Breaking Down the 2019 Texas A&M Roster: Tight Ends

Texas A&M’s transition from a spread offense under Kevin Sumlin to an offense incorporating pro-style concepts under Jimbo Fisher meant the Aggies would need to find tight ends for the 2018 season. The search for tight ends led to two transfers joining the roster for Jimbo Fisher’s first season as head coach in College Station. Jace Sternberger was one of the most productive tight ends in the nation in 2018, providing Kellen Mond with an invaluable weapon in the passing game. In addition to Sternberger, Trevor Wood had a solid year for the Aggies, contributing mostly as a blocker. With both tight ends moving on, this left a sizeable hole at the position.

Glenn Beal

Glenn Beal saw some time on the field in 2018 as the third tight end in three tight end sets for the Aggies. According to the recently released Aggie depth chart, Beal will be the likely starter in 2019. Beal is solidly built at 6’5 260 and had a solid spring for the Aggies taking steps forward as both a blocker and receiver. While he likely won’t be able to match the production of Jace Sternberger, he’ll be a valuable asset for Kellen Mond.

Freshman Talent

Like many other observers of Texas A&M football, I expected Baylor Cupp to fill the hole left by Jace Sternberger in terms of production from the tight end spot. Cupp looked fantastic in the spring game after enrolling early but unfortunately will miss the 2019 season after suffering an injury early in camp. However, Cupp’s fellow freshman Jalen Wydermeyer has apparently stepped up and impressed the coaching staff. I expected the Dickinson, Texas product to spend his first year providing quality depth but now it appears that he will be thrown into the fire early on. If reports emanating from camp are true, he should be a factor right away.

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Camron Horry

Finally, after spending his first few years at Texas A&M on the defensive line, Camron Horry has made the transition to tight end, where he was originally expected to play. Horry has supposedly looked impressive as camp but with the released depth chart only listing Beal and Wydermeyer, I’m not sure what to expect from him. I could see Horry being used in a similar fashion to the way Beal was used in the 2018 season, coming in as a third tight end in short yardage and goal line sets.

Wrapping Up

There’s no way to sugar coat the fact that replacing someone like Jace Sternberger in terms of production is going to be impossible. Baylor Cupp being injured only exacerbates the problem unless Beal or Wydermeyer shock everyone in 2019. However, the good news is that with a matured receiver group, Kellen Mond shouldn’t be forced to rely on tight ends as much as he did in 2018. Speaking of those receivers, they will be the next position group I’ll break down for Texas A&M ahead of the 2019 season.