Bryce Anderson reveals how Texas A&M's mindset is different in 2023

Things couldn’t have gone much worse for Texas A&M football in 2022, as the team suffered a six-game losing streak in the middle of the season and failed to make a bowl game for the first time under coach Jimbo Fisher. But players say Texas A&M’s mindset is different now.

The Aggies are determined not to let it happen again.

“I feel like this team is committed,” defensive back Bryce Anderson said. “Last year some of the young guys were like loose in the head, they weren’t really focused. But this year I feel like we’re coming, everybody’s ready to practice, everybody wants to practice. Like it’s a whole different mindset this year.”

Time will tell whether that makes a significant difference in terms of wins and losses.

Because there’s a lot Texas A&M has to get done to be more competitive on the field this fall. For one, star playmaker Devon Achane is gone in the backfield, taken as a third-round NFL Draft pick.

The Aggies also still need to find a reliable quarterback after a three-man revolving door at the position in 2022. Conner Weigman would seem to be the answer there, after he finished 73-of-132 passing for 896 yards and eight touchdowns in 2022, all without an interception.

But will the complaints in some corners of the college football world about Fisher’s offense stagnating a bit prove unfounded or will that continue to be a problem, impervious to the Texas A&M mindset shift?

At least Anderson feels like last season should have been enough to iron out a lot of the kinks.

“It’s no experience like college experience,” Anderson said. “There’s no experience like being on the field in front of 100-plus thousand. So being young, being out there and still playing at a high level has helped us a lot. Now going into sophomore year I’m able to teach some of the younger guys. Like AJ was telling me: slow the game down, learn the playbook, help your guys.”

While the majority of the question marks are on the offensive side of the ball, Anderson certainly wants to do his part to make sure his side of the ball is where it needs to be.

As a freshman, he logged 28 tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble on the season.

He’ll be looking for even more this fall as he helps the Texas A&M mindset shift to a more winning one.

“I want to win, so I’m coming here to win,” Anderson said. “I’m coming here to win a national championship, so y’all coming to change things.”