The 2019 Clemson football season is less than three months away from kicking off. Today, we continue our early opponent analysis with a look at Texas A&M.
Throughout the first part of the summer, we’ll be giving you an early breakdown of each team on the 2019 Clemson football schedule.
We kicked the series off Wednesday with a look at the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, who the Tigers will open up the season with on a Thursday night in Death Valley.
Following the conference opener, Clemson will play host to the Texas A&M Aggies as part of the second game in a home-and-home series.
Here’s a look at what Clemson football fans can expect from Texas A&M when the Aggies make their way to town for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff on September 7th.
Early Opponent Analysis:
Texas A&M has a legitimate shot at being a top-15, potentially a top-10, team this season. The Aggies return starting quarterback Kellen Mond- who had the biggest game of his career against Clemson last season- as well as some talented wide receivers.
As a matter of fact, the Aggies return their entire two-deep at wide receiver, led by Quartney Davis and Camron Buckley.
Defensively, Texas A&M returns some play-makers from last season, but it looks as if linebacker could be a concern for them as they begin the 2019 season.
The Aggies will have to replace some talented play-makers, including RB Trayveon Williams who was the SEC’s leading rusher last season.
Overall, Texas A&M should be able to improve from last year (they went 9-4) and potentially become a 10-win team. They have a ceiling high enough to finish second in the SEC West, but also have a floor low enough to barely make a bowl game and finish fourth in their division.
It’s still just too early to tell what kind of Aggie team this will be, though I expect they will take a step forward this season and compete in the SEC.
Early Game Breakdown:
Being this early in the season, the Tigers could have some problems. The offense typically takes a few weeks before it’s in full gear and the defense will be looking to replace a ton of talent from last season. The Tigers still will be double-digit favorites, and for good reason, but this one could be close for a while before Clemson potentially pulls away in the second half.