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Posted (edited)
On 8/5/2025 at 11:30 AM, closetojumping said:

Here's Karels breaking down his observations on the offense at practice last night. It seems kind of obvious that Reed sucks in the passing game, but it's going to take aggies a while to get there. 

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Texas A&M football preseason practice takeaways: Aggie offense underwhelms during light drills

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  • Carter Karels avatar
     Carter KarelsStaff
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    COLLEGE STATION, Texas  The Texas A&M football team held its fifth preseason practice Monday on the two outdoor Coolidge Practice Fields. It marked the third practice GigEm247 and other media outlets could partially observe during preseason camp. The reporters in attendance were permitted to watch, film video and take pictures for the first seven periods (approximately 45 minutes) of practice before leaving. 

    Reporters were not able to see the Aggies in any competitive settings like one-one-one drills, seven-on-seven work or 11-on-11 action. So given the limited and controlled viewing window, media members did not watch a lot of meaningful action.

    Still, there were plenty of notable observations that came from watching the first seven periods of practice. GigEm247 exclusively watched the offense. Here are some notes and takeaways from the viewing session.

     

     

    Not the best showing from the quarterbacks, wide receivers during one-on-ones against air … but also can't overreact

    It is not wise to take much from a small sample size of practice, especially during the portions that are not competitive settings like one-on-one, seven-on-seven and 11-on-11 action. Players can have good days and bad days, and during light work, they often are not going 100%.

    Still, A&M quarterbacks Marcel Reed and Miles O'Neill, and their receivers could have been better during their one-on-one work without defenders.

    On throws of 15-plus yards, the quarterbacks and receivers encountered the most problems. The timing between them seemed off far too often. Reed and O'Neill had their fair share of off-target passes, though some of the overthrows were because the receiver did not go 100%. Receivers KC Concepcion, Mario Craver, Terry Bussey, TK Norman, Izaiah Williams all dropped catchable balls on throws of 15-plus yards. Receivers Jerome Myles and Kelshaun Johnson bumped into each other while they were working on crossing routes.

    Below are all of the throws of 15-plus yards from Reed and O'Neill that I captured. For the most part, it is a mixed bag of good and bad:

    Here is every deep throw from Texas A&M QB Marcel Reed (with no defenders) that I took across a couple periods of practice tonight. pic.twitter.com/YhlKrLY32p

    — Carter Karels (@CarterKarels) August 5, 2025

     

    Here is every deep throw from Texas A&M QB Miles O’Neill (with no defenders) that I took across a couple periods of practice tonight. pic.twitter.com/Q5hzykgFxK

    — Carter Karels (@CarterKarels) August 5, 2025

     

    Again, these clips do not warrant a strong reaction. The quarterbacks and receivers have not consistently dealt with these issues during the media-observed portions of practice this offseason. But without anyone rushing the passer or covering the receivers, there should not be as many problems with the throws, timing and catching.

    Hello, Jerome Myles

    For the first time in preseason camp, Myles participated in a media-observed portion of practice. The former five-star recruit from Draper (Utah) Corner Canyon joined the Aggies in June and is now back from the season-ending ACL tear he suffered in his knee last August.

    From a physical traits standpoint, Myles certainly jumped out. Listed at 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, he is one of the bigger receivers for the Aggies. He also is one of their more athletic options and is quite fast for his size, clocking a 100-meter dash time of 10.36 seconds in May 2024.

    Texas A&M five-star wide receiver Jerome Myles is back at practice. Suffered a season-ending ACL tear in his knee last August. pic.twitter.com/yxawVYUpdn

    — Carter Karels (@CarterKarels) August 5, 2025

     

    Another look at Texas A&M freshman receiver Jerome Myles. pic.twitter.com/vmtHxkvxWY

    — Carter Karels (@CarterKarels) August 5, 2025

     

    During light position drills, Myles often worked behind several receivers like Concepcion, Craver, Bussey, Williams and Ashton Bethel-Roman. Myles also looked a little rusty at times, like when he bumped into Johnson. But there is still a lot to like about Myles and plenty of time for him to make enough progress to be in a position to play this fall.

    Who will be the starting center?

    It remains to be seen whether fifth-year senior Kolinu'u Faaiu or redshirt sophomore Mark Nabou Jr. will be the starting center this season. 

    During one offensive line position drill GigEm247 observed, Faaiu and Nabou both received action with incumbent starters. Faaiu worked with first-team left guard Chase Bisontis and left tackle Trey Zuhn III. Nabou ran with first-team right guard Ar'maj Reed-Adams and right tackle Dametrious Crownover.

    Texas A&M center Mark Nabou Jr. working with right guard Ar’maj Reed-Adams and right tackle Dametrious Crownover. pic.twitter.com/CerUfS2oZG

    — Carter Karels (@CarterKarels) August 5, 2025

     

    Texas A&M center Kolinu’u Faaiu working with left guard Chase Bisontis and left tackle Trey Zuhn III. pic.twitter.com/B3MpMmJvHY

    — Carter Karels (@CarterKarels) August 5, 2025

     

    Nabou seems like the favorite, because he entered last season as the starter. Still, he has a lot to prove. Only two of his 14 career starts have come at center. It remains to be seen, too, how well Nabou will bounce back from the season-ending lower leg injury he suffered in the opener vs. Notre Dame last fall. 

    In his lone season as a full-time starter in 2023, Nabou produced mixed results while primarily playing left guard. He received an underwhelming 57.0 run-blocking grade and surrendered the most pressures (21) and hurries (15) among his fellow interior offensive linemen.

    Faaiu comes with questions as well. All 19 of his career starts only came after the top option ahead of him went down with a season-ending injury. While Faaiu proved to be serviceable for much of last fall, he did not show enough to cement himself as the starter. Among the starting offensive line for the Aggies, Faaiu finished with the worst run-blocking grade (58.1) and well behind fourth-place Zuhn (68.0). He also gave up the most pressures (15) and hurries (12) among his fellow interior offensive linemen.

    Center will be among position battles to watch during preseason camp. A&M will wear full pads and scrimmage for the first time this preseason Wednesday and Saturday, respectively, so everything will begin to heat up soon.

 

As much as they're hyping their OL, how good can they be at center if the guy Utah either ran off or flatly didn't care about losing stands a shot of beating out Nabou for the starting job? Seems problematic for the whole "GREATEST OL EVER" narrative

Edit: I should have kept reading. Sounds like it's even worse than I thought. If they have to play Fatheree in any starting role, they're more cooked than I thought   

On 8/5/2025 at 12:27 PM, pyrofiend said:

https://x.com/CarterKarels/status/1952772690839769271
 

Elko says Zuhn has been working at center with Fatheree filling in his spot at LT.

 

Edited by campcrunk
Posted (edited)

"They return arguably the top offensive line group in America..."

Does anyone actually watch the games?

Edited by utee94
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Posted
34 minutes ago, utee94 said:

"They return arguably the top offensive line group in America..."

Does anyone actually watch the games?

Not only that, but the assumption that it's easy to "talk yourself into" aggie being a dark horse candidate in the SEC???

Not if you have paid any attention to them or their results/performance at any point for say... the past 10-100 years. 

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Posted
40 minutes ago, utee94 said:

"They return arguably the top offensive line group in America..."

Does anyone actually watch the games?

No

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Posted
1 hour ago, texifornia said:

 

It’s hard to believe sometimes how bad CFB coverage is across the board, but it’s especially bad at the Texas newspapers and rags.

Posted

If you know how to read Tarp, you'll understand that the article below is telling his audience his anxieties about what he's seeing and hearing regarding the secondary's ability to play the run, specifically since it was so terrible at it last year. 

Spoiler

Stopping the run has to be a 11 man job for Texas A&M in 2025

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  •  TarpStaff
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    Texas A&M's defensive tackle spot is considered to be the key to the unit's ability to stop the run in 2025. However, people don't realize that the secondary's role is both underrated and crucial because everyone has to fit their gaps when they see run action. That goes for the back seven as much as the front four.

    Last year, the Aggies played a lot of two high looks, and the safeties didn't come down in the box very much. As a result, while there were deep defenders available against the pass, secondary players often had to come downhill from either 10 to 15 yards off the ball when things spilled outside or someone broke out to the second level.

    When Mike Elko arrived in College Station for his first go round with the Aggies, he typically played one high looks with a tendency towards cover one and cover three. However, one of the safeties rolled down into the box and covered one of the B gaps adjoining the center. It gave the Aggies the ability to be plus one in the box and made the most out of safety Demani Richardson who was a quasi-linebacker.

     

    A&M's off season has resulted in an influx of size to the secondary….corners Will Lee and Julian Humphrey are both 6 foot 1. Safety Marcus Ratcliffe has added mass and in the spring game was rolling into the box quite a bit. Although Tyreek Chappell is better known for his coverage skills, he is also considered to be a solid tackler.

    These players have to fit the run where the front four don't, make adjustments based on where the play is going, and then adjust if the defenders in front of them get washed down and can't hold their ground. If things get bounced outside, they have to be able to turn things back inside, take on blockers, or make the stop themselves.

    It's a coordinated defense at all levels, not just the interior.

    This was a problem too much of the time in 2024…back end players didn't always know where to fit and they didn't time their arrivals to give themselves the best possible angles. As a result, there were too many missed tackles (the safeties and corners outside of Brooks and Lee had a very high missed tackle rate in the 20% to 30% range) and long runs (A&M was last in the SEC in runs over 20 yards allowed) relative to their Southeastern Conference brethren.

    If A&M wants to get better as a run stopping unit, it's an 11 man job. They have some components to be better on the back end with regard to size and ability in 2025, but they also have to be more assignment oriented…and we'll see early on versus Notre Dame if that's the case.

 

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Posted

I’m in a tik tok crusade against all the college football talkers right now much more than I’d like to admit. The consensus is that every team in America has gotten better while Texas has gotten worse. The ol in specific. What I’ve noticed is that these motherfuckers don’t even watch the games at all and don’t know shit. They had a tik tok of top ten college QBs all time with no Vince on there. And all these QBs were from 2000 and up. Absolute garbage takes on tik tok from other fans. Mostly Georgia and Alabama guys which I thought was weird. Didn’t know they had internet over there 

Posted
4 hours ago, utee94 said:

"They return arguably the top offensive line group in America..."

Does anyone actually watch the games?

Craven is a Longhorn. I think he’s trying to straddle the fence. He said he doesn’t think they win 8 games. That’s his conclusion, and he’s not saying they’re going to be good. 

Posted
45 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

If you know how to read Tarp, you'll understand that the article below is telling his audience his anxieties about what he's seeing and hearing regarding the secondary's ability to play the run, specifically since it was so terrible at it last year. 

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Stopping the run has to be a 11 man job for Texas A&M in 2025

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  •  TarpStaff
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    Texas A&M's defensive tackle spot is considered to be the key to the unit's ability to stop the run in 2025. However, people don't realize that the secondary's role is both underrated and crucial because everyone has to fit their gaps when they see run action. That goes for the back seven as much as the front four.

    Last year, the Aggies played a lot of two high looks, and the safeties didn't come down in the box very much. As a result, while there were deep defenders available against the pass, secondary players often had to come downhill from either 10 to 15 yards off the ball when things spilled outside or someone broke out to the second level.

    When Mike Elko arrived in College Station for his first go round with the Aggies, he typically played one high looks with a tendency towards cover one and cover three. However, one of the safeties rolled down into the box and covered one of the B gaps adjoining the center. It gave the Aggies the ability to be plus one in the box and made the most out of safety Demani Richardson who was a quasi-linebacker.

     

    A&M's off season has resulted in an influx of size to the secondary….corners Will Lee and Julian Humphrey are both 6 foot 1. Safety Marcus Ratcliffe has added mass and in the spring game was rolling into the box quite a bit. Although Tyreek Chappell is better known for his coverage skills, he is also considered to be a solid tackler.

    These players have to fit the run where the front four don't, make adjustments based on where the play is going, and then adjust if the defenders in front of them get washed down and can't hold their ground. If things get bounced outside, they have to be able to turn things back inside, take on blockers, or make the stop themselves.

    It's a coordinated defense at all levels, not just the interior.

    This was a problem too much of the time in 2024…back end players didn't always know where to fit and they didn't time their arrivals to give themselves the best possible angles. As a result, there were too many missed tackles (the safeties and corners outside of Brooks and Lee had a very high missed tackle rate in the 20% to 30% range) and long runs (A&M was last in the SEC in runs over 20 yards allowed) relative to their Southeastern Conference brethren.

    If A&M wants to get better as a run stopping unit, it's an 11 man job. They have some components to be better on the back end with regard to size and ability in 2025, but they also have to be more assignment oriented…and we'll see early on versus Notre Dame if that's the case.

 

Are you trying to convince us to respect Tarp here? I mean the two sets of "aggy football follower" and "$9.95er" are already by themselves subsets of "people I don't respect" so he's already got a double whammy against him 

on the other hand he kinda sounds like he understands football so maybe it's working 

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Posted
25 minutes ago, Hookem10 said:

I’m in a tik tok crusade against all the college football talkers right now much more than I’d like to admit. The consensus is that every team in America has gotten better while Texas has gotten worse. The ol in specific. What I’ve noticed is that these motherfuckers don’t even watch the games at all and don’t know shit. They had a tik tok of top ten college QBs all time with no Vince on there. And all these QBs were from 2000 and up. Absolute garbage takes on tik tok from other fans. Mostly Georgia and Alabama guys which I thought was weird. Didn’t know they had internet over there 

I know. It's awful. It's so bad, that Texas was picked as the preseason #1 for the first time ever. It's just terrible how we're yet again disrespected and are gonna have to prove on the field how good we are by winning all the games.

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Posted

ctj plaintext

Spoiler

 Texas A&M's defensive tackle spot is considered to be the key to the unit's ability to stop the run in 2025. However, people don't realize that the secondary's role is both underrated and crucial because everyone has to fit their gaps when they see run action. That goes for the back seven as much as the front four.

Last year, the Aggies played a lot of two high looks, and the safeties didn't come down in the box very much. As a result, while there were deep defenders available against the pass, secondary players often had to come downhill from either 10 to 15 yards off the ball when things spilled outside or someone broke out to the second level.

When Mike Elko arrived in College Station for his first go round with the Aggies, he typically played one high looks with a tendency towards cover one and cover three. However, one of the safeties rolled down into the box and covered one of the B gaps adjoining the center. It gave the Aggies the ability to be plus one in the box and made the most out of safety Demani Richardson who was a quasi-linebacker.
 

A&M's off season has resulted in an influx of size to the secondary….corners Will Lee and Julian Humphrey are both 6 foot 1. Safety Marcus Ratcliffe has added mass and in the spring game was rolling into the box quite a bit. Although Tyreek Chappell is better known for his coverage skills, he is also considered to be a solid tackler.

These players have to fit the run where the front four don't, make adjustments based on where the play is going, and then adjust if the defenders in front of them get washed down and can't hold their ground. If things get bounced outside, they have to be able to turn things back inside, take on blockers, or make the stop themselves.

It's a coordinated defense at all levels, not just the interior.

This was a problem too much of the time in 2024…back end players didn't always know where to fit and they didn't time their arrivals to give themselves the best possible angles. As a result, there were too many missed tackles (the safeties and corners outside of Brooks and Lee had a very high missed tackle rate in the 20% to 30% range) and long runs (A&M was last in the SEC in runs over 20 yards allowed) relative to their Southeastern Conference brethren.

If A&M wants to get better as a run stopping unit, it's an 11 man job. They have some components to be better on the back end with regard to size and ability in 2025, but they also have to be more assignment oriented…and we'll see early on versus Notre Dame if that's the case. 

 

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Posted
54 minutes ago, Rimbo said:

I know. It's awful. It's so bad, that Texas was picked as the preseason #1 for the first time ever. It's just terrible how we're yet again disrespected and are gonna have to prove on the field how good we are by winning all the games.

Well, if we have to, we have to.

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Posted
1 hour ago, Hookem10 said:

I’m in a tik tok crusade...

I am confident I've gotten to the bottom of the issue. I know exactly how to alleviate your problems. 

1 hour ago, SydneyCarton said:

I can certainly think of one group of people that you shouldn't admit this to: Us. 

 

💯 

Posted

Today's practice report from a noticeably nervous Carter Karels. I assume that The Elk's media secretary was standing over Karels as he wrote this, holding the Aggie247 media credentials over a small vat of acid. 

Highlights:

-Terry Bussey isn't making any sort of move to win the 3rd starting WR job and Karels is hinting that they're thinking about moving him back to the secondary. Let's see, 5 star "ATH" on verge on making second position switch in two years while not making starting lineup. Is that good?

-He tried to paint Reed as performing better and then goes off the rails and highlights him being a member of the Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight while trying to complete passes beyond the 15 yard area. 

-Zuhn continues to get highlighted by the aggies playing Center. There's not going to be a good way to spin things if that goes to Center, Fatheree is a starting OT and Nabou replaces somebody at OG. 

-Generally speaking, as I've been saying, it looks like it is starting to dawn on these guys that their WR room pretty much sucks. TK Norman, who they have been hyping all offseason as a workout warrior, can't catch a cold. Some guy named Ashton Bethel-Roman might win WR3 by default. Jerome Myles is coming off of severe injury, Bussey we discussed, and then after that, it's a few guys named Bob. 

- @Longhornfrenzy and @JesusSweatDuck if you guys pick up any actual practice or team reporting in your work on Texags, please add it here so we can compare notes between the sites and find some actual truths about their outlook in there.

Spoiler

Texas A&M football preseason practice notes, takeaways: Aggie QBs, receivers show progress in drills

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  • Carter Karels avatar
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    COLLEGE STATION, Texas  Texas A&M completed its seventh preseason football practice Thursday on the two outdoor Coolidge Practice Fields. It marked the fifth practice GigEm247 and other media outlets could partly view during preseason camp. The reporters in attendance were permitted to watch, film video and take pictures for the first seven periods (approximately 45 minutes) of practice before leaving. 

    Reporters were not able to view the Aggies in any competitive settings like one-one-one drills, seven-on-seven work or 11-on-11 action. So given the limited and controlled viewing window, media members did not see a lot of meaningful action.

    Still, there were some notable observations that came from watching the first seven periods of practice. GigEm247 exclusively watched the offense. Here are some notes and takeaways from the viewing session.

     

     

    Better showing from the quarterbacks, pass catchers during one-on-ones against air

    During the media-observed window of practice Monday, the quarterbacks and wide receivers were not at their best. On throws of 15-plus yards, the timing looked off far too often, quarterbacks Marcel Reed and Miles O'Neill had their fair share of off-target throws and the receivers dropped several catchable balls.

    This time, though, the quarterbacks and their pass catchers were much better. 

    For the most part, Reed and O'Neill were on time and accurate on their throws down the seam to the tight ends, and corner routes and skinny posts to the receivers. The only glaring miss on those throws might have been when O'Neill overshot Jerome Myles on a skinny post, causing the freshman receiver to lose his balance and fall down. 

    On passes of 30-plus yards to receivers working out-and-go routes outside the numbers, Reed did not look as sharp. On his three passes that I videoed, he underthrew Ashton Bethel-Roman, slightly underthrew Myles and missed KC Concepcion wide/long. O'Neill completed all three of his throws that I videoed, connecting with Mario Craver, Kelshaun Johnson and Amari Niblack. They were respectable balls but nothing groundbreaking.

    Here is every throw of 10-15+ yards from Texas A&M QB Marcel Reed (with no defenders) that I captured across a few periods of practice today. pic.twitter.com/7tgD2a8YAh

    — Carter Karels (@CarterKarels) August 7, 2025

     

    Here is every throw of 10-15+ yards from Texas A&M QB Miles O’Neill (with no defenders) that I captured across a few periods of practice today. pic.twitter.com/dhILqRSE1r

    — Carter Karels (@CarterKarels) August 7, 2025

     

    Only one player – true freshman receiver TK Norman – struggled with catching the ball. Norman dropped two catchable passes, one from O'Neill on a skinny post and the other from Reed on a corner route.

    Of course, there should not be much taken away from a small sample size of practice, especially during the portions that are not competitive settings like one-on-one, seven-on-seven and 11-on-11 action. Players can have good days and bad days, and during light work, they often are not going 100%.

    But their underwhelming showing Monday seemed worth mentioning, because without anyone rushing the passer or covering the receivers, there should not be that many problems with the throws, timing and catching. So it was encouraging to see them clean up those issues for the most part. 

    Who will be WR3?

    Concepcion and Craver seem poised to be the top two receivers for the Aggies. They are by far their most proven options and have only continued to impress this offseason. Which receiver will step up as their third option/starter, though, remains to be seen.

    Sophomore Terry Bussey probably entered the spring as the favorite. He showed promise as a true freshman last season, along with versatility as a speedy receiver who can line up out of the backfield and take jet sweeps from the slot.

    Still, I question whether his long-term future is at receiver. Now, A&M coach Mike Elko has been adamant all offseason about his desire to exclusively use Bussey at receiver this fall. However, it is important to remember what led to Bussey playing receiver in the first place. He began his first preseason camp last year as a defensive back, but the Aggies moved him to offense within the first couple weeks out of necessity. 

    Texas A&M sophomore WR Terry Bussey. pic.twitter.com/oxe3BtMA3u

    — Carter Karels (@CarterKarels) August 7, 2025

     

    Maybe A&M initially viewing Bussey as a defensive back will not mean anything in the long run. But if the receiver group improves and he does not distinguish himself among the unit, it might be tempting to eventually move him back to defense. Just my two cents: I have always viewed safety or nickel as the best fit for his skill set and believe he could be more of a difference maker defensively long term. 

    Should Bussey not claim the WR3 role, keep an eye on Bethel-Roman. The sophomore has continually passed the eye test in practice this offseason, logging clean reps while showing impressive fluidity and change-of-direction skills in his routes. There is certainly plenty of buzz around him as well.

    Sophomore receiver Ashton Bethel-Roman passes the eye test during position drills + on air work. Think he will make a significant jump this season. pic.twitter.com/MBtFCjirlG

    — Carter Karels (@CarterKarels) August 7, 2025

     

    Sophomore Izaiah Williams and Norman are in the mix, too, and Myles will be worth monitoring fresh off the season-ending ACL tear he suffered in his knee last August. From a physical traits standpoint, Myles certainly jumps out. Listed at 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, he is one of the bigger receivers for the Aggies. He also is one of their more athletic options and is quite fast for his size, clocking a 100-meter dash time of 10.36 seconds in May 2024. 

    Marcel Reed ➡️ Jerome Myles. pic.twitter.com/pJ5sy0CQMu

    — Carter Karels (@CarterKarels) August 7, 2025

     

    Overall, this group undoubtedly looks faster, quicker and deeper compared to last fall, and the younger, unproven receivers could all push for playing time. 

    Trey Zuhn III at center

    For the two or three periods I watched the offensive line during position drills, Zuhn did not work on snapping the ball. He worked with center Kolinu'u Faaiu and left guard Chase Bisontis as an isolated group of three, suggesting his position to be left tackle.

    But if there were any questions about whether Zuhn is receiving real work at center or is viewed as more of an emergency option, the Aggies appeared to answer them Thursday. A&M released practice footage, which briefly revealed Zuhn working at center with Mark Nabou Jr. at right guard during 11-on-11 action.

    In these practice clips, you can briefly see Trey Zuhn III getting work at center with Mark Nabou Jr. at right guard (via @AggieFootball). pic.twitter.com/1RFpqD0ywK

    — Carter Karels (@CarterKarels) August 7, 2025

     

    No, it does not mean Zuhn will start over Nabou and Faaiu at center this season or even be the backup. Regardless, it is a notable development for a veteran who is a three-year starter at left tackle and coming off a special third-team All-SEC campaign.

    First preseason scrimmage coming up

    A&M will practice each of the next two days, ending with a scrimmage Saturday. The practice and the scrimmage will both be closed to the local media. The next media-observed practice and interview availability is scheduled for next Tuesday.

 

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Posted
3 hours ago, Hagbard Celine said:

ctj plaintext

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 Texas A&M's defensive tackle spot is considered to be the key to the unit's ability to stop the run in 2025. However, people don't realize that the secondary's role is both underrated and crucial because everyone has to fit their gaps when they see run action. That goes for the back seven as much as the front four.

Last year, the Aggies played a lot of two high looks, and the safeties didn't come down in the box very much. As a result, while there were deep defenders available against the pass, secondary players often had to come downhill from either 10 to 15 yards off the ball when things spilled outside or someone broke out to the second level.

When Mike Elko arrived in College Station for his first go round with the Aggies, he typically played one high looks with a tendency towards cover one and cover three. However, one of the safeties rolled down into the box and covered one of the B gaps adjoining the center. It gave the Aggies the ability to be plus one in the box and made the most out of safety Demani Richardson who was a quasi-linebacker.
 

A&M's off season has resulted in an influx of size to the secondary….corners Will Lee and Julian Humphrey are both 6 foot 1. Safety Marcus Ratcliffe has added mass and in the spring game was rolling into the box quite a bit. Although Tyreek Chappell is better known for his coverage skills, he is also considered to be a solid tackler.

These players have to fit the run where the front four don't, make adjustments based on where the play is going, and then adjust if the defenders in front of them get washed down and can't hold their ground. If things get bounced outside, they have to be able to turn things back inside, take on blockers, or make the stop themselves.

It's a coordinated defense at all levels, not just the interior.

This was a problem too much of the time in 2024…back end players didn't always know where to fit and they didn't time their arrivals to give themselves the best possible angles. As a result, there were too many missed tackles (the safeties and corners outside of Brooks and Lee had a very high missed tackle rate in the 20% to 30% range) and long runs (A&M was last in the SEC in runs over 20 yards allowed) relative to their Southeastern Conference brethren.

If A&M wants to get better as a run stopping unit, it's an 11 man job. They have some components to be better on the back end with regard to size and ability in 2025, but they also have to be more assignment oriented…and we'll see early on versus Notre Dame if that's the case. 

 

You, sir, are doing God’s work. Thank you. 

Posted
2 hours ago, closetojumping said:

Today's practice report from a noticeably nervous Carter Karels. I assume that The Elk's media secretary was standing over Karels as he wrote this, holding the Aggie247 media credentials over a small vat of acid. 

Highlights:

-Terry Bussey isn't making any sort of move to win the 3rd starting WR job and Karels is hinting that they're thinking about moving him back to the secondary. Let's see, 5 star "ATH" on verge on making second position switch in two years while not making starting lineup. Is that good?

-He tried to paint Reed as performing better and then goes off the rails and highlights him being a member of the Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight while trying to complete passes beyond the 15 yard area. 

-Zuhn continues to get highlighted by the aggies playing Center. There's not going to be a good way to spin things if that goes to Center, Fatheree is a starting OT and Nabou replaces somebody at OG. 

-Generally speaking, as I've been saying, it looks like it is starting to dawn on these guys that their WR room pretty much sucks. TK Norman, who they have been hyping all offseason as a workout warrior, can't catch a cold. Some guy named Ashton Bethel-Roman might win WR3 by default. Jerome Myles is coming off of severe injury, Bussey we discussed, and then after that, it's a few guys named Bob. 

- @Longhornfrenzy and @JesusSweatDuck if you guys pick up any actual practice or team reporting in your work on Texags, please add it here so we can compare notes between the sites and find some actual truths about their outlook in there.

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Texas A&M football preseason practice notes, takeaways: Aggie QBs, receivers show progress in drills

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  • Carter Karels avatar
     Carter KarelsStaff
    Posted on 6 mins, V I P, User Since 90 months ago, User Post Count: 13514
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    COLLEGE STATION, Texas  Texas A&M completed its seventh preseason football practice Thursday on the two outdoor Coolidge Practice Fields. It marked the fifth practice GigEm247 and other media outlets could partly view during preseason camp. The reporters in attendance were permitted to watch, film video and take pictures for the first seven periods (approximately 45 minutes) of practice before leaving. 

    Reporters were not able to view the Aggies in any competitive settings like one-one-one drills, seven-on-seven work or 11-on-11 action. So given the limited and controlled viewing window, media members did not see a lot of meaningful action.

    Still, there were some notable observations that came from watching the first seven periods of practice. GigEm247 exclusively watched the offense. Here are some notes and takeaways from the viewing session.

     

     

    Better showing from the quarterbacks, pass catchers during one-on-ones against air

    During the media-observed window of practice Monday, the quarterbacks and wide receivers were not at their best. On throws of 15-plus yards, the timing looked off far too often, quarterbacks Marcel Reed and Miles O'Neill had their fair share of off-target throws and the receivers dropped several catchable balls.

    This time, though, the quarterbacks and their pass catchers were much better. 

    For the most part, Reed and O'Neill were on time and accurate on their throws down the seam to the tight ends, and corner routes and skinny posts to the receivers. The only glaring miss on those throws might have been when O'Neill overshot Jerome Myles on a skinny post, causing the freshman receiver to lose his balance and fall down. 

    On passes of 30-plus yards to receivers working out-and-go routes outside the numbers, Reed did not look as sharp. On his three passes that I videoed, he underthrew Ashton Bethel-Roman, slightly underthrew Myles and missed KC Concepcion wide/long. O'Neill completed all three of his throws that I videoed, connecting with Mario Craver, Kelshaun Johnson and Amari Niblack. They were respectable balls but nothing groundbreaking.

    Here is every throw of 10-15+ yards from Texas A&M QB Marcel Reed (with no defenders) that I captured across a few periods of practice today. pic.twitter.com/7tgD2a8YAh

    — Carter Karels (@CarterKarels) August 7, 2025

     

    Here is every throw of 10-15+ yards from Texas A&M QB Miles O’Neill (with no defenders) that I captured across a few periods of practice today. pic.twitter.com/dhILqRSE1r

    — Carter Karels (@CarterKarels) August 7, 2025

     

    Only one player – true freshman receiver TK Norman – struggled with catching the ball. Norman dropped two catchable passes, one from O'Neill on a skinny post and the other from Reed on a corner route.

    Of course, there should not be much taken away from a small sample size of practice, especially during the portions that are not competitive settings like one-on-one, seven-on-seven and 11-on-11 action. Players can have good days and bad days, and during light work, they often are not going 100%.

    But their underwhelming showing Monday seemed worth mentioning, because without anyone rushing the passer or covering the receivers, there should not be that many problems with the throws, timing and catching. So it was encouraging to see them clean up those issues for the most part. 

    Who will be WR3?

    Concepcion and Craver seem poised to be the top two receivers for the Aggies. They are by far their most proven options and have only continued to impress this offseason. Which receiver will step up as their third option/starter, though, remains to be seen.

    Sophomore Terry Bussey probably entered the spring as the favorite. He showed promise as a true freshman last season, along with versatility as a speedy receiver who can line up out of the backfield and take jet sweeps from the slot.

    Still, I question whether his long-term future is at receiver. Now, A&M coach Mike Elko has been adamant all offseason about his desire to exclusively use Bussey at receiver this fall. However, it is important to remember what led to Bussey playing receiver in the first place. He began his first preseason camp last year as a defensive back, but the Aggies moved him to offense within the first couple weeks out of necessity. 

    Texas A&M sophomore WR Terry Bussey. pic.twitter.com/oxe3BtMA3u

    — Carter Karels (@CarterKarels) August 7, 2025

     

    Maybe A&M initially viewing Bussey as a defensive back will not mean anything in the long run. But if the receiver group improves and he does not distinguish himself among the unit, it might be tempting to eventually move him back to defense. Just my two cents: I have always viewed safety or nickel as the best fit for his skill set and believe he could be more of a difference maker defensively long term. 

    Should Bussey not claim the WR3 role, keep an eye on Bethel-Roman. The sophomore has continually passed the eye test in practice this offseason, logging clean reps while showing impressive fluidity and change-of-direction skills in his routes. There is certainly plenty of buzz around him as well.

    Sophomore receiver Ashton Bethel-Roman passes the eye test during position drills + on air work. Think he will make a significant jump this season. pic.twitter.com/MBtFCjirlG

    — Carter Karels (@CarterKarels) August 7, 2025

     

    Sophomore Izaiah Williams and Norman are in the mix, too, and Myles will be worth monitoring fresh off the season-ending ACL tear he suffered in his knee last August. From a physical traits standpoint, Myles certainly jumps out. Listed at 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, he is one of the bigger receivers for the Aggies. He also is one of their more athletic options and is quite fast for his size, clocking a 100-meter dash time of 10.36 seconds in May 2024. 

    Marcel Reed ➡️ Jerome Myles. pic.twitter.com/pJ5sy0CQMu

    — Carter Karels (@CarterKarels) August 7, 2025

     

    Overall, this group undoubtedly looks faster, quicker and deeper compared to last fall, and the younger, unproven receivers could all push for playing time. 

    Trey Zuhn III at center

    For the two or three periods I watched the offensive line during position drills, Zuhn did not work on snapping the ball. He worked with center Kolinu'u Faaiu and left guard Chase Bisontis as an isolated group of three, suggesting his position to be left tackle.

    But if there were any questions about whether Zuhn is receiving real work at center or is viewed as more of an emergency option, the Aggies appeared to answer them Thursday. A&M released practice footage, which briefly revealed Zuhn working at center with Mark Nabou Jr. at right guard during 11-on-11 action.

    In these practice clips, you can briefly see Trey Zuhn III getting work at center with Mark Nabou Jr. at right guard (via @AggieFootball). pic.twitter.com/1RFpqD0ywK

    — Carter Karels (@CarterKarels) August 7, 2025

     

    No, it does not mean Zuhn will start over Nabou and Faaiu at center this season or even be the backup. Regardless, it is a notable development for a veteran who is a three-year starter at left tackle and coming off a special third-team All-SEC campaign.

    First preseason scrimmage coming up

    A&M will practice each of the next two days, ending with a scrimmage Saturday. The practice and the scrimmage will both be closed to the local media. The next media-observed practice and interview availability is scheduled for next Tuesday.

 

https://texags.com/forums/5/topics/3551779

 

Here's a sample of some of the comments on the free side

 

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  • Hook 'Em 2
Posted
7 hours ago, Hookem10 said:

I’m in a tik tok crusade against all the college football talkers right now much more than I’d like to admit. The consensus is that every team in America has gotten better while Texas has gotten worse. The ol in specific. What I’ve noticed is that these motherfuckers don’t even watch the games at all and don’t know shit. They had a tik tok of top ten college QBs all time with no Vince on there. And all these QBs were from 2000 and up. Absolute garbage takes on tik tok from other fans. Mostly Georgia and Alabama guys which I thought was weird. Didn’t know they had internet over there 

The problem is TikTok, I'd suggest.  It seems to be the dumbest social media that doesn't constantly pump disinformation.

Posted
33 minutes ago, Getafix said:

 

Lulz.  Vogel throwing shade.

 

 

😂  😂  😂 

 

image.png.3d462f3d3ef7bac19363579843e8b453.png

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They took a souped-up athlete and made him look like DeAndre Mcneal working his way back after injury. 

Posted (edited)

You guys are serving up waaay too much spiked kool-aid and have me eagerly envisioning another 5-7 season for them that either dries up their money or redirects it all into the elko buyout account. 
 

I think it was ctj that mentioned at some point that it was one rich, dumb motherfucker what funded jimbo’s buyout. Imagine going back to him 2-3 years later with the same ask.  If he hasn’t hanged himself. 

Edited by Pato del Muerto
  • Like 1
Posted
2 hours ago, Getafix said:

 

Lulz.  Vogel throwing shade.

 

 

😂  😂  😂 

 

image.png.3d462f3d3ef7bac19363579843e8b453.png

what the hell is up with having refs give a touchdown signal in a stupid drill like that?  Do we do that?  fuck that seems so aggy, like counting the spring game as a win.

Posted
You guys are serving up waaay too much spiked kool-aid and have me eagerly envisioning another 5-7 season for them that either dries up their money or redirects it all into the elko buyout account. 
 
I think it was ctj that mentioned at some point that it was one rich, dumb motherfucker what funded jimbo’s buyout. Imagine going back to him 2-3 years later with the same ask.  If he hasn’t hanged himself. 

giphy.gif
Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, Pato del Muerto said:

You guys are serving up waaay too much spiked kool-aid and have me eagerly envisioning another 5-7 season for them that either dries up their money or redirects it all into the elko buyout account. 
 

I think it was ctj that mentioned at some point that it was one rich, dumb motherfucker what funded jimbo’s buyout. Imagine going back to him 2-3 years later with the same ask.  If he hasn’t hanged himself. 

Well, lets look at their schedule. This is just off the cuff without any real depth.

UTSA - W 

Utah State - W

@ND - L

Auburn - This isn't an easy call W/L

MSU - W

Florida- L (I think a big L)

@Pig Arkansas loves to give this one away - W

@LSU These are two bad teams. I'll give it to LSU cause @ - L but possible W

@Missouri - I'm torn here - L

South Carolina - W/L but I have a weird pro SC bias this coming year for some reason

Samford - W

@Texas - L

7-8 wins and 5-6 losses. I think Auburn, Missouri and SC are what determines the aggy season. I believe Texas, ND and Florida are pretty much locks for the L column. Pig and LSU are weird ones as they seem to be on similar levels. SC is better coached and has an actual QB who is good. 

Its aggie so they will probably win one they shouldn't on some weird shit and lose one they shouldn't.

Or.. in more concise terms they'll find a way to 7-6 or...more likely 8-5

Edited by BurntEyes
Posted
ctj plaintext
Spoiler

 Texas A&M's defensive tackle spot is considered to be the key to the unit's ability to stop the run in 2025. However, people don't realize that the secondary's role is both underrated and crucial because everyone has to fit their gaps when they see run action. That goes for the back seven as much as the front four.
Last year, the Aggies played a lot of two high looks, and the safeties didn't come down in the box very much. As a result, while there were deep defenders available against the pass, secondary players often had to come downhill from either 10 to 15 yards off the ball when things spilled outside or someone broke out to the second level.
When Mike Elko arrived in College Station for his first go round with the Aggies, he typically played one high looks with a tendency towards cover one and cover three. However, one of the safeties rolled down into the box and covered one of the B gaps adjoining the center. It gave the Aggies the ability to be plus one in the box and made the most out of safety Demani Richardson who was a quasi-linebacker.
 
A&M's off season has resulted in an influx of size to the secondary….corners Will Lee and Julian Humphrey are both 6 foot 1. Safety Marcus Ratcliffe has added mass and in the spring game was rolling into the box quite a bit. Although Tyreek Chappell is better known for his coverage skills, he is also considered to be a solid tackler.
These players have to fit the run where the front four don't, make adjustments based on where the play is going, and then adjust if the defenders in front of them get washed down and can't hold their ground. If things get bounced outside, they have to be able to turn things back inside, take on blockers, or make the stop themselves.
It's a coordinated defense at all levels, not just the interior.
This was a problem too much of the time in 2024…back end players didn't always know where to fit and they didn't time their arrivals to give themselves the best possible angles. As a result, there were too many missed tackles (the safeties and corners outside of Brooks and Lee had a very high missed tackle rate in the 20% to 30% range) and long runs (A&M was last in the SEC in runs over 20 yards allowed) relative to their Southeastern Conference brethren.
If A&M wants to get better as a run stopping unit, it's an 11 man job. They have some components to be better on the back end with regard to size and ability in 2025, but they also have to be more assignment oriented…and we'll see early on versus Notre Dame if that's the case. 

 


“CTJ plaintext” would be a great username.

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