Texas A&M players who stood out during the first 7 preseason practices

USA Today

2 days ago

Texas A&M's first 11-11 scrimmage reportedly took place on Saturday afternoon, but due to the standard media rules, those of us who cover the program were not able to watch the scrimmage, which is nothing new. Still, based on the three media-allowed practices on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday last week, plenty of new intel regarding several players' progress has come to light.
Based on my own sources, which have provided brief, positive takeaways from the scrimmage, junior safety Marcus Ratcliffe and junior cornerback Bravion Rogers have continued to impress. Additionally, redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Mark Nabou has stood out and is on track to re-establish himself as the team's starting center this fall.
Outside of that, the lid has been kept shut, which is a good sign based on any injury issues, which have not been announced. Again, the intel is less than substantial, but the progress made last weekend from several players, including sophomore linebacker Jordan Lockhart, stood out the most.
In agreement with Austin American-Statesman beat writer Tony Catalina, Lockhart, along with Marcus Ratcliffe, who put on substantial muscle mass this offseason, had their best practices as the proverbial drum beat continues to increase in volume. Defensive coordinator Jay Bateman praised Lockhart during last Tuesday's press conference, primarily for the reasons Catalina stated below.
"His zone drops have been clean and he's been eating up space in run defense. His intensity and intentionality for every rep are apparent. He's flying around the field with relentless effort, and coaches are noticing."
This is excellent news for the Aggie linebacker depth chart behind starters Taurean York and Scooby Williams, as junior Daymion Sanford will continue to battle with Lockhart over the next two weeks. Outside of Marcus Ratcliffe's increased muscle mass and improvement as a run defender, Catalina also discussed senior defensive tackle Albert Regis' impressive camp, which can be read here.
On offense, Marcel Reed has continued to look more comfortable in the pocket. At the same time, his velocity, accuracy, and most importantly, ball placement have all improved while throwing to the Aggies' new wide receiver corps led by KC Concepcion and Mario Craver.
Concepcion is the real deal and has already solidified his standing as the No. 1 receiver. At the same time, Craver's impressive speed and equally refined route-running skills have continued to elevate the passing game.
Texas A&M's pass rush has not made a ton of noise, but that isn't surprising when going against a veteran offensive line. However, the name to remember is Iowa State transfer DL Tyer Odyedim, who, like Ratcliffe and Lockhart, has continued to stand out.
Texas A&M will resume practice on Monday, as the 2025 season opener vs. UTSA is less than three weeks away on Saturday, August 30.
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