An ankle injury kept him off the field for four games, but Jhamon Ausbon wasted no time jumping back into his role on the A&M team as he returned to the field against Ole Miss.
The sophomore wide receiver is often described by teammates as the leader of the receiving corps, and his absence was felt throughout the entire offense.
Junior tight end Jace Sternberger said while Ausbon takes up only one spot on the offense, he is a big part of the whole operation.
“When he went down in Arkansas, we took a hit,” Sternberger said. “Other players had to step up, which we all did. The fact that he’s back re-opens everything for everyone. You can’t really specialize on one receiver or a tight end. It really affects everybody’s game.”
Ausbon’s ability to command the field is what makes him a powerful player on the offense, according to head coach Jimbo Fisher.
“Ausbon is the leader,” Fisher said. “Having him there is like having a security blanket in my opinion. … He makes everybody feel better. It takes pressure off those guys as far as what their role is.”
During his time away from the field, Ausbon said he was eager to get back to competing with his team, and he now says he’s here to stay.
“The time was four to six weeks, so with our great training staff and coaches, we were doing some drills and stuff like that and I just felt ready to go,” Ausbon said. “I’m 100 percent, I would say.”
If his confidence didn’t prove he was ready to return, Ausbon’s performance against Ole Miss erased any doubt.
Ausbon was second on the receiving leaderboard behind Sternberger and didn’t show signs of stopping. Ausbon finished with 66 receiving yards on five receptions, with his longest catch being 22 yards.
His numbers were right on par with previous weeks against tough A&M opponents. Ausbon’s best performance was against the University of Louisiana-Monroe, where he went for 81 yards on six receptions and averaged 13.5 yards.
“He’s a guy who can go out there, make consistent catches and move the ball down the field,” junior running back Trayveon Williams said. “We’re glad to have him back. He went out there and had a great day.”
One thing Ausbon said he missed while being out was the crowd and excitement that comes with playing in front of Aggie fans.
“It’s a blessing to be back,” Ausbon said. “Being out, you realize how much you love the game and how much you miss out. It’s amazing to get out there and play in front of the 12th Man.”