AggieYell.com begins its spring practice preview with a look at a unit that struggled last year, the corrnerbacks.
Returning players (players in bold are projected first team in the spring)
Junior Debione Renfro (started all 13 games; 37 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sack, 5 passes broken up)
Junior Myles Jones (played in 12 games; 18 tackles, 1 TFL, team-leading 9 PBU)
Senior Charles Oliver (played in all 13 games, starting 11; 31 tackles, 4 TFL, 8 PBU, 1 INT)
Junior Travon Fuller (6 tackles in 13 games)
RS-Soph. Devin Morrris (Did not play in 2018)
RS-Jr. Moses Reynolds (Did not play in 2018)
RS-Jr. Speedy Howard (no stats in 3 games)
New arrivals
None in the spring
Departures
None
Arriving this summer
The pressure's on
Oliver, who lost his starting job to Jones late in 2018 after his play slipped significantly from the previous year;
Morris and Reynolds, who may not get a chance to play at A&M at all if they don't make a move this spring.
Overview
Renfro wasn't great in 2018, but he was easily the most consistent corner on the team and deserves to stay on the field -- at least until the new arrivals push him this summer. Jones was attacked early and often once he started getting on the field against South Carolina, but largely held up well. The secondary was definitely improved with him on the field than when Oliver was.
Oliver was one of the biggest disappointments of the year, going from a possible All-SEC selection to the bench after he was repeatedly burned and tackled poorly. He gets another shot this spring, but he'll have to really stand out to get the confidence of the coaches back. Roney Elam and Clifford Chattman weren't mentioned above because they're likely going to be competing for the nickel job, but could also factor in at corner.
Fuller was pretty good last spring and probably enters this early series of practices as the fourth corner. Morris has reportedly dropped his 40-yard-dash time into the 4.4s, so he may be one to watch closely. Reynolds seems to be a man without a real position, while Howard was relegated to special teams duty last year.
Prediction
Renfro and Jones leave the spring having distanced themselves from the other corners currently on campus -- but looking over their shoulders at Young and Blades, who both could still take their jobs and start game one.
