5 Texas A&M Football Players to Watch Against Auburn

Sep 5, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Texas A&M Football Aggies defensive lineman Myles Garrett (15) celebrates his sack against Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Mike Bercovici (2) (not pictured)in the first quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports

Here we discuss five Texas A&M Football players who could have a huge impact on the game against Auburn on Saturday night at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Texas A&M football has been a solid program since Kevin Sumlin took over, but they’ve yet to break through as one of the best in the SEC West.

Many fans are growing impatient with Kevin Sumlin, and he may need nine or 10 wins to keep his job.

During the offseason he lost a couple of 5-star quarterbacks, which brought into question the direction of this team.

However, they’ve gotten off to a good start in 2016 with a win over a ranked opponent already on their resume.

Despite the losses at quarterback, they still have a ton of talent on this team.

Trevor Knight comes over from Oklahoma with plenty of experience at quarterback. He has one of the most dynamic wide receivers in college football in Christian Kirk.

On defense they possess possibly the number one pick in the upcoming NFL Draft in Myles Garrett.

Auburn will certainly have its hands full in this game.

Here are five guys for Texas A&M that you’ll need to keep an eye on Saturday night.

Sep 10, 2016; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Trevor Knight (8) attempts a pass during the second quarter against the Prairie View A&M Panthers at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Trevor Knight

The former Oklahoma quarterback transferred to Texas A&M after losing his job with the Sooners in favor of Heisman Trophy candidate Baker Mayfield.

Knight is most remembered for his big win over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl back in 2014 as a freshman. He threw for 348 yards and 4 touchdowns in that game.

At that point many thought his career, as well as Oklahoma, was going to take off for the next three years.

Knight struggled with consistency as a sophomore throwing for just 14 touchdowns to 12 interceptions.

He was eventually replaced at quarterback and decided to transfer to Texas A&M for his senior season.

He’s given the Aggies just what they needed through two games, throwing for 583 yards and 4 touchdowns. He’s also ran the ball 16 times for 109 yards and 3 touchdowns. You have to respect his ability as a runner and a passer.

However, he has thrown 2 interceptions with a completion percentage of just 54.4.

Auburn has already seen two guys with similar skill sets in Deshaun Watson and Chad Voytik, so I expect them to be prepared for Knight as a runner.

Knight is an experienced quarterback at the collegiate level and I don’t expect him to get flustered in front of the Auburn crowd on Saturday night.

I expect him to have a major impact on the game this weekend, and Auburn’s linebackers will have to be on their A-game to contain him.

Sep 10, 2016; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies wide receiver Christian Kirk (3) celebrates with wide receiver Ricky Seals-Jones (9) after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the Prairie View A&M Panthers at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Christian Kirk

Speaking of being on your A-game, Christian Kirk already has 13 catches on the season for 164 yards and 2 touchdowns.

After an outstanding freshman season in which the 5-foot-11 receiver racked up over 1,000 yards receiving and 7 touchdowns, he’s becoming one of the best wide receivers in the country.

He is also very dangerous in the return game after taking two back to the house in 2015.

This is by far Texas A&M’s most dynamic player on offense. The speedy wide out is averaging around 20 yards per catch in his career.

The Aggies have been known for their big, physical receivers in recent years, but Kirk gives them a different dimension at wide out.

He has the hands and ability to catch short passes, but he can also blow past the defensive back and burn you deep.

The media picked him as a First team All-SEC player before the 2016 season, showing just how highly he’s thought of.

I think the Auburn coaching staff will, and should, put Carlton Davis on him the entire game. Davis is by far our best cover corner, and should have a better chance at covering Kirk.

If Davis can cover up Kirk and limit his big-play ability, it will allow the rest of the secondary to focus on their bigger receivers.

Don’t fool yourself though, Kirk will have a huge impact on this game Saturday night.

Sep 3, 2016; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies wide receiver Ricky Seals-Jones (9) makes the catch in front of UCLA Bruins linebacker Jayon Brown (12) during the first quarter at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports

Ricky Seals-Jones

Rolling right along, we take a look at one of those notoriously big, physical receivers for Texas A&M.

You may recall a certain 6-foot-5, 225 pound wide receiver that Texas A&M had for two seasons before he was taken in the first round of the NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Mike Evans started a trend of big, physical receivers at Texas A&M.

Ricky Seals-Jones certainly carries on that tradition at 6-foot-5, 240 pounds.

The junior is listed as a wide receiver, but he has the build of a tight end. Over the past two years he’s caught at least 45 balls for at least 465 yards with 4 touchdowns in each of those seasons.

He’s a nightmare for any linebacker or defensive back to cover, and he’s always a threat near the redzone.

So far this season he’s caught just six passes for 90 yards, and he’s yet to record a touchdown.

With Auburn’s lack of experience at linebacker, and lack of height in the secondary, look for Texas A&M to try and use Ricky Seals-Jones’ size against them in this game.

Last year he caught four passes for 41 yards against Auburn, with a long of 20 yards.

The defense cannot allow this big fella to get loose in the middle of the field like they did with Arkansas State’s receivers.

Auburn will already have their hands full in the secondary with Christian Kirk and Josh Reynolds, so look for the Aggies to try and match Seals-Jones up against some of our linebackers.

Oct 11, 2014; College Station, TX, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Bo Wallace (14) is sacked by Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman Myles Garrett (15) during the first quarter at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Myles Garrett

Mel Kiper Jr.’s big board for the 2017 NFL Draft currently has Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett at the top.

At 6-foot-5, 265 pounds, you won’t find many defensive ends in the country that can get to the quarterback as quickly as Garrett.

His speed, size and athleticism make him impossible to cover as an offensive lineman. Auburn will most likely have to put two guys on him to try and slow him down.

Through his first two seasons at Texas A&M he recorded 32 tackles for a loss and 22.5 sacks. So far in 2016 he has just 1.5 tackles for a loss and 1 sack.

The Auburn offensive line gave up 4 sacks to Clemson, and they don’t possess anyone like Garrett.

It’s not just the Myles Garrett show though. With all the attention on him, some people forget about Daeshon Hall. He’s yet to record a sack this season after picking up seven last year, but he leads the team with 3 tackles for a loss in 2016.

These two may be the best set of defensive ends on any team in the country. Granted, Auburn has a couple of great defensive ends in Carl Lawson and Marlon Davidson.

This will be a very difficult task for the Auburn offensive line. Not only do they have to keep Garrett and Hall from getting to the quarterback, but these guys will create a lot of negative plays in the running game as well.

Garrett has shown the ability to run down quarterbacks and running backs from behind throughout his career.

Texas A&M’s defense will be as good as Myles Garrett makes them.

Dec 29, 2014; Memphis, TN, USA; Texas A&M Aggies linebacker Shaan Washington (33) breaks up a pass intended for West Virginia Mountaineers wide receiver Jordan Thompson (10) during the game in the 2014 Liberty Bowl at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

Shaan Washington

That’s not to say there aren’t a lot of other really good players on this defense, but Myles Garrett is leaps and bounds ahead of most.

However, senior linebacker Shaan Washington gives the defense the leadership it needs in the middle of the field.

After collecting 81 tackles and 7.5 tackles for a loss in 2015, he becomes the captain of this defense. He’s already playing at a high level in 2016 with 13 tackles, 1 sack and 5 pass defended.

Washington has already defended more passes this year than he did all of last year. That ability to cover the slot receiver or running back is what makes him such a problem for offenses.

At 6-foot-3, 235 pounds he has the height and quickness to keep up with just about anyone you throw at him.

Auburn will have to be smart with how they try to matchup with Washington.

And when he blitzes it’s hard for an offensive line to pick him up because of the focus on Garrett and Hall.

Texas A&M has allowed just 241 yards rushing in two games (an average of 78.5 yards per game), and only 2.3 yards per carry. A lot of that has to do with Washington’s ability to plug holes quickly and stop the running back in the backfield, or for a minimal game.

He may not be polarized as one of the bets linebackers in the country, or even in the SEC, but he’ll make a difference in this game on Saturday.

Other Notable Players to Watch for Texas A&M:

Keith Ford – Running Back (22 carries for 127 yards and 3 touchdowns)

Josh Reynolds – Wide Receiver (6 catches for 131 yards and 1 touchdown)

Armani Watts – Defensive Back (8 tackles, 1 sacks and 1 pass break-ups)

Justin Evans – Defensive Back (13 tackles, 2 interceptions and 3 pass break-ups)