Texas A&M Football: 5 Players Poised to Breakout in 2015

The Texas A&M football team finished the 2014 season with an 8-5 record and are ready to make a serious run at an SEC title in 2015. There are a number of players on the team who are poised to breakout next season.

The Aggies were young this year, with 29 freshmen or sophomores listed on the depth chart. As that youth matures, A&M will develop into a championship-caliber football team.

With the addition of defensive coordinator John Chavis to the coaching staff, the Aggies should be able to field a competent defense in 2015. A lot of the youth on defense should develop into All-SEC and All-American players.

Multiple Aggies started a few games and received live experience this season but did not necessarily put up big numbers. These players showed flashes of potential but did not put up the stats necessary to elicit national attention.

Everyone knows who Myles Garrett is because he shattered the SEC record for sacks by a freshman. There are other Aggies poised to have a similar breakout year in 2015, and this is a look at five of them.

LB Otaro Alaka

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Otaro Alaka was the best linebacker on the Texas A&M defense in 2014 as a true freshman. He did not receive significant playing time until he drew the start against Louisiana-Monroe during the ninth game of the season.

It quickly became apparent that Alaka had the kind of instincts needed to play middle linebacker at a high level. He finished the season with 33 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss while only seeing significant playing time in five games.

He had seven tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss in the Aggies' Liberty Bowl victory over West Virginia. He has the size and speed to be an effective SEC linebacker, but his instincts are what really jump out at you when you watch him play.

Alaka does not take many false steps and always appears to be around the football. He should excel in John Chavis' system that has seen linebackers Kwon Alexander, Lamin Barrow and Kevin Minter lead LSU in tackles the past three years.

SS Donovan Wilson

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True freshman strong safety Donovan Wilson was pressed into action during the first quarter of the Liberty Bowl after senior starter Howard Matthews was disqualified for targeting.

Wilson responded by leading the Aggies with nine tackles, including a tackle for loss. He ended the season with 19 total tackles and three tackles for loss.

The tackles-for-loss statistic stands out for a safety. To put that in perspective, Matthews led the team with 82 tackles this season and only had 2.5 tackles for loss.

Wilson obviously excels and coming up and playing the run. He also had a pass broken up and a pass defended during his limited playing time. The 6'1", 192-pound freshman has the size and speed to be an effective safety in John Chavis' defense.

Wilson should be a future star.

WR Speedy Noil

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True freshman wide receiver Speedy Noil made an impact this season, but he should really become a dominant player and compete for national awards in 2015. He has the type of talent to be a Heisman contender. 

Noil finished the year with 46 receptions for 583 yards and five touchdowns and averaged 12.0 yards per punt return with a long of 67 yards. He also led the team with an average of 118.2 all-purpose yards per game.

He is a dynamic player with the ball in his hands. 

Noil spent his junior and senior seasons of high school playing mostly quarterback. This was his first year as a full-time receiver, and he is still learning the finer points of running routes and playing the position. 

He should take a quantum step forward in 2015 and threaten 1,000 yards receiving while also being one of the most dangerous punt and kick returners in the nation.

QB Kyle Allen

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Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin has an offensive system that is quarterback friendly. Despite the fact that Kenny Hill only played eight games in 2014, he still finished No. 6 in the SEC in passing yards. 

True freshman Kyle Allen replaced Hill as the starter and completed 61.5 percent of his passes for 1,322 yards with 16 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Allen has a strong arm and can fit the ball into tight windows.

He will lead the SEC in passing in 2015 and will threaten Johnny Manziel's school record of 4,114 passing yards in a season. Texas A&M fans should expect Allen to get better as the season progresses.

The Aggies struggled on offense at times in 2014 due to youth and inconsistent play-calling. Expect a more confident Allen who is on the same page with his receivers to lead a prolific offense in 2015.

DE Daeshon Hall

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Junior defensive end Daeshon Hall had an inconsistent sophomore campaign.

Hall had a sack against South Carolina, and he seemed to be in the backfield on every play against Lamar—leading the team in tackles with seven while adding a sack and two tackles for loss. And then he seemed to disappear for the rest of the season until the Liberty Bowl, when he had two tackles and a sack against West Virginia.

Hall finished with 29 tackles, six tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. With his 6'6", 260-pound frame and quickness, he has the potential to be a dominant defensive end.

Aggies defense coordinator John Chavis runs a scheme where the defensive ends are expected to get up field and make plays. In 2014 at LSU, starting defensive ends Danielle Hunter and Jamaria Rasco combined for 144 tackles with 20.5 tackles for loss.

With opposing offenses focused on containing Myles Garrett, Hall should face a lot of one-on-one matchups. He should have a big junior year in Chavis' system and combine with Garrett to give the Aggies one of the best pass-rushing combinations in the country.