AggieYell.com's look at the key members of the 2021 Texas A&M football team continues with cornerback Elijah Blades.
Class: Super Senior
Spring Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 180 pounds
2020 stats: No stats in one game
Projected 2021 role: Backup corner
Things are very different for Blades going the summer than they were a year ago. In 2020, he was thought to have an inside track on a starting job, then abruptly decided to opt-out of the season. He had a change of heart and was in uniform for the final couple of games of the season, getting on the field for handful of snaps in the Orange Bowl. But in just five snaps, Blades ran into his repeated problem: injuries. They cost him half of 2019 and put him back on the sideline after one postseason possession. Now, Blades finds himself behind Myles Jones, Jaylon Jones and Brian George in a critical season for him. He needs to play at a high level and stay healthy this summer to not only stay in the two-deep, but to fend off talented freshmen who played well in the spring game.