One of the great aspects of college football that make it different from professional sports is that there are no contracts that players are obligated to, no trades to be demanded, and no holdouts to occur. Each player has four to five years to achieve their goals and that is it. This leads to lots of roster turnover each year as graduating seniors or NFL Draft hopefuls depart the program and open the door for new players to step up and take their shot at making a name for themselves. This can be a talented youngster that might be in his first or second year on campus, or an upperclassmen that has worked for several years to get his chance and is keen on making the most of it. There are several players that fit the bill here for the 2020 Aggie Football team.
- Demond Demas
This list can almost start and end with this five star true freshman wide receiver. He is already the most athletic player on the team as he has clocked a 4.37 forty time (further evidence here). With his game-breaking speed, Jimbo Fisher will be looking to get him the ball in lots of unique ways. The only downside to Demond is the fact that he had to sit out his senior season last year due to a UIL ruling so he hasn’t played in a game in almost 22 months. Hopefully Jimbo is able to simplify the offense enough to get this playmaker the ball in space.
- Jaylon Jones
Another five star true freshman that will likely get very early playing time (as in possibly starting game one) is cornerback Jaylon Jones. He comes in with all the measurables (6’2”, 205 pounds) and elite speed to be able to hold his own against the SEC’s best wide receivers. It also helps that he will be coming into a position group that sorely needs some talent upgrade as too often the past two seasons, our defensive backs have not been athletic enough to match up with the top tier wide receivers in this conference.
- Jalen Preston
A redshirt sophomore this year, Jalen Preston is entering his third year on campus and it is time for him to live up to his once very high potential. Rated as a top 10 player in the state of Texas in the class of 2018, I first watched Jalen while he was in the playoffs for Manvel High School. He was always the best player on the field and is absolutely dynamic when talking about getting yards after the catch (something this offense was really missing last season). With the wide receiver position wide open now that two seniors won’t be playing this season (Ausbon and Buckley), I think this is the year that Preston finally breaks out and makes a name for himself.
- Chase Lane
With so many open spots to fill in the wide receiver rotation now that six of the top seven pass catchers from last season have moved on, there will be several new names catching passes. Count Chase Lane as one of those new receivers as Jimbo has had rave reviews for him all during fall camp. He is also a member of the 2018 recruiting class so he has as much experience in Jimbo Fisher’s offense as anyone. A member of all the relay teams for his high school, look for him to use his speed to make a difference this upcoming season.
- Devon Achane
This pick might be a year early as the true freshman running back is undersized (5’9”, 185 pounds) but as dynamic as anyone on the roster. He has been clocked at a 10.5 in the 100 meter and will also be running on the Aggie track team. He is the only player as dynamic and explosive as Demond Demas, but with his slight stature and two guys ahead of him on the depth chart (Isaiah Spiller and Ainias Smith), I am not sure how much playing time he will get. However, he should make an impact on special teams and I still think Jimbo Fisher will find unique ways to get the ball in his hands a few times every game.
- Demarvin Leal/Ainias Smith
It’s tough to call these two as “breakout” players given that they made a sizable impact during their true freshman seasons. However, entering their second year, I expect both to take the next step and actually be the best player on each side of the ball. Demarvin Leal started out hurt last season but came on strong to end the year. I now expect the defensive lineman to be moved inside and outside while causing absolute havoc wherever he is lined up. He will be disrupting offensive gameplans all season and will be our best defensive player. As for Ainias Smith, we saw flashes of his explosiveness at wide receiver last year. He moved to running back for the bowl game and Jimbo Fisher decided to keep him there this offseason to backup Spiller. Even though he will not technically be the starter, his unique skill set will cause headaches for opposing defensive coordinators as he can be used in the backfield or motioned out to wide receiver to exploit mismatches.
Quick Whits 