Spring football has come to an end for A&M. On Saturday, the team practiced for the final time and head coach Kevin Sumlin, Kyle Allen and Julien Obioha talked to the media to wrap things up.
Sumlin said his team improved in a number of ways during the spring and said he and the coaches are looking to solidify a starting group.
“We have pieces in place, and now the challenge is, as we move into summer conditioning, working out and getting stronge, and making sure we’re where we need to be to find a solid 22 on each side this year,” Sumlin said.
The pieces of the puzzle are moving around for the Aggies — whether it be injured players or recruits coming in the fall.
“We have a lot of [players] and more coming in,” he said. “Philosophically, we’ve made changes this spring that will help us on offense and defense. We’re in really good shape. The coaching staff is excellent, and we’re starting to add depth. In June, I’ll have a little better feel for where we are.”
Allen came to A&M as a 17-year-old last January. The newly-turned 19-year-old has gained valuable experience on the field. Sumlin praised the quarterback heading into his second year and discussed his journey.
“I keep forgetting he’s only been here a year and two months. I feel like the guy has been here forever and he’s only started four or five games. I’m as hard on him as anybody but really he’s a young guy,” Sumlin said. “I have to hold myself back because I talk to him like [he has] been here for three years, and he should understand this and that. He’s the MVP of the bowl game and it started with him being in tears when I told him he wasn’t starting. It increased his confidence, and now, in the offseason, the QBs start to run things with 7-on-7. That will naturally push him into more of a leadership role.”
Allen went 3-2 as a starter for the Aggies last season after taking the starting job from Kenny Hill after the Alabama loss. In the five starts, Allen threw 13 touchdown passes and only five interceptions.
Allen said he’s most improved his vision during spring football.
“I feel, for me, it would be my eyes, looking down the field and trying to hold safeties and stuff like that, and my pocket presence,” said Allen. “It’s been a tough spring with all the blitzes they’ve been pulling, and our O-line is starting to get together without Mike [Matthews] out there, but I think that helped me out so much with my pocket presence, which is something I feel like I struggled with last year, so that’ll help me out a lot during the season. And we’re not going to face many defenses like that, too, so it’ll be a lot easier.”
Defensive end Obioha said he is excited about the defensive line and the changes defensive coordinator John Chavis has made heading into next season.
“I’m very encouraged,” Obioha said. “We’ve got Myles [Garrett]. We’ve got Dae Dae [Daeshon Hall] out there getting pressure off the edge, and we’ve got me, Zo [Alonzo Williams], Zaycoven [Henderson] and Hardreck [Walker] putting pressure up the middle. Coach Chavis says it all the time, ‘The great defenses I’ve had had pressure coming from all over from the defensive line.’ So we have that and we have good linebackers behind us and defensive backs that can press. We have all the pieces we need.”
When asked about being heading into his senior year with a completely renovated stadium, Obioha said, “It’s great, we have the best fans in the nation and that stadium is a tribute to that. We’re always grateful.”
Kyle Allen believes the Aggies will be a strong team next season.
“I think we can weather any storm and with our team right now, how our defense and run game have stepped up, we’ll be really good,” Allen said.