Aggies Jimbo Fisher Discusses Major Changes for Spring Football
COLLEGE STATION -- All eyes will be fixated on Texas A&M's offense under the direction of new coordinator Bobby Petrino. That wasn't the only change A&M coach Jimbo Fisher made this offseason.
Fisher addressed the switches of several position coaches during his first press conference Monday at the start of spring football. Longtime assistant and former Auburn quarterback Dameyune Craig will shift from quarterbacks coach to receivers coach, a position he coached for four seasons before making the switch last fall. James Coley, a longtime offensive assistant, will move back to tight ends coach following the firing of former offensive coordinator Darrell Dickey.
One staff member that won't switch roles is offensive line coach Steve Addazio. Despite being one of the Aggies' more considerable weaknesses in 2022, Fisher elected to retain Addazio for another year, stating that there's an upside to him having another entire offseason to work with more experienced talent.
“I think [Steve is] a very good coach, a very productive coach and has done it for a long time,” Fisher said. “I think he’ll do a great job.”
The offensive line must improve after a woeful 5-7 finish in 2022. The Aggies finished 101st in scoring (22.8 points per game) and 93rd in total yards (361.2 per game).
Part of the reason for insufficient play up-front was due to the constant change among the starting five. Starting center Bryce Foster was limited due to illness and a knee injury. Aki Ogunbiyi only made several appearances due to a season-ending injury suffered before a loss to South Carolina. Jordan Spasojevic-Moko, the initial starter at left guard, was ruled out for the remainder of the year after suffering a foot injury in a Week 5 loss to Mississippi State.
The projected starting five on paper should be stable entering spring football. Veteran right guard Layden Robinson elected to return for his senior season. Both Reuben Fatheree II and Trey Zuhn are more experienced at right and left tackle, respectively. Kam Dewberry, a former top recruit from Atascocita in Humble (Texas), will serve as the permanent left guard.
For Addazio, the spring's focus should be building up on depth. Foster and Zuhn are slated to miss practice due to injury and other commitments. Foster is also a member of A&M's track and field team as a shot put thrower. Backups Matthew Wykoff and Hunter Erb are also expected to miss drills.
Not all the blame should fall on Addazio's shoulders, but the expectations should be raised. The roster has more of a veteran feel on the offensive line. Teams that thrive in the trenches usually prosper in terms of wins amid conference games.
For the Aggies? The talent is there. Now it's about development. Regarding the offense as a whole, development and fundamentals are areas Fisher is looking to fix through the allotted 15 spring practices before A&M's annual Maroon and White game on April 15.
“At the end of the day, we believe in one thing: execution,” Fisher said. “So at the end of the day, that’s what it’s about. Go watch film. If you sit down and watch film, there’s not a hill of beans between anybody, as far as what goes on.”
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