Pay the man!

.@ainias_smith is toying with my emotions pic.twitter.com/PakOpuROe8

— string (@propjoesays) December 10, 2022

What?... could Ainias be considering a return to A&M next year?

(BTW, I'm horrible at reading the tea leaves. Just tossing that out there. )

This tweet is from December 9th... there is no update that I know of.

Cotton79 said:

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What?... could Ainias be considering a return to A&M next year?

(BTW, I'm horrible at reading the tea leaves. Just tossing that out there. )

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I think the fact that we haven't heard anything from him yet means he is considering coming back: not sure if he will, but I thinbk it's something he's contemplating.

He is considering coming back but that doesn't mean he will. I think Billy said we should hear something soon from Ainias on his intentions.

I just hope his recovery is going well and he can succeed no matter what he decides.

It comes down to "does he still like playing football?" As much as I like him he is not an NFL prospect at this point.

Ainias

Aggie Network

NoahAg said:

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It comes down to "does he still like playing football?" As much as I like him he is not an NFL prospect at this point.

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I think several would consider him as a late round sleeper prospect, but would agree he would do himself wonders coming back for another year and benefit from Conner. I agree though with what someone said the other day, I might have a head time sitting Moose for Aianias at this point. So much upside there. But Moose, Evans, and Ainias in the slot would be an intimidating triple threat.

Shoooz....

If he comes back it will be one of the best core receiving crews A&M has ever had.

You have to play all 3 a bunch (Anias, Moose and Evans)

I really hope he comes back. A great college player.

Onionman said:

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If he comes back it will be one of the best core receiving crews A&M has ever had.

You have to play all 3 a bunch (Anias, Moose and Evans)

I really hope he comes back. A great college player.

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This is called hyperbole folks...

SinKiller said:

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Onionman said:

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If he comes back it will be one of the best core receiving crews A&M has ever had.

You have to play all 3 a bunch (Anias, Moose and Evans)

I really hope he comes back. A great college player.

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This is called hyperbole folks...

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How so? The three would easily be one of the top receiving core we've ever had.

vander54 said:

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SinKiller said:

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Onionman said:

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If he comes back it will be one of the best core receiving crews A&M has ever had.

You have to play all 3 a bunch (Anias, Moose and Evans)

I really hope he comes back. A great college player.

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This is called hyperbole folks...

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How so? The three would easily be one of the top receiving core we've ever had.

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Possibly. But Mike Evans + Swope…

NoahAg said:

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vander54 said:

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SinKiller said:

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Onionman said:

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If he comes back it will be one of the best core receiving crews A&M has ever had.

You have to play all 3 a bunch (Anias, Moose and Evans)

I really hope he comes back. A great college player.

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This is called hyperbole folks...

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How so? The three would easily be one of the top receiving core we've ever had.

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Possibly. But Mike Evans + Swope…

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We aren't talking #1 we are talking one of the best. Meaning there could be a few better but there are a lot that are worse.

curiously, what do y'all have as other groups that were up there?

2000: Robert Ferguson, Bethel Johnson, Chris Taylor
2001: T-Murph, Jamar Taylor, Bethel Johnson, Greg Porter
2010/11: Swope, EZ, Fuller
2012: Evans, Swope, EZ

As a pure talent I put Ferguson at #2 all time right behind Evans. He was a beast. Too bad he didn't play with a modern offense.

2015-16 Josh Reynolds & Christian Kirk

vander54 said:

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He is considering coming back but that doesn't mean he will.

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thanks for clarifying the definition of the word 'considering' for us

soleta27 said:

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2015-16 Josh Reynolds & Christian Kirk

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Missing a third, 2001 or next year if he comes back MAY be the best. Stewart, Moose, and Smith would be awesome but we need a tight end like Green or Cottrell who have some size to be one that goes up and gets the deep ball like Evans could with his size. We know the current guys can go after the ball but sometimes in end zone situations you need that height

Kellen Mond went 10-1 with Ainias, Chase Lane, and Hezekiah Jones

9-1.

And with a really, really good O line

SinKiller said:

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Onionman said:

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If he comes back it will be one of the best core receiving crews A&M has ever had.

You have to play all 3 a bunch (Anias, Moose and Evans)

I really hope he comes back. A great college player.

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This is called hyperbole folks...

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Onionman = Looch sock?

4 said:

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9-1.

And with a really, really good O line

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The Ole Piss cancel was the excuse to deny us a semi invite, after all…while Ohio State played a whole five games during their season…

vander54 said:

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NoahAg said:

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vander54 said:

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SinKiller said:

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Onionman said:

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If he comes back it will be one of the best core receiving crews A&M has ever had.

You have to play all 3 a bunch (Anias, Moose and Evans)

I really hope he comes back. A great college player.

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This is called hyperbole folks...

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How so? The three would easily be one of the top receiving core we've ever had.

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Possibly. But Mike Evans + Swope…

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We aren't talking #1 we are talking one of the best. Meaning there could be a few better but there are a lot that are worse.

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Well yes, maybe, but we're gonna need actual results for a whole year...True that after next year they may be, but we've had some damn good receivers come through here and this speaks to recency bias.

StinkyPinky said:

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NoahAg said:

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It comes down to "does he still like playing football?" As much as I like him he is not an NFL prospect at this point.

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I think several would consider him as a late round sleeper prospect, but would agree he would do himself wonders coming back for another year and benefit from Conner. I agree though with what someone said the other day, I might have a head time sitting Moose for Aianias at this point. So much upside there. But Moose, Evans, and Ainias in the slot would be an intimidating triple threat.

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"But Moose, Evans, and Ainias in the slot would be an intimidating triple threat.
" This. And Petrino would use this triple threat, which would be unstoppable without opening up run options.
And such a decision would improve Sub Zero's draft prospects. I hope he stays.

Hot take: When Ainias got arrested that was the beginning of the end of the 2022 football season. I hope he doesn't come back.

I hope he comes back. He would be a huge asset to the team. That arrest last summer was BS.

Do you mean dumb take?

I mean like absolutely idiotic take?

vander54 said:

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Do you mean dumb take?

I mean like absolutely idiotic take?

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Dude takes dumb take of the year so far.

Probably won't take as long as it should to outdo it around these parts.

4 said:

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9-1.

And with a really, really good O line

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That line was a good example of how age/experience can outweigh "stars" and perceived talent

Well... Olin Buchanan did mention Ainias Smith by name as a potential WR threat in his recent article about "how he likes the hiring of Bobby Petrino" as Offensive Coordinator. So, there's that. If anything, Olin is perpetuating the rumor.

TxAg76 said:

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4 said:

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9-1.

And with a really, really good O line

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That line was a good example of how age/experience can outweigh "stars" and perceived talent

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That's why when you have both you win championships

Bunk Moreland said:

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curiously, what do y'all have as other groups that were up there?

2000: Robert Ferguson, Bethel Johnson, Chris Taylor
2001: T-Murph, Jamar Taylor, Bethel Johnson, Greg Porter
2010/11: Swope, EZ, Fuller
2012: Evans, Swope, EZ

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If you go by average production (Career/Years Played)....

The 2012 group is good for 177 receptions, 2589 yards, and 19 tds.

The 2016 group (Reynolds, Kirk, RSJ) would be 164 receptions, 2242 yards, and 21 tds.

The answer (at least) since the passing game changed dramatically around 2005, is one of those 2 groups. They both have 2 guys who are Top 5 (for that period). With Fuller probably being 5th.

And the hypothetical 2023 group (Ainias, Stewart, Moose) would be 143 receptions, 1950 yards, and 16 tds. and that's if you only reconfigure the math to give Ainias credit for 3 years not 4 due to injury and lump Moose's career into one season (since he has only played 13 games). If you calculate it the way I did the groups above, it comes out to.......

100 receptions, 1306 yards, and 9 tds. All 3, for a whole season (on average). Just for reference Mike Evans had 1394 yards and 12 tds in 2013 by himself.

Sorry for the mathy post, but you see these kinds of hyperbolic posts here all the time and I had to confirm that this one was as bad as it seemed to me at first.

I love Ainias and want him back but he isn't even a top 10 receiver in A&M history (maybe not top 15). Statistically, he is basically the same as EZ Nwachukwu.

I didn't run the numbers on the 2 other groups as the passing game was just different in the early 2000s and I don't want to make it seem like a fair comparison.