Texas A&M is ranked as a Top 18 team in ESPN’s returning production rankings for the 2024 CFB season
Texas A&M Football is entering a new era under head coach Mike Elko, as his inaugural 2024 season is now just seven months away, and Aggie fans couldn’t be more excited to see what he can bring to the job.
While A&M’s 2024 schedule avoids the likes of Alabama and Ole Miss for the first time since entering the SEC more than a decade ago, it’s the wealth of returning production, including gaining 22 players through the transfer portal over the last two months.
On Monday, ESPN’s Bill Connelly released his annual SP+ ratings rankings (subscription required) for the 2024 college football season, as the creator of one of the more accurate returning production models has the Aggies ranked 18th out of 134 FBS teams. According to Connelly, A&M leads the SEC with a returning production rate of 72% and an offensive (77%) and defensive (67%) return rating ranked 22nd and 35th in the country.
As noted in the article, the Aggies’ incoming transfers count in the returning production rating, led by former Purdue Edge Nic Scourton, who led the Big 10 in sacks (10) during the 2023 season.
To clarify things, here is how each position group will potentially look ahead of the spring football season starting next month.
Quarterback
Returning players:
Conner Weigman (JR)
Jaylen Henderson (JR)
Marcel Reed (SO)
Incoming players:
2024 4-star QB Miles O’Neill
Offensive line
Returning players:
Left tackle: Trey Zuhn III (RS JR),
Left guard: Mark Nabou (RS SO), Kam Dewberry (junior)
Center: Bryce Foster (SR),
Right guard: Aki Ogunbiyi (RS SR) *Note: Layden Robinson entered the 2024 NFL Draft
Right tackle: Reuben Fatheree II (SR), Chase Bisontis (sophomore)
Incoming transfers:
Dorian Hinton (Florida Atlantic)
Ar’maj Reed-Adams (Kansas)
Derrick Graham (Troy)
Running back
Returning players:
Le’Veon Moss (JR)
Amari Daniels (SR)
Rueben Owens (SO)
Incoming transfers:
EJ Smith Jr. (Stanford)
Wide receiver
Note: Ainias Smith (2024 NFL Draft) and Evan Stewart (transferred to Oregon) had departed the program, leaving Moose Muhammad, Noah Thomas, Jahdae Walker and two new transfer wide receivers, Jabre Barber and Cyrus Allen, to mend their losses.
Returning players:
Moose Muhammad III (RS SR)
Noah Thomas (JR)
Jahdae Walker (SR)
Micah Tease (SO)
Incoming transfers:
Jabre Barber (Troy)
Cyrus Allen (Louisiana Tech)
Both players have combined for 121 receptions, 1,777 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.
Tight end
Returning players:
Donovan Green (JR)
Jaden Platt (SO)
Theo Melin-Öhrstrom (RS SO)
Incoming transfers:
Tre Watson (Fresno State)
Garrett Miller (Purdue)
Both players combined for 68 receptions for 621 yards and six touchdowns, bringing a receiving threat with inline blocking experience.
Defensive line
Returning players:
Defensive end: Shemar Stewart (JR), Enai White (SO)
Nose tackle: Albert Regis (RS JR), Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy (RS SO), Samu Taumanupepe (SO)
Defensive tackle: Shemar Turner (SR), DJ Hicks (FR),
Edge: Malick Sylla (JR), Ryla Kennedy (SO)
Incoming transfers:
Edge: Nic Scourton (Purdue), Cashius Howell (Bowling Green)
Defensive tackle: Rodas Johnson (Wisconsin)
Linebacker
Note: With star linebacker Edgerrin Cooper leaving for the NFL Draft, incoming sophomore Taurean York will not be at it alone, as Mike Elko went out to acquire veteran linebackers Alex Howard and Scooby Williams from the transfer portal.
Returning players:
MLB: Taurean York (SO), Martell Harris JR. (JR), Chantz Johnson (SO)
WLB: Daymion Sanford (SO)
Incoming transfers:
Scooby Williams (Florida)
Alex Howard (Youngstown State)
Defensive back (Cornerback & Safety)
Note: Incoming senior cornerback Tyreek Chappell is still present in the transfer portal, but as we covered last month, Chappell’s father stated that his son is slated to return to Texas A&M, barring his personal announcement.
Returning cornerbacks:
Sam McCall (JR)
Bravion Rogers (SO)
Jayvon Thomas (SO)
Bobby Taylor (SO)
Incoming transfer cornerbacks:
Dezz Ricks (Alabama)
Jaydon Hill (Florida)
BJ Mayes (UAB)
Donovan Saunders (Cal Poly)
Will Lee Jr. (Kansas State)
Returning safeties:
FS: Dalton Brooks (SO)
SS: Jacoby Matthews (JR)
Incoming transfer safeties:
Marcus Ratcliffe (San Diego State)
De’Rickey Wright (Vanderbilt)
Trey Jones (Central Michigan)
Kicker
Returning players:
Randy Bond (SR)
Incoming players:
Jared Zirkel (Georgia)
