If you thought there was a lot of optimism for Texas A&M heading into the 2019 campaign, just wait until this off-season.
The Aggies trade a road game with Clemson for a home date with Colorado, and a road trip to Georgia for a home game with Vanderbilt. Their SEC West schedule is the same (obviously), but will benefit from losing Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa, along with the rest of the early entrants and graduations common to the SEC. Add all that up, and a glance at the 2020 schedule tells you there’s a very good chance that even the (in hindsight, overrated) 2019 team would be 10-0 or 9-1 heading into their closing 1-2 punch of a Nov. 21 trip to Alabama and the regular season finale with LSU at Kyle Field on Nov. 28.
And that’s before you get to the third reason for optimism: there’s a very good chance the 2020 team will be better than its predecessor.
In Year 3 under Jimbo Fisher but Year 2 with his recruits, the Aggies are set to return all 11 starters on defense and nine on offense. Kellen Mond is back to pilot the offense, and if he struggles again highly-touted 2019 recruit Zach Calzada will have another year of seasoning to challenge the incumbent. Running back Isaiah Spiller is back, and Day 1 starter Jashuan Corbin returns from injury, as does 5-star tight end Baylor Cupp.
Wide receiver Quartney Davis has declared early for the NFL draft, but on Tuesday Jhamon Ausbon announced he will return to school for his senior season.
“Dear 12th Man,” Ausbon wrote in a note posted to his Twitter account, “after careful thought and consideration I am excited to announce that I will be returning to Texas A&M for my fourth year and also to get my college degree.”
The Houston native led the club with 66 receptions for 872 yards and five touchdowns. That represented a major jump for him after a sophomore season in which he caught 31 passes for 375 yards and no scores.
