Story Poster
Photo by Craig Bisacre/Texas A&M Athletics
Texas A&M Football

As All-American Kenyon Green slides left, Aggies have big hole to fill at guard

February 25, 2021
13,152

We’re gonna miss you in 2021, Kenyon Green.

The above sentence is neither a typo nor a reason to panic. It’s just the truth.

You did not miss a blockbuster story. Kenyon Green did not follow the lead of LSU receiver Ja’Marr Chase and decide to sit out next football season to prepare for his NFL career.

Kenyon Green isn’t that type. He will be playing for the Aggies in 2021. But he’ll be missed.

Let me explain: One of the college football periodicals that appear in the summer sent a questionnaire enquiring what five Texas A&M players from the 2020 football season would be missed most.

Of course, what’s missed is production, not personality. Myles Garrett was a nice guy, but when he left for the NFL, the 100,000 yelling at Kyle Field missed the pass rush he provided.

Frankly, A&M doesn’t stand to miss that much in 2021.

Oh, the Aggies certainly will miss quarterback Kellen Mond. He was talented and experienced. Everybody wants that combination at quarterback.

Potential successors Haynes King and Zach Calzada are certainly talented, but they have minimal playing experience. Whichever wins the QB1 role, he won’t be expected as a starter to run the offense as efficiently as Mond did as a senior during his first season.

Lia Musgrave, TexAgs
Buddy Johnson’s production and leadership will be missed in 2021.

The Aggies will also miss Buddy Johnson. He led A&M with 86 tackles, which is even more impressive considering opponents had only 283 rushing plays. As a linebacker, most of his tackles would occur on running plays. Though Johnson did have some tackles on pass plays, he averaged a tackle on about every fourth running play. He also had four sacks, forced two fumbles and returned an interception for a touchdown.

Andre White projects as a very capable replacement for Johnson. Still, duplication of that production won’t be easy.

Aside from Mond and Johnson, the Aggies don’t figure to miss much. The only other starter lost on defense is tackle Bobby Brown, who had such a strong 2020 season that earned him All-SEC acclaim.

Yet, Jayden Peevy’s decision to return for a super senior season along with the development of McKinnley Jackson, Isaiah Raikes and the arrival of five-star Shemar Turner leads me to believe Brown’s production (22 tackles, 5.5 sacks) can be adequately replaced.

A&M must replace production in one of the nation’s best offensive lines. Four of the 2020 offensive line starters are now pursuing NFL careers.

Replacing most of that production might be more realistic than some would believe.

Carson Green was a solid three-year starter at right tackle. However, his position figures to be filled by Jahmir Johnson, a graduate transfer from Tennessee. Johnson made 11 starts at left guard as a sophomore for the Vols. Last season, he made five starts at left tackle.

Veteran right guard Jared Hocker is also gone. However, Layden Robinson played exceptionally well when he filled in for Hocker. He appears ready to take over that spot.

The same goes for Luke Matthews, who is expected to replace hard-nosed center Ryan McCollum. Word from our Billy Liucci is that Matthews was making a serious push for significant playing time before suffering a shoulder injury.

Walker Lott, TexAgs
Five-star recruit Bryce Foster could make a push to replace Green at left guard.

The Aggies must replace Dan Moore, a three-year starter at the all-important left tackle position. The answer there is to shift All-American left guard Kenyon Green to tackle, which is his natural position. The Aggies could upgrade that position with Green.

Of course, that means A&M must replace All-American caliber production at left guard with someone with minimal playing experience at the collegiate level.

Kenyon Green will be missed there.

That is unless second-year players Aki Ogunbiyi, Josh Bankhead or perhaps incoming five-star prospect Bryce Foster prove capable of playing at a high level just as Kenyon Green did when he started as a true freshman.

In that case, the Aggies might not miss Kenyon Green that much. And the offensive line might not miss a beat in 2021.

Discussion from...

As All-American Kenyon Green slides left, Aggies have big hole to fill at guard

8,926 Views | 7 Replies | Last: 3 yr ago by AWP 97
eATMup-Reveille
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Great article! It's also a way that Kenyon Green can help teach the position of left guard to the replacements.
Detmersdislocatedshoulder
How long do you want to ignore this user?
The offensive line is losing a ton of experience but I believe upgrading talent. It may take non conference to get all the kinks worked out but I believe people will be surprised at how well this new offensive line unit plays in 2021. Why I am so bullish on this transition is because of the time many of these players have spent in the program. This is not a rebuild but a reload with many players that have been around for 2-4 years. Couple that with superior talent and I think this line could surprise. All that said we need another year of good luck on the health front.
Emilio Fantastico
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Did Jimbo consult with Danny Phantom on this move?
DegenAg
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Surprised Chris Morris gets no mention in this article. Anybody know why - he was a pretty big OG recruit a couple years ago...
texag86
How long do you want to ignore this user?
farwellrob
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
I think he was arrested a few months ago.

I hope he has his stuff in order. He was an all-American in high school and a kid-to-high 4* recruit.

He has a ton of potential as long as he keeps his act together.
AWP 97
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Detmersdislocatedshoulder said:

The offensive line is losing a ton of experience but I believe upgrading talent. It may take non conference to get all the kinks worked out but I believe people will be surprised at how well this new offensive line unit plays in 2021. Why I am so bullish on this transition is because of the time many of these players have spent in the program. This is not a rebuild but a reload with many players that have been around for 2-4 years. Couple that with superior talent and I think this line could surprise. All that said we need another year of good luck on the health front.
I'm going to have to disagree with your statement that we have "many players that have been around for 2-4 years". Are you counting the 2020 class as players that have been around 2 years? By my count, we will have 17 OL on the roster this year.

2017- Grayson Reed (Is he still on the team?)
2018- Luke Matthews (Can he stay healthy?)
2019- Green (stud), Robinson (looked good w/limited snaps), Trainor (we'll see), Hunter (recent move to OL)
2020- Morris, Akinola, Bankhead, Chibuzo
2021- Foster, Fatheree, Zuhn, Wykoff, Strickland, Moko
Transfer- Johnson

By my count, if you include Reed, that's five players that have been on campus and playing OL for 2 years or more. That's five out of 17. Than does not count as "many" in my book.
Refresh
Page 1 of 1
 
×
subscribe Verify your student status
See Subscription Benefits
Trial only available to users who have never subscribed or participated in a previous trial.