The cruel reality of life in the SEC was on full display during Texas A&M’s 2021 campaign. The high of knocking off perennial contender Alabama at Kyle Field was offset by four conference losses. An 8-4 season was the result as the Aggies struggled through inconsistency in the passing game thanks to an early-season injury to starting quarterback Haynes King. 

“We can talk about it all we want, but it is about demanding the best every single day,” Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher said of life in the SEC. “We are creating a habit on a daily basis of what we’re supposed to do and how we’re supposed to do it.”

Many scoffed when the Aggies hired Fisher as a declaration of intent to compete with the big boys in the SEC. Four seasons later and Texas A&M is right on the doorstep of true national relevance as a football program. The first step toward playing for, and eventually winning, a national championship is on the recruiting trail. Texas A&M is acquiring talent as well as anybody in the country, inking the No. 1-ranked class in the 2022 cycle. The group included eight five-star talents and was rated as the best class in modern recruiting history. 

“Maybe as good of a transitional group of guys that I’ve ever been around,” Fisher said of the early enrollees from the 2022 cycle. “It is normal for a few guys in the group to struggle, but these guys showed up ready. It’s been a blessing.”

But is 2022 too soon? Fisher said the early enrollees are already making an impact. Five-star wide receiver Evan Stewart could make a similar impact as a true freshman as Xavier Worthy did for rival Texas in 2021. Jake Johnson might be the favorite to start at tight end. Denver Harris and Bryce Anderson add to an already talented secondary. Quarterback Conner Weigman is in a three-way battle with transfer Max Johnson and a healthy King. 

The real run for Texas A&M might be a year away. The Aggies’ best players at most positions are underclassmen. Fisher’s squad should know its quarterback going into 2023. The offensive line will be led by then-juniors Bryce Foster and Reuben Fatheree II. The new crop of talented defensive linemen will have a season of SEC play under their belts. The weapons at tight end and wide receiver will be seasoned. Oh, and Fisher is sure to sign another top-10 class to fill the ranks. 

The 2022 season is about building confidence at quarterback, at the skill positions, and in the front seven of the defense. Texas A&M went 8-1 in SEC play during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. The Aggies are a combined 13-11 in the SEC under Fisher in the other three seasons. Taking the next step for Texas A&M is seriously competing for the conference’s West Division title. A&M has lost at least four SEC games in seven of the last nine years. It has lost at least three conference games in eight of the 10 seasons played in the SEC. Take away the pandemic year and Texas A&M hasn’t finished ranked in the top 15 of the final AP Poll since Johnny Manziel was on campus. 

“My expectation is to always be at the top,” Fisher said. “But expectations are only goals and aspirations. Now, our daily habits must match those goals and aspirations, or they’re wasted. I think we can be an excellent football team, as good as we want to be, as long as we become a great team daily.”

With so many new faces, anything better than eight wins should be considered a success and a platform to jump into 2023 with College Football Playoff aspirations. The talent is on campus, but it might need another season before its ready to consistently win in the toughest division in college football - a division that’s produced five national champions since Texas A&M joined the conference in 2012. 

“Like coach always says, our opponents are faceless,” wide receiver Ainias Smith said. “If we go out and work the way we’re supposed to work, the test should be easy.”

The Ceiling
The Aggies get healthy at quarterback and add enough five-star talent to consistently navigate the SEC and crash the College Football Playoffs. 

The Floor 
The Aggies suffer through another four-loss SEC season thanks to an inconsistent passing attack and inexperience on the defensive line. 

Game of the Year 
Texas A&M vs. LSU — November 26 
The budding football rivalry between Texas A&M and LSU is an undersold story in the modern SEC. Seemingly every game is a barnburner, and both coaching staffs recruit the same areas of southeast Texas, including the hotbed in Houston. If all goes right, the Aggies might be playing for their first berth into the SEC championship game.