Five players to watch in Texas A&M vs. Miami

Former Boston College cornerback Josh DeBerry had one of the best debuts of the weekend in his first action with the Maroon & White, leading the Aggies with ten tackles, one interception, one sack, one PBU, and 1.5 TFLs while displaying an efficient open field tackling skillset only rivaling sophomore safety Bryce Anderson.

DeBerry’s vast collegiate experience, coupled with his speed, vision, and notable versatility in the defensive backfield, will be depended on against Hurricanes quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, who excels in the short to intermediate passing game once he develops some rhythm. Going against the likes of Miami wide receivers Colbie Young and Xavier Restrepo, combined for 147 yards and a touchdown, Deberry will need to set the tone in coverage early.

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Let me preface this by stating that the running back duo who took a majority of the snaps for the Aggies last weekend, Amari Daniels and LeVeon Moss, who, of course, will be depended on to produce against Miami, highly touted freshman back Reuben Owens deserves a shot to prove further how he can positively impact the Aggie ground game in 2023.

Snap count-wise, Owens (40) was on the field at a significantly higher clip than Daniels (14) or Moss (9). Still, as GigEm247 beat writer Carter Karels noted during his tape study, this likely had something to do with the Aggie’s substantial lead throughout the matchup. Only rushing for 25 yards against the Lobos and 91 as a team, Texas A&M’s experienced and very large offensive line will need to find more consistency as a run-blocking unit this weekend, but that might be a week away due to Miami’s stout defensive front including DL Leonard Tayor, and defensive ends Akheem Mesidor and Jahfari Harvey, who combined for 12.5 sacks last season.

Still, Owens’s vision, footwork, and second-level burst will work with the provided running lanes.

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Throughout the offseason, sophomore wide receiver Evan Stewart was simply the talk of the town, earning the Spring MVP award while consistently living up to his “mini Mike Evans” high school moniker during most of the fall camp ahead of a highly anticipated potential breakout campaign.

Fast forward to Texas A&M’s season opener vs. New Mexico, where in the blink of an eye, Thomas was streaking down the field for not one, not two, but THREE touchdown receptions from quarterback Conner Weigman, as the pair’s rumored chemistry has already provided exciting results.

While Evan Stewart (8 rec, 115 yards, two TDs) deserves his usual praise for leading the team in receiving against New Mexico, Thomas’s height and exceptional length make him a consistent mismatch against every cornerback he’ll face on the boundary, which is why Miami star safety Kam Kinchens will join by five-star recruit James Williams in likely sticking on Thomas for most of the afternoon, leaving Stewart, Moose Muhammad III, and Ainias Smith to exploit the holes the Hurricanes provide in the middle of the field.

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Kudos to the Aggies’ starting linebacker unit against the Lobos, who mostly did their job in coverage and run defense, limiting New Mexico to 91 yards on the ground. However, freshman LB Taurean York missed several assignments, including manning his gap on the lone Lobos touchdown.

Edgerrin Cooper, who was second on the team with eight tackles and an impressive three tackles for loss, took charge late, ending with an 88.8 run trade per PFF. Against Miami, the Hurricanes’ running back stable, led by junior Henry Parrish Jr., is as talented and deep as anyone, so setting the edge early and getting in the backfield at a consistent rate will force QB Tyler Van Dyke to pass more than he’d like.

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Surprised? Texas A&M quarterback Conner Weigman is by far the most important player entering Saturday’s festivities, coming off his career five-touchdown game against New Mexico. If what we saw was just the start of things to come, we’re all in for a treat on Saturday afternoon.

For Weigman, his downfield vision and quick release will continue to keep the Aggies in every game this season, but to reach the same state of comfort against the Hurricane’s defense, the offensive line must succeed in pass protection, and the wide receivers must exploit their matchups in coverage. If Bobby Petrino continues to let Weigman loose and take shots down the field, he has plenty of options to go to, and we might see another multi-touchdown performance as the legend of Conner Weigman continues to build in 2023.