5/27/2017 football Edit

Spring Opponent Review: Texas A&M

Texas A&M wide receiver Christian Kirk (USA Today Sports Images)

Landon Watnick • 1standTenFlorida

Beat Writer

For the first time since the 2012 season, Florida will square off against non-division rotational opponent Texas A&M when the Gators host the Aggies for their seventh game of the 2017 campaign on Oct. 14 in The Swamp.

It'll be the first time Florida has hosted Texas A&M in Gainesville since 1962 - and this year, their meeting comes before the Gators take a bye on the weekend of the 21st.

In Kevin Sumlin's fifth season, the Aggies went 8-5 (4-4 SEC) to finish fourth in the competitive SEC West. This offseason, TAMU lost a number of key contributors, including star defensive end Myles Garrett, quarterback Trevor Knight, safety Justin Evans, defensive end Daeshon Hall, wideout Josh Reynolds and offensive tackle Jermaine Eluemunor.

Inside the Gators interviewed AggieYell.com editor Mark Passwaters to get his take on Texas A&M coming out of spring practices, which concluded April 8. (You can follow Passwaters on Twitter @mbpRivals.)

After the spring, which positions do you think Texas A&M feels best about on the roster heading into the 2017 season and why? On the flip side, what positions do you see as the Aggies' biggest concerns?

Passwaters: I think there are a few positions where A&M should feel comfortable. Running back comes to mind immediately, as does safety. Defensive tackle should be a strength, and having Christian Kirk alone makes the wideouts formidable (though they should be deeper than that).

On the minus side, A&M doesn't know who their quarterback is yet. That's always a concern. Cornerback is an ongoing concern, especially if last year's starter Nick Harvey misses the year as anticipated after getting hurt in the spring. There's not a lot of experience at linebacker, though there is talent - but the real concern is defensive end. The Aggies went from having the most stout combo in college football to three scholarship players that have taken a college snap. The Aggies are relying on Qualen Cunningham and Jarrett Johnson - seniors who did not impress last year - and a bunch of newcomers to carry the load. Not an appealing scenario.

With spring practices in the books, who do you see as TAMU's top players on each side of the ball and why?

Passwaters: This one is pretty easy: Kirk and safety Armani Watts. Both of those guys are likely first-round picks next year. Running backs Keith Ford and Trayveon Williams are also outstanding. DTs Kingsley Keke and Zaycoven Henderson don't get enough attention or credit.

Which players who entered the spring maybe under the radar really turned heads during practices and in the spring game?

Passwaters: Two guys who jumped out to me were true freshman WR Jhamon Ausbon and redshirt freshman DT Justin Madubuike. Ausbon looks like a young Dez Bryant and is physically almost identical. He passed up a fleet of four-stars to grab a starting job right off the bat, and showed why with a stellar spring. Madubuike was the highest-rated player in A&M's 2016 class, but was a tweener between DE and DT at the time. Now, he's close to 300 pounds but has tremendous quickness and a great feel for the position.

Although there’s only so much one can learn from spring practices, based on how the team looked in the spring game, what can you draw as far as how an opponent like Florida should scout Texas A&M and then game-plan for the Aggies on each side of the ball?

Passwaters: Pretty classic SEC scenario: run the ball and stop the run. Put pressure on whichever inexperienced QB A&M rolls out there (odds are it'll be redshirt freshman Nick Starkel or true freshman Kellen Mond) to beat you, then hammer away on the edges with the run game. A&M is going to score points; their skill position guys remain excellent. It's just a matter of how many they can score and if the defense has improved any.

What’s your current overall outlook on TAMU for this upcoming season, just based off of what you saw and heard this spring?

Passwaters: The Aggies have a nasty of habit of going 8-5. They shouldn't, but they do. And I'll stick with that until they prove otherwise.

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FLORIDA GATORS 2017 SCHEDULE (opponent previews linked):

-- Sept. 2 - Michigan, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC

-- Sept. 9 - Northern Colorado

-- Sept. 16 - Tennessee, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS

-- Sept. 23 – at Kentucky

-- Sept. 30 - Vanderbilt

-- Oct. 7 - LSU

-- Oct. 14 - Texas A&M

-- Oct. 28 - Georgia, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS