Ainias Smith claims Texas A&M's tempo on offense will be improved in 2023

This offseason, Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher hired Bobby Petrino as offensive coordinator, looking to change up the offense, improve a unit that struggled in 2022, and take advantage of talented players like Ainias Smith.

While speaking at SEC media days, Smith said that the new Aggies’ offense is more up-tempo. That should, in turn, make the team better on offense in 2023.

“One thing I would say is just upbeat, the up-temponess of the team, you know,” Ainias Smith said. “We definitely have, let’s just say, a quicker mindset on how we should run our offense. Definitely want to start with a lot more energy, a lot quicker, and being a lot more consistent throughout the entire season, for sure.”

Something needed to change for Texas A&M following the 2022 season. The Aggies went just 5-7 for the season, largely because of the offense’s shortcomings. Texas A&M was 101st in scoring offense in 2022, scoring just 22.8 points per game. The Aggies paired that with a 93rd finish in total offense, gaining just 360.9 yards per game.

Ainias Smith returning to the Aggies is huge for the offense, giving the offense a premier weapon on the outside. His absence was notable in 2022, as he only played in four games due to a leg injury.

There are those who have brought up concerns about the pairing of Fisher and Petrino, with the possibility that their styles and personalities clash. Despite that, Smith is excited about the team’s new fast and explosive offense.

“I’m definitely excited,” Smith said during spring practice. “A lot of tempo, a lot of speed and hopefully a lot of touchdowns.”

Jimbo Fisher on Bobby Petrino calling plays at Texas A&M

One thing that most people assumed Texas A&M hiring Bobby Petrino meant was that Jimbo Fisher would give up play calling. However, at SEC media days, he wasn’t willing to confirm that.

“I’m not going to get into that,” Fisher said. “Bobby was hired for a reason. Tremendous guy. Tremendous football mind. Hopefully, he’ll call the game & have suggestions.”

Those are odd comments considering the situation. Almost everyone assumed that the offense would be Petrino’s to run with Fisher stepping back from that role. Now, Fisher is saying he’s hopeful that Petrino will have suggestions and has thrown all of that idea into chaos.

Despite that, Fisher has insisted that he respects Petrino.

“When you get to [play] calling, and you get on a roll, you need a guy that can do it, and I think Bobby can definitely do that better than anybody in college football. And I have great respect for him. We’ve had great admiration for each other for a long time.”