The Most Important Texas A&M Players for the Rest of the Year

The Texas A&M football team is 7-4 on the season with an 3-4 record in the SEC. The Aggies have shown that there are a few players who need to be on the field if they are going to win their two remaining games.

The SEC season is a grinder. It is very hard to get through the year without losing players to injuries, and the Aggies have definitely experienced that during the past few games. 

The Texas A&M program does not yet have the depth in place where they can afford to have injuries to their starters. There is a significant drop-off on defense when the starters on the Aggies' front seven are injured. 

Aggies fans were able to see this up close and personal when they played Missouri and were missing starters at defensive end and linebacker for all or part of the game. 

This is a look at the most important players on the Aggies' roster for the two remaining games of the 2014 season. 

DE Myles Garrett

Butch Dill/Associated Press

Myles Garrett is the best player on the Texas A&M football team. The 6'5", 255-pound true freshman defensive end is a disruptive force off the edge who leads the Aggies in tackles for loss and sacks. 

Garrett has 12.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks on the season. He has shattered the freshman sack record for the SEC that Jadeveon Clowney set at eight in 2011. 

Garrett is constantly in the opponent's backfield, and his presence creates opportunities for other players. He sat out the Missouri game with an injury, and the Aggies were unable to record a sack in the game. 

Every team in the country would be negatively affected if they lost their best player for a game, and the Aggies are no different. They need to get Garrett back and healthy if they are going to have a chance at winning their remaining two games. 

LB Otaro Alaka

Jim Lytle/Associated Press

The Aggies learned how important freshman linebacker Otaro Alaka is to the program when they went up against Missouri. Alaka had four tackles with a tackle for loss early in the game. 

When he went down with an injury, Missouri was able to crank up their running game and ended up rushing for 335 yards against the Aggies defense. Texas A&M simply had no answer for the Tigers' outside zone running play once Alaka was on the sideline. 

Alaka has 22 tackles with two tackles for loss on the season. He had arguably the best two games for any Aggies linebacker this season in the wins over Lousiana-Monroe and Auburn. 

Alaka is a major key to the Aggies' ability to shut down the opponent's running game. After Garrett, he is arguably the Aggies' most important player on defense. 

QB Kyle Allen

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Texas A&M's true freshman quarterback, Kyle Allen, has been getting better with every game. He has completed 60.4 percent of his passes on the season for 884 yards with 11 touchdowns and four interceptions. 

Allen has thrown seven touchdowns in his last two starts. He is learning to control his rifle arm, and he is developing more touch and polish in the passing game. 

Allen has performed extremely well for a true freshman. Aggies fans should expect Allen to continue to develop under the tutelage of head coach Kevin Sumlin and position coach Jake Spavital. 

Do not be surprised to see Allen play his best two games of the year in his last two games of the season. 

WR Josh Reynolds

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Josh Reynolds is the Aggies' best receiver overall. The 6'4", 190-pound sophomore is Texas A&M's best combination of size, speed, route-running ability and hands on the team. 

Reynolds has caught 45 passes for 746 yards and tied a team record with 12 touchdown receptions. He has developed into a deep threat for freshman quarterback Kyle Allen. 

Reynolds has scored four touchdowns in the last two games and appears to be coming into his own as a playmaker in the Aggies offense. Texas A&M fans should look for Reynolds to continue to improve in the last two games of the season. 

Do not be surprised to see Reynolds break out in the bowl game and make a name for himself on a national stage.