A&M. And the track record of his players is below average, to say the least. Part of it may have been the offensive scheme, but if you look at two classes worth of players and don’t get anyone drafted, it’s more than just a scheme.
During Craig’s time at A&M, no Aggie receiver had ever reached 1,000 yards. No receiver reached 900 yards. The top receiver during Craig and Jimbo Fisher’s tenure was Jamon Orbon, who gained 872 yards in 2019. The only player to top 800 yards — Ainias Smith will likely play in a bowl game — was tight end Jace Sternberger.
The Aggies also had some big busts at receiver. Damon Demas did not understand the situation and was kicked out of the team. Kris Marshall was a disappointment from the moment he stepped on campus. Yulkees Brown was escorted to the front door. Jalen Preston never lived up to his billing. Chase Lane didn’t do much until he transferred.
The Aggies were supposed to have a strong receiver corps this year with Evan Stewart, Moose Muhammad, Smith and Noah Thomas. Aeneas has 795 receiving yards. Stewart was second with 250 yards. Muhammad basically wasted the entire year. The longest reception this year was 51 yards by tight end Max Wright.
The receivers ran sloppy routes, sometimes the wrong routes, and dropped too many passes. It didn’t work to gain the extra yards needed to get a first down. They lacked discipline. A lot of that applies directly to their position coaches.
3. Adagio was a disaster.
Don’t overdo it here. Steve Addazio took some serious talent, much of which has been tested, and put it to the test. Jimbo Fisher couldn’t admit he had made a bad hire, so he turned around and did it again.
Adagio is one of the two worst position coaches I’ve seen in my time covering Aggie football.he might be of It was a terrible result, but Dave Christensen made a big splash for a lot of money.
But Christensen’s linemen didn’t knock out four starting QBs during his time at A&M, including three this season. Over the past two years, the Aggie quarterback has been hit 76 times, more than any other team in his FBS. And that means he has two freshman All-Americans, one All-American and a 2021 second-team All-SEC selection on his front lines.
They all got worse. That’s not even up for debate.
Despite terrible quarterback play in 2021, A&M still averaged 5.3 yards per carry. Last year, it dropped to 4.6. This year, it dropped to 3.9.
There was a clear disconnect between Adagio and the players. They didn’t play as a cohesive group. They didn’t play with any joy. Frankly, they didn’t seem to like him and he didn’t like them either.
Maybe that’s an exaggeration. Maybe not. But the results were complete garbage, including 4 and 5 star ratings that had previously been successful.
Kevin Sumlin did very little that I agreed with, especially in the second half of his tenure. However, he had the decency to fire Christensen after the season. Adagio got two, but he didn’t have to. His group was unforgivably bad, and some very good quarterbacks and running backs struggled as a result.
Adagio, like Craig, disappears quickly. I can’t say it was unfair.
4. What about defense?
I saw several more people trapped here. Obviously, there’s a chance Elijah Robinson will stay. Elco could bring back Tyler Santucci, but I don’t think he’s a viable defensive coordinator. That’s probably E-Rod’s job. Tony Jerrod Eddy worked with Elko and quickly earned the respect of the players. TJ Rushing was also here under Elko. Despite the deficiencies at corner, the Aggie defense is still in a top-10 group, which may be worth more coaches staying on.
5. More sympathy for Petrino
Bobby Petrino did his best despite the harsh treatment he faced. I don’t even know if he held his hand. He had to call the plays — in a plan that wasn’t his and a game plan that Jimbo was still tinkering with.
Still, this season’s offensive productivity has improved dramatically compared to last season. Despite not being able to protect their quarterback, A&M averaged 34.2 points per game this season. This beat A&M’s score by three points for him. They will have the best total offense in 2022.
The offense averaged 11.4 points per game, an increase from the previous year. From 2022 to 2023, the passing game improved by over 500 yards, but the running game only saw a 4-yard difference. With the addition of a third-string quarterback, they outscored LSU, scoring 30 points in Baton Rouge.
Petrino did a good job. I think he enjoyed his role as coordinator and I’m sure the Aggies appreciate his work. People might not appreciate it when he returns to Arkansas this fall, but he did well here.
6. Amazing lack of portal activity
With A&M bringing in a new coach and an apparent purge of assistants on the horizon, it would seem like the perfect time for many Aggies to jump into the portal. Still, only two people have it. Raymond Cottrell’s move was a surprise and a disappointment. Max Johnson’s move made perfect sense and was clearly a business decision. Evan Stewart, who I expected to jump in, hasn’t moved yet (there’s also a chance he won’t transfer due to a change in receivers coach).
Players as well as recruits seem motivated to give A&M a chance to assemble a staff before making a decision. That bodes well for them.
7. Elko can get a big name OC if he wants.
With an $11 million salary pool, Mike Elko should be able to afford almost any assistant he wants. It seems reasonable to think that if he wants an explosive offense, he’ll go after players who have proven they can be explosive on the field. He certainly has the financial wherewithal to do it.
8. The great mission has already been accomplished.
Elco has already had one-on-one talks with QB Connor Weigman, and we hear that Weigman is in favor of the new system. It’s obviously huge. If the Aggies can improve their offensive line play next year, they are already dangerous. Weigman and Jalen Henderson, along with Marcell Reed, Anthony Maddox Jr. and Miles O’Neal, give A&M quarterback depth — and change.
9. Areas where A&M should do portal shopping
1. Cornerback
2. Cornerback. Aren’t you amused? Are you okay. safety.
3. Offensive tackle
4. Wide receiver, depending on how the class ends.
5. Running back
6. Linebacker
10. Boot status, Coleman unknown
Henry Coleman III and Boots Radford missed Sunday’s win against Iowa State with injuries. A&M plays at Virginia tomorrow night, but I don’t know if they’ll play or not. Buzz Williams has a rule in place to not discuss injuries, so it’s anyone’s guess. Personally, I’m skeptical that they’ll play, but don’t get me wrong. A&M defeating his UVa would have a huge impact on the restart of the tournament.