Aggies To Have Open Practice Sunday

Fans will be able to attend practice at Kyle Field on Sunday prior to the start of the regular season.

Texas A&M football returns to practice Wednesday in hopes of better results in 2023, and fans will be able to get an up-close look at the roster following a lost season in the SEC. 

The Aggies announced they would hold an open practice to the public on Sunday, Aug. 6, beginning at 4:30 p.m. at Kyle Field. Players and coaches will report earlier in the day for team photos and sessions with the media, thus pushing normal practice times back. 

#12thMan, your first look at the 2023 Aggies comes this Sunday. 🗓

🏈 Open Practice - free admission
⏰ Entry 3 opens 4:30 p.m.
More info: https://t.co/j9JiH4ETRK@StJoseph_Health x #GigEm pic.twitter.com/O2xUfMo33J

— Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball) July 31, 2023

The Aggies are coming off a 5-7 finish under fifth-year coach Jimbo Fisher despite having luxurious expectations entering the year. Starting the season off as the preseason No. 6 program, A&M never found its footing on offense, leading to six consecutive losses in conference play. 

Hope and upside surround the program entering a pivotal year under Fisher, who is 39-21 through his first five years in College Station. The Aggies fired longtime offensive coordinator Darrell Dickey after finishing 93rd nationally in total yards and 101st in scoring. 

Fisher hired former Louisville and Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino to take over as the new offensive coordinator. Petrino, known for his up-tempo, high-volume play concepts, is expected to call plays instead of Fisher, a first for the head coach since taking over for Bobby Bowden at Florida State. 

“Bobby was hired for a reason,” Fisher said during SEC Media Days in Nashville, Tenn. “He’s a tremendous coach and a tremendous guy and a tremendous football mind, tremendous recruiter. He’s done a great job recruiting since he’s been there and everything he does. Hopefully, he’ll call the game. We’ll have suggestions on things we do, whether it’s offense or defense.”

A&M returns quarterbacks Max Johnson and Conner Weigman following its first losing season since 2008. Both passers require work and refinement, but showed promise when given the chance to start. Neither completed a turnover, though Weigman finished with more touchdowns [8:3] in two more starts. 

Johnson, who transferred from LSU, suffered a season-ending thumb injury against Mississippi State in early October after replacing initial starter Haynes King in Week 3's win over Miami. 

There will also be a healthy mix of proven veterans and up-and-comers on the field this fall. The Aggies are expecting flourishing results from their historic 2022 recruiting class, including receiver Evan Stewart, defensive back Bryce Anderson and defensive lineman Walter Nolen. 

The trio won't be alone. Longtime starters Ainias Smith, Layden Robinson, Edgerrin Cooper, Fadil Diggs, McKinley Jackson and Demani Richardson all elected to return for one more season. A&M also added experienced players through the transfer portal, including All-ACC cornerback Tony Grimes (North Carolina) and linebacker J.D. Davis (Jackson State). 

A&M opens the season at Kyle Field on Sept. 2 against New Mexico before traveling to Hard Rock Stadium for its first real test against the Hurricanes on Sept. 9. 

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