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2022 SEC Media Days is upon us and Jimbo Fisher's Texas A&M football program took to the podium on Thursday. Fisher addressed various different topics, such as the injuries the Aggies dealt with last season, the program's 2023 recruiting class, the 2022 quarterback competition and yes, the feud with Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban.
So, what did we learn from all of that? That's what we'll discuss here. Without further ado, here are the five biggest things we learned from Texas A&M football's SEC Media Days session on Thursday.
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Things We Learned From Texas A&M Football's SEC Media Days
5. Secondary depth
One of the things Jimbo Fisher spoke at length about was the Aggies' secondary. Last season, Texas A&M dealt with a bevy of injuries to the back-end of their defense, with corners Josh Moten, Myles Jones, and Brian George all missing a chunk of time.
Safeties Erick Young, Keldrick Carper and Brian Williams were also sidelined. That's a lot of veteran depth to lose, which forced plenty of young players into the mix.
With seven recruits incoming from 2022's top-ranked class, things are looking good for the future of the Aggies' secondary. But more so than that, Fisher believes depth and versatility will be the key for Texas A&M football's defensive backfield in 2022.
4. Strength in the trenches
The Aggies' offensive line was a mess in 2021. They lost three projected starters to injury and were forced to field a different starting five on the line for a five-game stretch.
However, things are looking up for 2022. Tackle Laydon Robinson is healthy and the most experienced linemen on the team. Robinson also raved about Reuben Fatheree II, a fellow tackle who he believes can be one of the best in the SEC.
Above all, the unit has the complete confidence of Fisher, who said it will be a “big strength of the team.” That's great news for the Aggies, especially with the uncertainty at the quarterback spot.
3. The ideal three permanent rivals were revealed
With Texas and Oklahoma set to eventually join the conference, Fisher was naturally asked which teams he'd like to see be the Aggies' permanent rivals at SEC Media Days.
He responded by saying that Texas, LSU and Mississippi State would be his preferred rivals. That would be a nice blend of old-school rivalries and newer ones. With Texas coming from the Big-12, Texas A&M football would really have a chance to cultivate a rivalry with their fellow big-school.
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The LSU and Mississippi State rivalries would also provide Aggies fans with their usual taste of SEC battles. Of course, any movement on this front isn't slated to occur anytime soon. Still, it's exciting for A&M fans to imagine these showdowns as the conference realignment details continue to emerge.
2. Open quarterback competition
Not that anyone was particularly surprised by this, but Jimbo Fisher declared the quarterback competition to be an “open” one at SEC Media Days. Fisher spoke about how the program will miss Auburn transfer Zach Calzada, also noting that they'll need “three quarterbacks” that they feel good about.
They certainly have one in LSU transfer Max Johnson, who Fisher said began to grasp the Texas A&M football offense in the spring. Last year's projected starter Haynes King and incoming freshmen Connor Weigman are also in the mix.
One thing is for sure. Jimbo Fisher isn't going to tip his hand on who the starting quarterback is.
1. The Jimbo Fisher-Nick Saban feud is over… or is it?
Jimbo Fisher said all the right things, calling Nick Saban his brother and saying that the feud was over. It was a markedly different tone from Fisher than the one he used in an explosive May press conference, when he called Saban a narcissist after the Alabama head coach claimed that Texas A&M “bought every player” with NIL deals.
However, Fisher then went on to seemingly drop a subliminal shot at Saban, saying there have always been haves and have-nots in college football, an ode to Saban's recent complaint about megaconferences.
This feud might seem like it's over, but it's not. There were real feelings of animosity between the two, especially from the Fisher side.
As the Texas A&M football coach said, he and Saban are very competitive guys. It's a safe bet that both he and Saban will be circling October 8, the day that the Aggies play the Crimson Tide in the regular season, on the calendar.
All the offseason tension will come to a head between the two powerhouses in October.
