Aggies' Achane's "Need For Speed" Could Be Texas A&M's Secret Weapon
COLLEGE STATION -- Devon Achane is fast. Best of all? He knows it.
Fresh off the Olympic trials, Achane returns to Texas A&M with the chance to build off a budding first season. His track speed has been the subject of conversation, but it's his vision in space that allowed him to become the overnight sensation in the Orange Bowl.
Yes, Achane knows his speed is his biggest asset. And if you ask who is the fastest player at A&M, there's no reason for him to be modest when asked about it. Facts are simply just facts.
Haynes King though might be a close second.
"Everytime I look out and to the left I see a green jersey and it's always Haynes for some reason and I don't know why," Achane said Friday. "I told him yesterday that "in a game can I see you run like that at full speed? He might be scary."
READ MORE: Aggies Men's Basketball Coach Buzz Williams Suspended By NCAA
Scary could be the best word to describe Texas A&M's backfield. Pick a running back and see which one is the easiest to bring down. Isaiah Spiller is coming off a 1,000-yard season based on pure strength.
Ainias Smith does a little bit of everything. Ask him to run? He'll make it happen. As a receiving threat? Good luck stopping him. Even lesser names like Deondre Jackson and LJ Johnson could be working first-team offense on a different roster.
Achane is different. Speed wins, and you can't teach it. The best a player can do is control it.
It's something he's hoping to master during fall camp before facing Kent State.
"Sometimes with track guys, that's not always true I say about track guys, but they're a little bit out of control or there's some unnaturalness to them," coach Jimbo Fisher said. "He was so natural and smooth that he made it look easy. You didn't realize how fast he was."
Achane bloomed later in the season. His first big game came against Mississippi State in Week 5 where he averaged five yards per run. After that, things slowed down as he sped up.
His first touchdown came two weeks later against Arkansas. He'd double his carries against South Carolina. Achane's 99-yard day against Auburn was just a preview of what was to come in Miami.
When the lights were brightest, he made the most of his snaps. Achane needed 12 carries to set a career-best 140-yard, two touchdown-performance against North Carolina, sealing the win and giving the Aggies a 9-1 record to close out 2020.
READ MORE: Way-Too-Early Game Predictions: Texas A&M Vs Ole Miss
It's a game that changed his perspective on where he fits coming in 2021. The goal? That remains the same.
"My mentality has changed," Achane said. "It's given me like great opportunities now and now I have a bigger role."
Achane's role simply has to expand. Fisher understands the value of speed, meaning while Spiller's carries could dwindle, the production of the position as a whole could expand.
Last season, the Aggies finished second in rushing, a mere 133 yards shy of Ole Miss. Think that with a full 12-game schedule, that won't be a priority for Achane and Co. this fall?
"I believe we have the best backfield in the country because like, we're all interchangeable," Achane said. "We all do everything. We can play fullback. We can all go out at wideout.
"I don't think anybody else can do that."
READ MORE: SEC Adds Sooners and Longhorns With Unanimous Vote
Achane is modest on his speed. He didn't expect to run at 20.3 200 meter earlier this year. He certainly was surprised at his time in Eugene, Oregon earlier this summer.
It will be hard to keep the 5-8' runner off the field in some capacity. Then again, who's to say he won't be in some role? Fisher stated earlier this offseason that there's a chance Spiller, Achane, and Smith all could be on the field at the same time.
Perhaps Achane plays Smith's role at slot receiver. During practice, he says the plays the junior do-it-all weapon runs are similar to the ones he's asked to do.
Said Achane: "I literally do everything he does. We do two-spot, so if he's on the field going to the backfield doing a route or something like that, I'm on the second field doing the same thing."
Achane maybe isn't just a running back. Perhaps he's the next Kadarius Toney or Curtis Samuel? Players with speed and a defined as playmakers.
Line them up and figure out the position later.
The mere threat of Achane's speed expanding in 2021 should put SEC defensive coordinators on notice. Last season, he only recorded 43 carries. That should double come this fall.
READ MORE: One Aggie Makes ESPN Preseason All-America Team
There's not a set limit on carries for A&M runners entering September. Fisher will likely play the hot hand to give the Aggies a chance to contend for a College Football Playoff spot.
Achane might have 10 carries one game and 25 the next. If last season was the start of something, it's not about the number of carries, but rather the impact of plays made when his number is called upon.
"As good as I thought he was, he was better in person. He really was," Fisher said. "He has a chance to be a really good football player."
Want to join in on the discussion? Click here to become a member of the All Aggies message board community today!
Follow AllAggies.com on Facebook and Twitter!
Want More Aggies News? Check Out The Latest In Texas A&M News Here
