Breaking Down the 2019 Texas A&M Roster: Wide Receivers

On paper, the Texas A&M wide receivers are one of the most experienced position groups on the team. A starting lineup that features almost exclusively juniors means that the wideouts should gel pretty well with junior quarterback Kellen Mond. Let’s take a deeper dive into this position group to see the outlook for this season and beyond.

Starting Rotation

As mentioned before, the Texas A&M receiver group is anchored by a trio of juniors. Jhamon Ausbon was one of the most highly touted receiving prospects in his class when he signed with A&M. Ausbon has slimmed down quite a bit since 2018 which has lead to increased quickness and improved route running overall. The Houston native is expected to have a big year and he showed flashes of that in week one against Texas State.

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Kendrick Rogers is listed as another starter at wide receiver. He wasn’t always the most consistent producer for the Aggies in 2018 but he had a knack for showing up in key moments for Texas A&M, in particular against Clemson and LSU. If Rogers can stay healthy, he has a chance to be an all-SEC caliber player in 2019.

Finally, wrapping up the trio of starters for A&M at wide receiver is Quartney Davis. Davis is the smallest of the three but makes up for it with his sensational route running skills. Davis is also the most reliable member of the starting rotation. The great news for the Aggies is that Mond has developed quite the rapport with all three of his starters, meaning less miscommunication between Mond and the trio of talented juniors.

Additional Depth

Behind the starting three, Camron Buckley is likely to be the first man off the bench. The junior receiver out of Cedar Hill, Texas saw the most playing time out of the rest of Texas A&M’s receiving corps in 2018 and has just as much experience as Davis, Ausbon, and Rogers.

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Hezekiah Jones and Roshauud Paul will also provide experienced depth at the position in 2019. Paul has mostly been a return specialist at Texas A&M and while I don’t see that changing in 2019, his veteran presence can’t be discounted. Jones has seen more playing time at wide receiver than Paul and although he isn’t listed on the two deep, I’d still expect him to be a contributor.

Jalen Preston and Caleb Chapman were both prized recruits in the 2018 class but redshirted during the 2018 season. Preston saw limited playing time but thanks to the new redshirt rules was able to maintain his redshirt status. As for Chapman, the Friendswood, Texas product suffered a season ending injury early in the season. I would expect both athletes to take on bigger roles in the offense this season.

Youth at Receiver

The 2019 recruiting class brought in several talented receivers. Of the group, Dylan Wright may have been the most impressive to me on film. A product of West Mesquite High School, Wright has the mixture of size and speed that every receiver dreams of. As is the case with most receivers in Jimbo Fisher’s offense, it will take some time for Wright to learn all the nuances, but when he does, look out.

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Speaking of size at receiver Wright’s fellow 2019 signee, Kenyon Jackson, comes in at 6’6, making him an easy target for Kellen Mond to hit. Jackson’s length means he has an impressive catch radius, which should make him a reliable red zone target for the Aggies moving forward.

In addition to the bigger athletes signed at wide receiver in 2019, Texas A&M also signed three smaller athletes. Chase Lane, Kam Brown, and Ainias Smith don’t figure to see much playing time in 2019 but with the new redshirt rules I wouldn’t be surprised to see all three see some time on the field with Lane and Brown working into the receiving rotation and Smith seeing some time as a returner.

Wrapping Up

Kellen Mond’s performance against Texas State seemed to indicate that he will be one of the country’s premier passers in 2019. If that is the case, this receiver group will have to become much more reliable in 2019. The talent and depth are undoubtedly there, now the Aggies will have to hope for consistency.