Greg McElroy identifies Texas A&M’s breakout stars entering 2023

Texas A&M will need some weapons to step forward if they want their offense to be where it needs to be under Jimbo Fisher and Bobby Petrino. For Greg McElroy, that starts with the tight-end unit down in College Station.

McElroy named two players from the Aggie’s tight end room as his breakout players for A&M in a recent episode of ‘Always College Football’. Based on previous seasons under Fisher and Petrino, a quality option at that position could really get their offense going.

“There are several by the way, I think, on this Texas A&M team. I went with one position group and really two guys in particular. I’m going to go with Donovan Green and Jake Johnson, so specifically the tight end position,” McElroy said. “When I think about Texas A&M, Jimbo Fisher’s offense, and, to a lesser extent, Bobby Petrino’s offenses? If they have a great tight end that’s versatile? Can play at the line of scrimmage, can be an h-back, can move around? Then the offense has, usually, been a whole heck of a lot more difficult to stop.”

Unfortunately, McElroy said this in an episode that aired a few days back. Since then, Green will reportedly miss all of this season after tearing his ACL in a scrimmage this weekend.

Even so, that places even more emphasis on Johnson. In his first season with the Aggies, he caught just one pass. Now, as the former No. 1 TE recruit in 2022 according to On3’s Industry Ranking, it is now his responsibility to stay healthy and produce at the position for A&M.

“Jake Johnson? A guy that was obviously one of the most highly regarded prospects at the tight end spot when he signed with the Aggies. Now he is getting to a position where he can really be in a good spot,” said McElroy. “He missed a bunch of time being a little banged up last year. Now, if he gets to shoulder some of that load within the offense? They can take this offense to the next level.”

Green will have to go on layaway after his injury with kickoff just over two weeks away. Still, that doesn’t change McElroy’s point about the value of the position. Johnson is more than capable of breaking out and being what the Aggies need at tight end this fall and, with Green now unavailable, will need to be.