Aggies Ranked High in SEC Top Returning Starters for 2023 Football Season
Talent doesn't always equate to wins, and the Aggies are no strangers to this. But it doesn't hurt. After a 5-7 finish in 2022 after posting the so-called best recruiting class of all time, A&M football hopes for a bounce-back year.
Coach Jimbo Fisher and his staff are tasked with replacing departed stars with younger players to fill in holes and improve position groups that struggled a year ago. But those new players will have some help from a few seasoned veterans along the way.
A&M can boast 16 returning starters from a season ago. Where does that number and the talent level of those players rank in the SEC?
USA Today discussed the forecasted returning starters for each SEC team on both sides of the football.
The projections were "as of June 21 and will be subject to change once practice begins closer to the fall."
No. 1 Texas A&M Aggies
Returning starters: 16: (8 offense, 8 defense)
"It should come as no surprise to see the Aggies ranked number on this list, as their 5-7 'baptism by fire' campaign last season should equate to valuable experience for both the offense and defense in 2023. New offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino should be gleaming at the talent he has to work with, headlined by one of the best wideout units consisting of Evan Stewart, Ainias Smith, and Moose Muhammad III.
"Sophomore Conner Weigman should take a significant leap in 2023 with quarterback guru Petrino as his new OC, and the Aggies’ defense has a case to be made as one of the best in the SEC as it boasts talents like Walter Nolen, Shemar Stewart, Bryce Anderson, and more."
The Ole Miss Rebels were just behind A&M on the list, followed by Missouri at No. 3. Here's a breakdown of the rest of the SEC:
| TEAM | RETURNING STARTERS |
|---|---|
1. Texas A&M | 16: (8 offense, 8 defense) |
2. Ole Miss | 13: (8 offense, 5 defense) |
3. Missouri | 13: (5 offense, 8 defense) |
4. Georgia | 12: (6 offense, 6 defense) |
5. LSU | 12: (8 offense, 4 defense) |
6. Tennessee | 12: (7 offense, 5 defense) |
7. Kentucky | 12: (7 offense, 5 defense) |
8. Mississippi State | 11: (7 offense, 4 defense) |
9. Vanderbilt | 10: (6 offense, 4 defense) |
10. Alabama | 9: (4 offense, 5 defense) |
11. South Carolina | 9: (5 offense, 4 defense) |
12. Auburn | 9: (2 offense, 7 defense) |
13. Arkansas | 7: (4 offense, 3 defense) |
14. Florida | 7: (3 offense, 4 defense) |
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