Texas A&M Football: 5 Guys Who Need a Great Spring Performance

The Texas A&M football team will begin spring practices on March 31, and it will conclude with the Maroon and White Game on April 28. The Aggies have a lot of questions to answer this spring.

The A&M coaches need to install a new offense and new defense. The players need to get used to an all-new coaching staff and adjust to their level of expectations. They have spend a couple of months adjusting to Larry Jackson's strength and conditioning program. Now they will find out what is expected of them on the field.

There are some obvious holes on the team that need to be filled if the Aggies want to have a successful season in 2012. This is a look at five players who need to step up their games in order to help themselves and the team in 2012.

DT Gavin Stansbury

Gavin Stansbury saw action in all 13 games in 2011 and finished the season with 15 total tackles 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack. The Aggies need the sophomore to step it up in 2012 and earn a starting spot at defensive tackle in Mack Snyder's 4-3 scheme. 

Stansbury needs to add 15 to 20 pounds of muscle during the spring and summer so he can enter SEC play at around 280 pounds. He has six months until the first game to add the weight, so it should not be an issue.

There are six defensive linemen arriving on campus in August from the 2012 recruiting class. Three of those linemen have the size to make a legitimate push at seeing playing time at defensive tackle in the SEC immediately.

Junior defensive lineman Ivan Robinson should also be back to 100 percent after struggling with injuries in 2011. Kirby Ennis will probably back up Jonathan Mathis at nose tackle but could also figure into the rotation at DT.

Stansbury is going to have to show the new coaches that he is good enough to be relied on to start in the SEC. The defensive tackle position is his to lose right now. He needs to play well enough to earn the starting spot.

CB Dustin Harris

Dustin Harris is one of the fastest players on the A&M team. At 6'0" and 175 lbs, he has the size that NFL scouts drool over. His issue has always been consistency on the field. At times he has been brilliant like when he shut down Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green in the 2009 Independence Bowl. At others he has been frustratingly bad, like when he muffed a punt against Texas in 2011.

Kevin Sumlin has not looked at any video of the 2011 season, so Harris will start off with a clean slate. He needs to earn his starting spot in the 2012 secondary.

Harris has NFL talent and should be expected to have a big year during his senior season. He just needs to be more focused on the field and play with more consistency. He has the ability to be a great corner; he just needs to put it all together for an entire season.

WR Nate Askew

With Jeff Fuller moving on to the NFL, the outside receiver spot is available for Nate Askew to step in and make an impact.

Askew appeared in all 13 games in 2011 and had six receptions for 85 yards and a touchdown. He is 6'4", 220 lbs and runs a 10.5 in the 100. Askew has the size and speed to dominate. Now he has the opportunity to impress a new staff and earn a starting spot. 

The Aggies need Askew to play up to his impressive potential in 2012. He is a big wide receiver who is a matchup nightmare for opposing defensive backs. Askew is a junior now, and it is time for him to step it up on the field. 

LB Donnie Baggs

Donnie Baggs graduated early from high school and impressed everyone during the 2011 spring practices. He saw limited playing time during the 2011 season.

The Aggies return all their starters at linebacker, and Steven Jenkins, Jonathan Stewart and Sean Porter should start in 2012. The real issue is that the Aggies have no proven depth at linebacker. Baggs needs to prove to the new staff that he can be counted on to play significant snaps at any of the three linebacker positions.

At around 225 pounds, Baggs could stand to add some weight before SEC play begins. He will need to be bigger and stronger to take on the SEC running backs.

The SEC is a very physical league and you need to be three-deep at every position to survive. Right now the Ags do not have an adequate two-deep at linebacker, and they need Baggs to show he is ready to step in when a linebacker is injured. 

This is really one of the most important issues facing the Aggies this spring.

DL Shayvion Hatten

Shayvion Hatten red-shirted in 2011, but at 6'4" 286 lbs, he already has the size necessary to bang in the trenches in the Southeastern Conference.

Hatten can play defensive end, nose tackle or defensive tackle for the Aggies in 2012. He has the size and speed for all three spots. The Aggies just need him to show he is ready to play a significant role.

With an entirely new coaching staff in place, Hatten has the chance to prove that he can be a starter. The most important thing for the team is for Hatten to show that he can compete at this level and offer depth on the defensive line.

The Aggies do not have adequate depth on their defense. They need Hatten to prove that he is ready to contribute and give the team quality minutes on the defensive line.