The number of seniors leaving Texas A&M for the NFL had increased by two by the early afternoon hours of Thursday, with quarterback Kellen Mond and guard Jared Hocker announcing they were turning pro.
After four sometimes difficult seasons at A&M, Mond's decision was expected. He rebounded from a difficult freshman season that began with his being inserted into the disastrous 45-44 loss at UCLA and ended with him losing his job to Nick Starkel down the stretch. The firing of Kevin Sumlin and arrival of Jimbo Fisher reopened the quarterback competition at A&M, however, and Mond won out. He started all 36 games over the next three seasons, compiling a 26-10 record which included three bowl wins.
In the process, Mond rewrote the A&M record book, becoming the team's leader in total offense, passing yards, passing touchdowns, completions and attempts. He is also tied with Johnny Manziel for the most touchdowns responsible for with 93.
Mond's bouts of inconsistency largely vanished in 2020 as he put together a strong season in a shorter, SEC-only schedule. He completed 188 of 297 passes for 2,282 yards (63% completion rate) with a stellar 19 touchdowns against just 3 interceptions. He also added 294 yards and 4 touchdowns on the ground. Mond led the Aggies to victories when the team trailed going into the fourth quarter three times, against Florida, Auburn and in the Orange Bowl against North Carolina. His role off the field as a respected leader who helped mold the team into a tight group during the offseason also contributed to A&M's going 9-1 in 2020.
For his career, Mond will leave with 9,661 passing yards, 1,608 rushing yards, 71 passing touchdowns and 24 rushing touchdowns.
Hocker, who moved from left guard to right guard this season, also had the best season of his career. Starting next to fellow senior Carson Green, Hocker helped pave the way for one of the nation's most effective running games this past season.
Hocker started 33 games during his career, including the last 23 in a row. His improvement was one of the key reasons the Aggie "Maroon Goons" were finalists for the Joe Moore Award, given to the top unit of players in college football. A&M's offensive line gave up only seven sacks all season, while the offense was third nationally in time of possession, third in 3rd down conversions, 33rd in total offense and 27th in rushing offense while missing one game from their schedule.
