Picking five should be much easier than picking six.
Pick six at the horse track you win tens of thousands. Five nets a significantly lower payoff.
Picking six in the lottery means never working again. Five provides riches, but not wealth.
Picking six on Texas A&M’s 2021 football team is easier than picking five. Pick six and you’re in touch with the team. Pick five and you become subject to second guessing and even ridicule.
To explain: The Athlon college football preseason magazine that appears on newsstands every May asked for a list of Texas A&M’s top five players. Most years that hasn’t been too difficult. Indeed, any problem would have been identifying five that truly stood out.
But after four years of recruiting and development under coach Jimbo Fisher picking five isn’t an easy chore.
Who’d be your five?
Deciding to seek out help, I asked our always-opinionated Gabe Bock to compile a list in no particular order.
He chose offensive lineman Kenyon Green, receiver Ainias Smith, defensive end DeMarvin Leal, tight end Jalen Wydermyer and running back Isaiah Spiller.
That’s a solid list. Green earned All-American acclaim. The versatile Smith was the Aggies’ leader in touchdowns and receiving yardage. Wydermyer has All-SEC credentials and likely will leave as A&M all-time receiving leader for tight ends.
Spiller rushed for more than 1,000 yards and was a first-team All-SEC selection. Leal was arguably the best player on the SEC’s best defense in 2020. He would’ve been an All-SEC selection if voters had actually paid attention.
The selection of that quintet should spawn no arguments. Except…
That leaves out running back Devon Achane, perhaps the most explosive player on the roster. He averaged almost 8.5 yards per carry, scored three of his five total touchdowns on plays that covered 30 yards or more and was the Orange Bowl Most Valuable Player.
Also omitted is safety Demani Richardson. He’s started every game in his career in which he’s been healthy. He’ll contend for all-conference honors.
So might safety Leon O’Neal. He led A&M in interceptions and was third in tackles last season.
Further, cornerback Jaylon Jones led the Aggies in passes broken up as a true freshman. Super senior Myles Jones was having an all-SEC caliber season in 2020 before being slowed by injuries. Super senior defensive tackle Jayden Peevy has an NFL future. Super senior Micheal Clemons posted a team-leading four sacks in just five games before his 2020 season was cut short by injury.
Sophomore defensive tackle McKinnley Jackson has potential to dominate and was an SEC all-freshman team selection. Receiver Caleb Chapman had 14 catches for 197 yards and three touchdowns in three games before being lost to a knee injury. Once healthy, he gives the Aggies a much-needed deep receiving threat.
A&M’s football roster is so infested with high-level talent picking a top five is hard. Identifying a top six would be so much easier.
That would still exclude a lot of outstanding players. So, you’d still be subject to second-guessing and ridicule.
