AggieYell.com's series on the 2023 Texas A&M football team as spring football approaches continues with a look at the wide receivers.
Returning players
Super senior Ainias Smith; 15 catches, 291 yards (19.4 YPC), 2 TD in four games in 2022
Redshirt junior Moose Muhammad; 38 catches, 610 yards (16.1 YPC), 4 TD in 2022
Sophomore Evan Stewart; team-high 53 catches, 649 yards (12.3 YPC), 2 TD in 2022; Freshman All-American
Sophomore Noah Thomas; 5 catches, 51 yards (10.1 YPC), 2 TD in 2022
Departures
Chris Marshall; 11 catches, 108 yards in 2022 (transferred to Ole Miss)
Yulkeith Brown; 6 catches, 112 yards, 1 TD in 2022 (transferred to Tulane)
Devin Price; 4 catches, 52 yards in 2022 (transferred to Appalachian State)
Chase Lane; 7 catches, 76 yards in 2022 (transferred to Georgia Tech)
New arrivals
What to look for
A lot of excitement. This is a largely revamped group -- even the position coach has changed, with Daymeune Craig taking back over. It's still a little short-handed, after A&M lost some ineffective players from last year, so the three newcomers will get plenty of work.
Stewart, Muhammad and Ainias Smith seem set as starters. Muhammad will likely move outside and Ainias will take back over in the slot.
Stewart had some trouble with drops last year, so this spring will be a matter of adjusting to a new scheme (as it will be with everyone) and just working on reps. He's proven he's a play-maker; now he can make the next step and become a true game-changer.
The return of Ainias was likely A&M's biggest win of the winter. They get back a veteran who has proven he can make big plays and is a reliable target. His presence strengthens the group immensely, and he could get a lot of passes thrown his way in Bobby Petrino's system.
Muhammad was one of the few pleasant surprises from last season, as he broke out in the second half of the year. He won't sit this season, as he completes what could be the best trio of starting receivers in the SEC. Even though he had the reputation of being a reliable possession receiver, he proved to be much more than that last year. Now he has to get used to being a full-time starter.
Noah Thomas is the biggest body of the group and he ended up getting a lot more playing time than expected. He'll be the fourth receiver, in all likelihood, and the Aggies need to find a way to get him the ball more in situations where he can go up and get it.
Tyrin Smith was one of three transfers, and he'll probably be another slot receiver. His numbers at UTEP were eye-opening: 71 catches, 1,039 yards (14.6 YPC) and 7 TD. He may not be big, but he can really run and is very dangerous in space.
The Aggies didn't have a wideout commit until the last day of the early signing period, and ended up with two beasts. Tease flipped from Arkansas right before signing day and Cottrell flipped from Georgia without saying a word. Both are on campus for spring ball and will be exciting to watch. Cottrell gives the Aggies another big body on the outside, and he'll back up either Stewart of Muhammad. Tease could be a slot, or an outside receiver or both. Regardless, they'll have to find ways to use him, because his speed is a huge asset.
Will anything be decided this spring?
The starters probably already are, barring injury or Petrino deciding to fiddle with things. But there's a lot to be determined about who the primary backups will be. This is really a serious audition for the younger players like Thomas, Cottrell and Tease. If they're ready, they'll play. If not, the Aggies will dive back into the portal in May, which they may do anyway to add depth.
