Texas A&M's Ainias Smith says NIL deals, pandemic impacted Aggies

When a reporter at SEC Football Media Days asked Texas A&M fifth-year senior wide receiver Ainias Smith to diagnose the program’s recent shortcomings despite the talent of its recruits and the state of its facilities, Smith identified two things: individualism, including through the pursuit of NIL deals, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

After Texas A&M finished No. 5 in the final College Football Playoff rankings in the 2020 season and No. 4 in the final AP poll after an Orange Bowl win, the Aggies went 8-4 (4-4 SEC) in 2021 and 5-7 (2-6 SEC) in 2022.

Texas A&M missed bowl eligibility despite enrolling the No. 1 recruiting class that featured nine five-star recruits in 2022, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. Alabama and Georgia, which landed the classes ranked No. 2 and No.3, each signed four five-star recruits.

The Aggies’ recruiting class finished No. 8 nationally in 2021.

“I’d say in the past we haven’t (come) together in a way,” said Smith, who has 1,996 yards from scrimmage and 22 total touchdowns in the last four seasons. “It was a lot of individualism coming into A&M. A lot of people that are coming now that are getting recruited are so big on NIL. You know, parents are looking for NIL deals or whatnot and a lot of people then were just so fixated on me, me, me, and wanted to get things done for them and not necessarily a team thing.

“And now I feel like the team is actually buying in. We don’t have those people that are going to jump back at you if you try to correct something or you try to help them in a way. They’re not going to feel some type of way or feel attacked because of whatever it is that they’re going through. Everybody is willing to listen, willing to be led. I feel like that’s the biggest difference this year is the accountability that we’ve had for each other. Just making sure that we’re all on the same page. Just doing all of the little things at a very high level and doing it consistently.”

Ainias Smith talks about impact of NIL, COVID-19

On3 followed up to ask Smith if the culture of players or their families’ focus on NIL deals was among freshmen, and how a program changes that culture.

“It’s really all about the mentality of the program,” Smith said. “I guess you can say it started with the freshmen – not for real, though. I mean it started with everybody. It was the new big thing. Everybody wanted to get NIL. It was a little different after that COVID year.”

Smith went on to say that the impact of the pandemic played a larger role in impacting the Aggies.

“I wouldn’t necessarily say NIL played the biggest role in whatever happened,” Smith said. “I feel like it was COVID. A lot of people went through [a lot] – as well know – and the high schoolers, they didn’t necessarily have to go to school for a point of time and when they had come to college, it was like they had the expectation that they didn’t have to go to school.

“Like, ‘Kid, who are you? You just got here.’ I feel like now that things are getting back to normal – you still got to go to school, you still got to go to study hall – being able to lead guys that want to be led and really hold people accountable for things that aren’t right. So, if you miss school or you miss study hall, then now we have something to punish you for it and it’s not even so much about the punishment. It’s all about the accountability, making sure that we’re all trying to reach the same goal, all on the same wavelength.”

Texas A&M’s 2023 recruiting class ranked No. 15 nationally, according to the On3 Industry Ranking.