The Texas A&M Aggies had a disappointing season with a 7-5 record. They were 4-4 in conference games and finished fourth in the SEC West. Their head coach, Jimbo Fisher, was fired with two games left in the regular season.
One of their top offensive weapons will miss the Texas Bowl against Oklahoma State because of an injury and made an announcement regarding his future.
The Texas A&M Aggies number one receiver declared for the draft.
Ainias Smith announced on X that he declared for the draft:
“As my college journey is coming to an end, I want to thank Coach Fisher and the staff for believing in me. I also wanted to thank Texas A&M University, the 12th man, and everyone who has supported me along the way. As many of you have heard, I will not be medically cleared to play in this year’s bowl game after a recent surgery. However, I am honored to be asked to help coach the bowl game and excited to be with my team the next few weeks to help in any way possible. With that being said, I will be declaring for the 2024 NFL Draft. Sub-Zer0 Out.✌️”
The veteran wide receiver started his collegiate career in 2019.
Ainias Smith committed to Texas A&M for the 2019 season. Smith played in 12 games as a wide receiver and returned kicks in his freshman season. He had 22 receptions for 248 yards and three receiving touchdowns. He also had 13 kick returns for 257 yards and 16 punt returns for 190 yards.
Smith moved to running back in his sophomore season. He had 293 rushing yards on 49 carries and four rushing touchdowns, 43 receptions for 564 yards and six receiving touchdowns. He also had 15 punt returns for 75 yards.
Smith moved back to wide receiver in his junior season. He had 47 receptions for 509 yards and six receiving touchdowns. He also had 23 punt returns for 259 yards and one punt return touchdown.
Smith played the first four games of his senior season. He had 15 receptions for 291 yards and two receiving touchdowns. He also had eight punt returns for 27 yards. Smith suffered a fractured right leg in Week 4 and missed the rest of the season.
Smith returned for his last season as a graduate. He led the team with 53 receptions for 795 yards and two receiving touchdowns. He also had seven kick returns for 103 yards, 20 punt returns for 285 yards and one punt return touchdown.
What impact does this announcement have on Texas A&M?
Losing Ainias Smith to the draft negatively impacts the team because they are losing a top offensive weapon.
Another reason why losing Smith negatively impacts the team is because they are losing their top return specialist. Returning kicks is a difficult skill to master.
The future of Texas A&M remains a mystery. Many top recruits from the 2022 class have transferred. Will more players be entering the transfer portal in days to come?
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