Published Sep 13, 2020
Ausbon opts out; how will A&M replace him?
Mark Passwaters  •  AggieYell
Publisher
Twitter
@mbpRivals

Earlier this summer, senior wide receiver Jhamon Ausbon told members of the press that he was looking forward to being a leader on the 2020 Texas A&M football team. That has changed.

Advertisement

After missing several practices to deliberate on his future and leaving coach Jimbo Fisher in the awkward position of having to say Ausbon is "still with the program" on Thursday, the receiver announced his decision to opt out and prepare for the NFL draft Sunday on social media.

info icon
Embed content not available

Ausbon leaves after the best season of his college career. In 2019, the 6-foot-2, 210-pound wideout caught 66 passes for 872 yards and 5 touchdowns, all individual bests. He was considered one of the five best returning wideouts in the SEC coming into the season, but most draft analysts believed he needed another solid season at currently 10th-ranked A&M to move his status above a mid-round draft position.

With Aubson's departure, the Aggies have lost all four of their most experienced receivers from 2019. Quartney Davis and Kendrick Rogers both declared for the 2020 NFL Draft early -- going undrafted -- and senior Camron Buckley tore his ACL during training camp.


How will A&M replace him?

Losing your top receiver -- especially one that is a very good blocker, to boot -- is never easy. Aubson was a reliable target, a physical presence and knows QB Kellen Mond very well. But talent-wise, the Aggies have a number of options who were going to be in the equation in 2020 anyway.

Ausbon's departure makes it extremely likely that two wideouts over 6-foot-3 -- Caleb Chapman and Demond Demas -- will start. They have one catch for 6 yards combined between them, but both are fast and athletic. Another former 4-star prospect, Dylan Wright, will also likely get bumped up the depth chart. A veteran presence with good hands who has yet to meet expectations, redshirt junior Hezekiah Jones could also be in the mix.

A&M is going to experience a complete turnover of its wide receiver corps this season, a year before many people would have expected this time in 2019. Fortunately for them, they have a number of talented options to help lessen the sting of Ausbon's departure.