Texas A&M Football: Ranking 10 Best Aggies from the 2014 Regular Season

The Texas A&M football team finished the 2014 regular season with a 7-5 record. Despite the disappointing record, the Aggies had a number of players who produced standout performances on the field. 

The Aggies were a very young team in 2014. There are 13 freshmen on the depth chart for the 2014 team. Many of those freshmen are among the best players on the team. 

That bodes well for the future of the Aggies. The 2014 season was somewhat of a transitional one with so much youth gaining experience. 

This is a ranking of the top players on the Texas A&M football team in 2014. 

10. LB Otaro Alaka

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Otaro Alaka is one of the players that Aggies fans should be the most excited about after the 2014 season. The 6'3", 225-pound true freshman has a very bright future ahead of him. 

Alaka missed some playing time due to injury but started the last four games of the season and ended the year with 26 tackles and two tackles for loss. He displayed great instincts as a linebacker and was always around the ball. 

The linebackers as a unit were the worst position on the entire team in 2014. Alaka's play and potential to improve gives Aggies fans hope that there will be better results in the future. 

It could be argued that Alaka was the Aggies' best linebacker as a true freshman. He should only improve with more experience along with the strength and size he will gain in the Aggies' weight program. 

9. S Howard Matthews

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Howard Matthews had a very solid senior campaign for the Aggies. The emergence of Armani Watts at safety allowed Matthews to play near the box for the entire season, which enhanced his strengths as a player.

Matthews has struggled in coverage throughout his career in Aggieland. The presence of new secondary coach Terry Joseph and his new role as an "in the box" safety helped him have a very good senior season.

Matthews went from being one of the definite weaknesses on the team to a solid contributor. His sure tackling on the back end of the defense will be missed in 2015.

Matthews led the team with 82 total tackles. He is a great example of how if you continue to work hard, you can improve throughout your career.  

8. C Mike Matthews

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Mike Matthews is an anchor on the offensive line and a leader on the team. The 6'2", 290-pound junior should compete for All-SEC honors as a senior in 2015. 

If you do not notice the center on the football field, that typically means they are doing a good job. Matthews is as solid as they come. 

It is very rare to see an errant snap from him, and he excels at blocking linebackers at the second level on running plays. He is a very solid player who should be the third Matthews brother to play on the offensive line at A&M and then play in the NFL.  

7. OLB Shaan Washington

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Texas A&M outside linebacker Shaan Washington was the most consistent player on his unit in 2014. The 6'3", 235-pound sophomore finished third on the team in tackles with 64. 

He led all linebackers in tackles despite missing the first three games of the season with an injury. He also tied for the lead at the position for tackles for loss with four, and with two sacks. 

Washington is what an SEC linebacker is supposed to play like. If the Aggies can develop two more linebackers just like Washington, they will be fine at the position. 

Washington has the ability to compete for All-SEC honors and to play on Sundays in the future. 

6. RB Trey Williams

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Trey Williams may be the most underutilized running back in America. The 5'8", 195-pound junior continues to produce every time he is given the football, yet he still finds carries hard to come by. 

Williams led the Aggies with 474 yards rushing and six rushing touchdowns. He averaged an impressive 6.8 yards per rush. Unfortunately for Aggies fans, he had only 70 carries on the season. 

Williams is one of the fastest players on the Texas A&M team and is a threat to score every time he touches the ball. Williams scored a 41-yard touchdown against LSU in the first quarter of the Thanksgiving Day game. 

Williams did not carry the ball again in the first half. The misuse of Williams' talents is one of the more frustrating aspects of the 2014 season. 

5. S Armani Watts

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Texas A&M safety Armani Watts quietly had one of the best seasons of any player on the Aggies football team. It could be argued that next to Myles Garrett, Watts had the most impressive campaign of any freshman on the team.

Watts led the Aggies in interceptions with three and passes defensed with 10. He displayed a tremendous ability to break on the football and was very good in coverage.

Watts had 56 tackles with two tackles for loss. His ability to come up and deliver a big hit was an asset for the Aggies defense.

Watts looks like a future All-Conference and All-American performer. Texas A&M fans should be very excited about his potential.  

4. WR Josh Reynolds

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Josh Reynolds played well enough in 2014 to earn second-team All-SEC honors. The sophomore transfer caught 47 passes for 762 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Reynolds' 12 touchdown receptions tied a school record. He will have a chance to break the record in the Aggies' bowl game.

Reynolds was the Aggies' most polished receiver. He was the best combination of size, speed and route running on the team.

He will compete for All-SEC and All-American honors in 2015.  

3. WR Speedy Noil

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Speedy Noil has as big of an impact on the outcome of games as any player on the 2014 Texas A&M football team. The 6'0", 193-pound freshman receiver caught 44 passes for 559 yards and five touchdowns. 

He averaged 12.7 yards per punt return and 24 yards per kick return. His returns often helped set up the Aggies with a short field for a touchdown. 

Noil's acrobatic touchdown catches against Louisiana-Monroe and LSU showed his tremendous potential. He had a very good year for a freshman and is the type of dynamic playmaker that could compete for Heisman honors in the future. 

2. LT Cedric Ogbuehi

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Cedric Ogbuehi was a first-team All-SEC player in 2014 who projects to be a first-round pick in the upcoming NFL draft. He had a very good senior season at left tackle and right tackle. 

Ogbuehi started the season at left tackle but moved to right tackle for a few games when starter Germain Ifedi went down to injury. The coaches decided that the best offensive line to put on the field with Ifedi out was Ogbuehi at right tackle and starting left guard Jarvis Harrison at left tackle. 

Ogbuehi's versatility to prove to be a valuable asset when the NFL draft comes up in April. He should be the third offensive lineman from the Aggies' 2010 recruiting class who will be selected in the first-round of the NFL draft. 

1. DE Myles Garrett

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Myles Garrett is the best player on the Aggies football team. The 6'5", 255-pound true freshman was one of the best defensive ends in the country in his first year of college football. 

Garrett is a nightmarish combination of size, speed and strength for opposing offensive tackles. He shattered Jadeveon Clowney's SEC record for sacks as a freshman by registering 11 sacks in 11 games. 

Garrett missed a game due to injury but still led the Aggies with 12.5 tackles for loss. He is the type of football player that you tell your grandchildren about. 

If Garrett stays healthy, he will compete for Heisman honors and will likely be the first selection in the 2017 NFL draft.