Click HERE to view Texas A&M’s Friday press conference.
Based on its performance last football season, Texas A&M’s offensive line has gotten a lot of respect.
The Aggies want Moore.
That’s not a typo. The Aggies obviously want so much more now that their goal is the Joe Moore Award, which is presented annually to the nation’s premier college offensive line.
Every starter and some key reserves from 2024 returned this season. All-Southeastern Conference tackle Trey Zuhn III and guard Ar'maj Reed-Adams opted to put the NFL draft on hold. Others resisted the lure of the transfer portal.
“We just had unfinished business,” Zuhn explained on Friday after A&M’s 19th August camp. “We want to go out this year and make a statement. Win the Joe Moore (Award), win all the games and see where we can go and win championships.”
The Joe Moore Award, which was introduced in 2015, and championships often go hand-in-hand.
Eight of the 10 Moore Award-winning offensive lines helped pave the way to win three national championships (Alabama in 2015 and 2020, LSU in 2019). Five others won conference titles (Oklahoma, Big 12 in 2018), Michigan (Big Ten in 2021 and 2022), Washington (Pac-12 in 2023) and Army (AAC in 2024).
Behind its offensive line, A&M ranked second in the SEC in rushing offense and fourth in sacks allowed last season.
Zuhn expects the Aggies’ offensive front to be even better this season.
“I think we have taken such massive strides from what we were last year,” Zuhn said. “We were already a veteran group last year. Now, we’re just a year past that.
“We’ve grown smarter. We’ve learned more about the game of football. We kind of talk about how we’ve gotten our PhD in football. We already had everything, but now we’ve gone above and beyond.”
Zuhn, who has also worked at center, said the line is talented, experienced, deep and versatile.
“There’s nothing really that we’re going to see on Saturday that we haven’t already seen before,” he said. “We’re going to be ready for everything. We’re going to be ready to attack.”
Exciting running backs
The A&M running back room is as deep as the offensive line’s.
All-SEC running back Le’Veon Moss and Rueben Owens II figure to get the most work, though EJ Smith has drawn heavy praise throughout camp. Amari Daniels has rushed for more career yardage than any A&M running back. Freshman Jamarion Morrow has turned heads, too.
“It’s so exciting to see that running back room because they have so many great athletes, great threats that it makes our job easier when they’ll get us yards no matter what we do,” Zuhn said.
Good isn’t good enough
All-SEC cornerback Will Lee III is insulted by forecasts that A&M will only win eight games. The Aggies were 8-4 in the regular season last year. That was the fifth time since 2015 that A&M was 8-4 in the regular season.
Lee said the entire team is determined to exceed that win total.
“Everybody is tired of seeing (people) saying we’re going to be an 8-4 team and stuff like that,” he said. “It’s really disrespectful. Everybody is taking that on their heart.
“Everybody is coming out here every day, working hard and trying to be the greatest team we can be and change the history of Texas A&M football.”
Asked how he’d define a good season for the Aggies, Lee set the bar extremely high.
“SEC Championship and a national championship,” he said. “That would be a good season.”
