Jimbo Fisher reveals where Amari Daniels must improve

Texas A&M football coach Jimbo Fisher will need to ask more of Amari Daniels in 2022. Daniels, a sophomore running back for the Aggies, finished third on the team in rushing this past season behind Isaiah Spiller and Devon Achane.

With Spiller having departed for the NFL this offseason, Fisher finds himself looking for a back to fill his shoes. Standing at 5-foot-8, 200 pounds, Daniels was the No. 13 running back in last year’s class according to On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

In an interview after spring practice Tuesday, Fisher said Daniels looked good as a playmaker, but wanted to see him learn to do more to take his game to the next level.

“Amari ran well,” Fisher said. “I think Amari had some really nice runs. The thing you worry about with Amari is, I think Amari does a great job with the ball in his hand, but I think he’s got to do a better job, like all backs, learning to play without the ball. Whether it’s pass protection, whether it’s lead blocking, whether it’s route-running, I think those things enhance.”

Daniels finished last season with 119 yards on 20 carries. His best game of the season came in a blowout win against Prairie View A&M in which he rushed for 70 yards and a touchdowns on eight carries.

In addition to bringing back Amari Daniels, Jimbo Fisher also signed Le’Veon Moss, the No. 3 running back in the 2022 class. The 6-foot, 190-pound Louisiana native could also see some time behind Achane, who far and away projects to lead the entire group. Achane led the SEC with 7.0 yards per attempt last season, while finishing second on the team with 910 yards rushing — up from 364 as a true freshman — and nine touchdowns.

If the Aggies are to remain among the top rushing teams in the SEC, they’ll need Achane to take an even bigger step forward as a junior. But perhaps more importantly, they’ll need Daniels to make improvements in his sophomore season to help replace some of the 1,011 yards left behind by Spiller.