With the recent injury to wide receiver Speedy Noil in the 38-10 win over Rice, it has given an opportunity to some of the Texas A&M Aggies receivers further down the depth chart. Noil was a five star recruit last year who has already won a starting spot as the ‘X’ receiver for the Aggies as a true freshman. This is just one year removed from losing Mike Evans to the NFL Draft. The Aggies might not have the most eye-catching set of starting receivers this year but when you look at the depth waiting for playing time underneath those starters, it’s a different story.
Are Aggies Receiver Depth Best in Country?
In the game against SMU we saw seven different receivers make catches from Kenny Hill, and that’s not including any receptions made by the running backs. There was certainly no major issues with Noil missing the game as it opened the door for players like Boone Niederhofer and Jeremy Tabuyo to shine.
Tabuyo, a true sophomore, had made just five receptions last year and one earlier this year before breaking out against SMU with two receptions for 80 yards, both of which ended in touchdowns. For Boone Niederhofer he made six receptions for 73 yards, doubling his career catch totals from the first three games of the season. Sophomore Josh Reynolds also produced a big play going 80 yards for a touchdown on Saturday and will also be hoping for extra playing time going forward if Speedy Noil misses more games.
Head Coach Kevin Sumlin said at his press conference after the win on Saturday “Our receiver position is good but we play all of them.” He stated that the up-tempo style where the Aggies look to run as many plays as possible means it’s very taxing on his receivers so they have to be very deep at the position for his system to work.
Whilst Malcome Kennedy and Ricky Seals-Jones are clearly the leading receivers for the Aggies this season, it must be comforting for Kevin Sumlin to know that he has the depth to cover these guys if they get hit with injuries. Whether the Aggie receivers are the deepest group in the country is up for debate, but it certainly seems that quarterback Kenny Hill believes so after his comments to the media on Saturday.
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on Twitter – @LWOS_Akie. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport and @LWOSworld – and “liking” our Facebook page.
For the latest in sports injury news, check out our friends at Sports Injury Alert.
Have you tuned into Last Word On Sports Radio? LWOS is pleased to bring you 24/7 sports radio to your PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone. What are you waiting for?
Main Photo:
