All Eyes On Jimbo Fisher Entering Pivotal Year With Texas A&M
COLLEGE STATION -- The weather changes at the drop of the hat in Texas these days. One moment, it's 90 degrees in the midst of February. The next? A 40-degree cold front blows through in the middle of March.
Much like the ever-changing weather, the opinion of Texas A&M football could differ depending on the year. The program has everything needed to be a staple in the Southeastern Conference for years to come.
A top-tier recruiting class each offseason? Check.
A cast of future NFL prospects ready to terrorize teams on Saturday? Check.
An elite coaching staff that mirrors programs like Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State? Therein lies the problem — at least for now.
All eyes will be fixated on Jimbo Fisher as spring practice begins Monday. The sixth-year Aggie coach must rebound after a woeful 5-7 record in 2022. The Aggies envisioned College Football Playoff aspirations after hauling in the No. 1-ranked recruiting class in the sport's history.
Instead, A&M finished with its worst record since 2008 when Mike Sherman roamed the sidelines of Kyle Field. Should Fisher hope to be back for a seventh year, he must prove 2022 was nothing short of a fluke.
"The guys that can handle pressure, the guys that can do things in the big moments, are the guys who are totally fundamentally sound," Fisher said Monday during his first media session of the new season. "At the end of the day, that's what it's all about. That's what we have to this spring and that's our goal this spring."
The 2023 campaign will be telling for Fisher and his staff. A&M boosters and donors expected massive change internally when Fisher was hired away from Florida State in 2017. Kevin Sumlin was fired after going 7-5 in his final year with the program, meaning that sub-par results wouldn't cut it.
So far, Fisher holds a 39-21 record as A&M's head coach. Sumlin, who spent six seasons in College Station, was 44-21 during his first five years and never finished below .500.
Give Fisher some credit. The program's identity is at an all-time high. Recruits are now snubbing coaches like Nick Saban and Jim Harbaugh to remain in the Lone Star State. Plus, the Aggies were a game away from making the College Football Playoff in 2020, a feat Sumlin came close to accomplishing after his 2012 season that featured Heisman-winning quarterback Johnny Manziel torching defenses en route to an 11-2 finish.
Still, Fisher has coasted through his time at A&M based on name recognition alone and previous accomplishments. He won a national title in Tallahassee back in 2013 behind the likes of a Heisman winner in Jameis Winston. He's one of five active coaches that can claim a championship next to his name.
That won't matter as spring football kicks off. Another lackluster season and change could be warranted to stabilize the program before Texas and Oklahoma join the mix in 2024.
The good news? A&M should have a new identity on offense. Last season, the Aggies ranked just outside the top 100 in scoring, averaging 22.8 points per game. Their 360.9 yards per game ranked 93rd nationally and 12th among SEC programs.
Barring a change of heart, the offense will be under new management. Bobby Petrino was hired away from Missouri State (and later UNLV) to become the next offensive coordinator. And while Darrell Dickey held the title under Fisher for five seasons, the former was the one who called plays.
"We're running our things," said Fisher when asked about the play-calling duties. "We're going to be based-fundamental. We're not getting into scheme. We're not getting into anything. That's what we're going to do. That's what we're going to practice."
Petrino, who likely would have had complete control of the offense under first-year coach Barry Odom in Sin City, probably didn't come to College Station to play second fiddle to Fisher.
And given Petrino's off-the-field antics during his time at Arkansas and Louisville, it would be a tough sell to fans that Petrino was only brought to hold a clipboard and give an opinion on plays.
No one will care about Petrino's past so long as the future ends in victories. That's one area where the first-year coordinator thrived during his time in Fayetteville and Louisville. Petrino orchestrated an offense that averaged over 450 yards and 37 points per game. He also developed Lamar Jackson into one of the more dynamic playmakers en route to a Heisman season in 2016.
That will be the hope with sophomore Conner Weigman, who proved down the stretch to be the long-term answer at quarterback. A five-star talent from Cypress (Texas), Weigman threw for nearly 900 yards and eight touchdowns in five games and did not commit a turnover. He also led the Aggies to an impressive season-finale win then-No. 5 LSU at home.
Then again, Fisher has yet to name Weigman QB1 entering the first practice. As of now, both he and former LSU transfer Max Johnson would each have a chance to work with the first-team offense.
Johnson started three games for A&M last season before suffering a season-ending hand injury in Week 5 against Mississippi State. The Aggies also added dual-threat quarterback prospect Marcel Reed from Montgomery Bell Academy (Nashville, Tenn.) as part of their 2023 recruiting class.
"Every position is an open competition," Fisher said. "It's what spring is about. Nobody has anything."
Defensively, the Aggies should be back on track with second-year coordinator D.J. Durkin. Not all was perfect under the former Ole Miss co-defensive coordinator in Year 1, but A&M did finish with the nation's best pass defense behind Demani Richardson, Jaylon Jones and Antonio Johnson.
Durkin will be tasked with replacing the production of Jones and Johnson following their declaration for April's NFL draft. The good news? A veteran presence still resides at Kyle Field. Richardson elected to return for the fifth season and will serve as the team's anchor. Linebacker Edgerrin Cooper and defensive lineman McKinnley Jackson also turned down the chance to go pro after productive junior campaigns.
"They provide a lot of leadership," Fisher said. "That's what I've been excited about so far in terms of our team."
The Aggies also attacked the transfer portal to add proven commodities in the defensive backroom with the additions of North Carolina's Tony Grimes and Florida State's Sam McCall.
"Both were guys we knew from recruiting," Fisher said of the former ACC defensive backs. "Both were guys we really liked and have athleticism. They'll have chances to compete for starting jobs and can play at a high level."
A&M has the talent in all three phases to punch its ticket to Atlanta for a date in the SEC Championship. The 2022 "can't-miss" recruiting class will be a year older and perhaps wiser. There's little reason to believe that 2023 can't be the season where it all clicks.
Then again, it has to be for Fisher. One down season isn't enough for boosters to pull the plug on a coach set to make $9 million in 2023.
Two years? Even the best play-callers are never guaranteed another year after underwhelming results.
Subscribe to the Texas A&M Aggies Daily Blitz Podcast!
Hey 12th Man! Want to see the Aggies in action? Get your Texas A&M game tickets from SI Tickets here!
Follow AllAggies.com on Facebook and Twitter!
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Aggies? Click Here to Subscribe to the All Aggies Newsletter
Want even more Texas A&M Aggies News? Check out the SI.com team page here
