Running For Hardware: Why Devon Achane Could Be Texas A&M's Next Heisman Winner
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COLLEGE STATION - - Why not Devon Achane?
Is he not among the favorites because of his rep count last season? Keep in mind the No. 2 running back for Texas A&M led the SEC in yards per attempt with 7.0 a carry.
Is it because he’s not fast enough? Achane, a member of A&M’s track team, recently posted a 100-meter dash of 10.14 seconds, the 10th-fastest time in program history.
Whatever the reason for Achane’s absence among the top options for the 2022 Heisman Trophy, he doesn’t care. His focus is on getting the Aggies back into a positive light.
He runs an individual race, but he’s always been a team player.
“I don’t think about stuff like that,” Achane said. “I just come in here and play football. If the accolades come, I’m very thankful for them, but I like to focus on the team.”
A&M is coming off what many would call a disappointing 8-4 season under Jimbo Fisher. Entering his fifth season, the pressure is on for Fisher to consistently win New Year Six bowl games and compete with the top programs such as Alabama each fall.
Coincidentally enough, Achane factored into both of those outings since arriving in Aggieland back in 2020.
Fans likely first remember No. 6 gliding down the sideline in the third quarter of the 2020 Orange Bowl against North Carolina for a 76-yard touchdown run. He’d finished his night at Hard Rock Stadium with a team-high 140 yards and two TDs en route to an A&M 41-27 victory, capping off a 9-1 season.
Not enough proof Achane is dangerous with space? Go back to last October at Kyle Field. His 96-yard kick return for a touchdown against Alabama paid dividends in the 41-38 upset.
“If you watch, his runs aren’t just going outside. The majority of his runs are between the tackles,” Fisher said. “The guy has an unbelievable knack to get through there — he’s very patient and a natural runner.”
What knocks Achane as being the SEC’s top runner are his limited reps. Over the past two seasons, the 5-9, 185-pound back split carries with two-time 1,000-yard rusher Isaiah Spiller.
What Achane lacks in reps, he makes up for in production. In 2020, Spiller recorded 188 carries for 1,036 yards and averaged 5.5 yards per run. Achane tallied 43 carries for 364 yards and averaged 8.4 yards a play.
Last season, Spiller needed 179 carries to rush for 1,011 yards. In 130 snaps, Achane tallied 910 yards on the ground. Spiller averaged 5.6 yards a play. Achane led the SEC at 7.0.
“He makes it look easy for us,” offensive lineman Layden Robinson said of Achane. “We could have a bad play and mess up bad, but he makes it look easy. He makes our mess-ups look like they were supposed to happen — it’s crazy.”
Achane isn’t afraid to extend his rep count now that Spiller is a member of the Los Angeles Chargers. Despite possessing a smaller frame, he’s never shied away from physical contact. Fisher in the past praised Achane’s ability to go low and fight for the hard-pressed yards up the middle.
One area Achane hopes to improve on is his role as a receiver. That starts with better route-running and timely cuts out of the backfield.
Last season, his 24 catches ranked fourth on A&M’s roster. His 10.9 yards per reception ranked seventh among players with at least 10 catches.
Every year fans think a player on their squad can contend for college football’s most coveted award. In reality, the Aggies haven’t featured a player worthy of the hype since 2013 when Johnny Manziel departed for the pros.
Manziel, who became the first Texas A&M player to win the Heisman since John David Crow in 1957, didn’t put himself on the map until he marched into Bryant-Denny Stadium to take down Alabama.
Voters know who Achane is. They know what he’s capable of. For the first time since Manziel, the Aggies have a Heisman-caliber player on their roster.
Achane, who sat on the bench at Fort Bend Marshall until his junior season only to set records later, likely knows it too. He just isn’t letting the hype get to his head.
Said Fisher: “There’s nothing he can’t do.”
You can follow Cole Thompson on Twitter at @MrColeThompson
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