Texas A&M Football: 10 Benchmarks for Spring Success

As the Aggies' inaugural season with the SEC inches closer, their first giant step into the Southeastern arena is getting through the spring without any major problems. With a strong recruiting class, some NFL-caliber talent and a new head coach, A&M will have to make the most of their 2012 spring training.

Under Kevin Sumlin, the entire Aggie football program has been revamped. His youthful spirit, contagious swagger and brilliant stratagems are already beginning to seep into his player's attitudes, giving this A&M team a look like none I've ever seen.

With A&M's first spring practice coming up on March 31st, the Aggies have to know they have a load of work to do. A whole new defensive scheme must be learned while an offense has to be rebuilt around an entirely different system, giving both the staff and players more than a little homework.

We take a look at 10 benchmarks A&M must accomplish for this year's spring training to be a success. 

Make Sure Bertolet Is Up for the Job

Replacing an award-winning player is always more than difficult, but when it comes to kicking, that may just be about impossible. The Lou Groza kicker Randy Bullock has moved onto the NFL draft, leaving the Aggies with a young, unproven legman in Taylor Bertolet. 

Ranked as the best kicker of his recruiting class, the Aggies certainly acquired a gem that is just ready to shine on the field. Sumlin should, however, just make sure that the kid is still up for the job. Kickers are known to be head cases and a big change such as a new head coach could throw his whole game off.

Bertolet is more than likely ready and willing, but I just look forward to him proving that on SEC turf. 

Work on the Depth Chart

Many starting slots are wide open for the Aggies, making this spring practice a huge asset for Sumlin and his staff. Whether it be on offense or defense, the coaches need to have almost the entire depth chart loosely set up by the end of the practices.

The three positions that desperately need some arrangement are the wide receivers with everyone who isn't Ryan Swope or Uzoma Nwachukwu, the muddled secondary and a tangled defensive line.

Check out this article by my colleague for some in-depth coverage on the Aggies' possible spring player organization. 

Reorganize the Secondary

The Aggies' pass defense was arguably one of the worst in the nation last season, crumbling under the pressure of the Big 12's powerful offensive production. With two returning starters in Dustin Harris and Steven Campbell, A&M needs some serious restructuring.

In Mark Snyder's new 4-3 defensive schemes, there will be a heavy reliance on this crucial position. With less linebackers to play back in zone or man coverage, these young men will need a guiding hand with a ton of know-how.

As of now, some of the other possible players to start on first team include sophomore Floyd Raven, senior Steven Terrell and junior college transfer Otis Jacobs. Allowing some of the young talent such as DeVante Harris to grab some reps as well might be in the cards for the jumbled position.   

Find an Effective Tight End

The Aggies' three tight ends have failed to impress me at all over the past two seasons. Hutson Prioleau, Michael Lamothe and Nehemiah Hicks combined last year for 40 receptions, 350 yards receiving and four touchdowns. Those stats come in lower than A&M's third-leading receiver Uzoma Nwachukwu.

Fortunately, the Aggies have 5-star TE recruit Derrick Griffin lined up to take over the position once he arrives for the 2013 season. Until then, perhaps Sumlin can morph one of the three available young men into a force on his offense.

Acclimate the New Defensive Coaching Staff

Unlike head coach Kevin Sumlin, new DC Mark Snyder has never coached at A&M. He comes into College Station with a ton of coaching experience, but none in a conference such as the SEC.

Snyder and his staff need to all start looking to make their moves on their side of the ball early on during spring training so as to establish an authority over the defense. Centering their efforts on creating and maintaining relationships with leaders on their side of the ball should be a high priority for this new staff.

Losing experienced defensive line coach Terrell Williams will be a huge hole to fill, especially on the recruiting side of things, but expect these coaches to start making an immediate difference for this program.  

Build the Offense Around the O-Line

The Aggie offensive line is possibly the most solid part of this entire team. Next season, it looks as if A&M will return all of their starters from last year including senior center Patrick Lewis and junior tackles Jake Matthews and Luke Joeckel. 

The two guard positions will be filled by sophomore Cedric Ogbuehi and junior Shep Klinke.

The five buffet buster's experience together as a unit going up against the best of the Big 12 for the entirety of last season will give Sumlin and his staff a huge building block for a successful offense.

With the O-line as the foundation, the next level would certainly be senior RB Christine Michael and big-time wideouts Ryan Swope and Uzoma Nwachukwu. Losing senior QB Ryan Tannehill, the Aggies are fortunate enough to bring a new starting quarterback into the SEC under the protection of possibly A&M's best offensive line ever. 

Restructure the Defensive Line

Last season, the pass-rushing attack for the Aggies was better than decent. With junior LB/DE Damontre Moore and senior DE Spencer Nealy both coming back to wreck havoc in opposing backfields, this part of A&M's game should stay somewhat constant.

Under new DC Mark Snyder, however, the Aggies will be moving to a 4-3 scheme in which A&M will require two big-time center point tackles. Against SEC offenses, a weak center of the defensive line would result in massive rushing yards being put up on A&M.

Snyder and his staff should easily maintain the edge rushers yet need to find replacement center point D-line players to take over for former athletes like Tony Jerrod-Eddie if they wish to slow down any SEC offensive rushing attacks.  

Let Christine Michael Continue to Recover

After two straight years in which Michael sustained a season-ending injury, it would be a success for the senior RB if he finished the year unscathed. His junior year, Michael ran the ball with a passion, bowling over defenders and inspiring the entire offense.

Hopefully, he will enter the SEC with the same attitude. His experience and leadership will be key to A&M's success on the field next year, making his recovery a prime objective for head coach Kevin Sumlin. 

Construct a Defense Around the Linebackers

The Aggies' linebackers are easily know as the most solid part of this cluttered defense. Next season, it looks like A&M will return their two leading tacklers, seniors Sean Porter and Jonathan Stewart, for a chance to really make an impact on the defensive side of the ball. 

The other outside LB position will most likely be filled by another senior in Steven Jenkins. Their experience as all upperclassmen together will give Snyder and his new staff a solid foundation for a stout defense.

Establishing a strong linebacker corp is key to allowing the defensive line and secondary to grow naturally. The new 4-3 system puts more pressure on Porter and Stewart to make tackles and get to the QB when blitzing, a responsibility both will happily shoulder. 

Select a Starting QB

With the loss of senior QB Ryan Tannehill, everyone's big question is who will be the next starting quarterback for the Aggies. Whoever it may be, they will have to support a ton of pressure as they lead A&M into the meat grinder that is the SEC.

The three players in this race are redshirt freshman standout Johnny Manziel, last season's backup sophomore Jameill Showers and incoming true-freshman Matt Davis. All three have more than enough potential to create offense for A&M as well as lead this team for the next three or four years of their college careers.

Fortunately, new head coach Kevin Sumlin is one of the most experienced molders of superstar quarterbacks as the last young man to play under him broke records and stunned the college football world. This is quite possibly the defining decision of the former Houston head coach as it will greatly affect his team's performance for years to come.