3 days ago
Freshman on fire: Texas A&M wideout impressing with rapid growth in offseason
Freshman on fire: Texas A&M wideout impressing with rapid growth in offseason
According to Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko, one freshman wideout in particular is impressing the coaching staff with his dedication to honing his craft and rapid growth during the offseason.
Ashton Bethel-Roman is turning heads with his electric speed and determination to improve all aspects of his game. Via The Stateman's Tony Catalina, the Aggies' second-year head coach Mike Elko commented on the freshman's performance in the weight room and on the gridiron heading into the 2025 season.
The unanimous four-star prospect from Missouri City, Texas, ranked as the No. 207 player in the country in ESPN's top 300 players. As a senior at Ridge Point High School in 2023, he caught 97 passes for 1,997 yards and 17 touchdowns, while also averaging 21.7 yards per punt return.
His wheels and break-open speed is also a result of a deep-rooted passion for track and field, in which Bethel-Roman recorded a personal best of 21.51 in the 200m and 23-3 long jump mark during his senior year.
He committed and signed the letter of intent to attend Texas A&M on February 7, 2024. Elko and company allowed the speedy track star to get his cleats dirty in four games last season, including a 38-3 victory over New Mexico State in which Bethel-Roman hauled in 35 receiving yards and his first-career touchdown.
The former Ridge Point all-district first-team wideout was allowed to keep his redshirt last season since he only appeared in four contests, according to NCAA rules. Heading into the 2025 campaign, Bethel-Roman will give sophomore quarterback Marcel Reed another target in a depth-filled wide receiving corps.
As he continues to develop in Elko's system, the Aggie wideout has the opportunity to hone his craft and improve as the season goes along. If Texas A&M wants to have success this year and in the next few years, especially in the day and age of the ever-changing transfer portal and NIL era of college football, keeping players like Bethel-Roman around the program will be integral moving forward.
Bethel-Roman's pursuit of muscle mass and weight gain, combined with his lightning-quick speed, could propel him up the Texas A&M depth chart sooner rather than later.
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