re: "Returning Starters" that you hope lose their starting jobs

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Some posters on here make out like McMillon was a big loss despite his lack of experience.

How do you feel about that?

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I'm not going to say he was the difference in us winning a national title or anything, but it definitely was a loss. He was probably similar ability wise to true freshman Lee but would have been able to make every call and check without a second thought. He'd been there 5 years, he was a mechanical engineering major, one of the smartest kids on the roster, etc. The coaches had absolute faith in his mental game, they just didn't think physically he was quite able to play (which is no different than Lee was). And he wasn't playing because he was behind Evans, Wilson, Moses, etc, so it's not like he was getting beat out by dudes who play in the CFL now.

After he went down we not only had a tweener player out there but we also had no experienced eyes or brain to call the defense. If he'd been at there it would have made a difference for sure. It was a big loss.

With McMillan on the field we would have been at an athleticism disadvantage. With Lee on the field we were at an athleticism and mental disadvantage.


NOTE: I hate saying all this stuff about Shane Lee, FYI. He played his arse off. None of that was his fault - he was thrown into an impossible situation and did everything possible to make plays. Anybody who was pissed at Shane Lee needs their head examined. I felt awful for him quite often last year because he was doing everything he could but he just wasn't ready, and that wasn't his fault.

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I thought Christian Harris took McMillon's spot.

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McMillon got hurt first and Harris took his spot. However, a lot of folks who wrote about practice seemed to think that was kind of inevitable anyway. Coaches loved Harris and thought his raw ability would work out fine next to an experienced guy like Moses.

Then Moses got hurt the week of the Duke game and Lee had to take his spot.

So, theoretically, it would have been Moses/Harris with Lee/McMillon in the 2nd group. If McMillon is healthy he slides in for Moses to be the play-caller. The last thing they wanted was 2 true freshmen in the middle, but shite happens.

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That's what I meant, if Moses is healthy I don't see how McMillon getting hurt is a big loss.

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Absolutely, if Moses had stayed healthy it wouldn't have been an issue.

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thank you sir. i just think lee is getting dumped on way too much.

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Yea I hate talking about him that way. He can still be a very solid college player and is like most incoming freshman in that he needed a year of doing nothing but practicing, watching film and getting in shape before he really contributed.

He didn't get that and he made the best of the situation anyway. And he really did play his guts out.

I really think you could include Todd Harris and Ed Ingram on the list of returning starters. Both were starters at times, but neither was available for part of the year.

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A&M has a bad habit of prioritizing experience and loyalty above actual talent and results, practice results over actual performance.

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Seems Jimbo is big on that. YIKES

Can we say Shane Lee?

Off the top of my head.

Wydermeyer
Green
Richardson
Smith
Spiller
Leal

All true freshmen that were heavy contributors

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Gameday playcaller:
Gustav Malzahn.

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It won't be Chad Morris this year?

8 returning starters
WR Ja’Marr Chase
WR Terrace Marshall
RT Austin Deculus

Jacoby Stevens S
Kary Vincent NB
Glen Logan DT
Tyler Shelvin DT
Derek Stingley Jr CB

Then Ed Ingram LG, Damone Clark LB were basically viewed as starters. Todd Harris was a starter at Safety (and projected to be one of our best defensive players) before tearing his ACL in week 3. Dare Rosenthal was a starter basically half the regular season at LT with Charles out suspended.