AGGIE OUTLOOK
3 important factors that could lead Texas A&M, Jimbo Fisher to statement 2022 season
Aug 31, 2022, 9:41 am
The Aggies open the season against Sam Houston State on Saturday.Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images.
Jimbo Fisher
It has been quite an eventful offseason for Texas A&M and head man Jimbo Fisher. As a lifelong fan and recent graduate of Texas A&M, I haven’t seen the Aggies receive this much national attention since Johnny Manziel was under center for the Ags. From defeating top ranked Alabama at Kyle Field in October to landing the number one recruiting class of all time in February to his dust up with Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban, all eyes have been on College Station for both good and bad reasons.
Expectations are also at an all-time high for Jimbo Fisher and his Aggie squad, who are entering year five under his direction. Last season was a disappointment to say the least, after the 2020 Orange Bowl victory, A&M was poised to take the next step into the College Football Playoffs in 2021. However, after starting QB Haynes King was injured in the second drive of the second game against Colorado, it was up to backup Zack Calzada to carry the load. Outside of his performance against Alabama, Calzada seemed to lack confidence in his play, among other disappointments with the team, and lead the Aggies to an 8-4 season. With that in the rearview, the Aggies enter 2022 ranked #6 in the AP Preseason Poll.
Heading into this upcoming season, I think there are 3 factors that will determine how well the Aggies will do in 2022. First factor and probably most obvious, quarterback play. Coach Fisher confirmed at his press conference on Monday that third year Sophomore Haynes King will get the starting nod against Sam Houston State. With King at the helm, the Aggies offense will have the most experienced signal caller on the A&M roster taking the snaps. Jimbo’s playbook is notoriously complicated, so it seems with King having the most time to learn and digest the playbook that he was the obvious choice. Add that in with King’s speed, rumored to be one of the fastest players on A&M’s roster, the versatility a mobile quarterback brings to any offense is key if you want to be successful in college football. If the Aggie’s live up to expectations in 2022, watch for Haynes King to have a big year.
One of the most overlooked storylines heading into this season for the Aggies is how will new Defensive Coordinator DJ Durkin fare in his first season with the Maroon and White. Durkin was hired away from Ole Miss after Mike Elko departed to take the head coaching job at Duke. Durkin led the Rebels to the 12th ranked defense in the SEC in 2021, but he inherits a great deal of talent, more than he had at Ole Miss. Following up Mike Elko will be a tall task for Durkin; Elko has been one of the elite coordinators in the country for the past several seasons, and a step back could be expected for the Ags this season.
Lastly, Jimbo Fisher brings in the most talented true freshman class of all time, according to 247 Sports. It will be interesting to see which freshman make an instant impact for the Aggies. Buzz out of fall camp has been centered around Wide Receiver Evan Stewart, who might be a much-needed big play threat. There might be some production from a few of the seven defensive linemen brought in, with Michael Clemons and Demarvin Leal leaving for the NFL. Look for several true freshman Aggies to make an instant impact.
Texas A&M kicks off the much anticipated 2022 campaign against the Sam Houston State Bearcats in Kyle Field at 11 A.M. on Saturday. In order to have an early idea on how the Ags will fare this all-important season, be watching for these storylines to develop.
It’s May 1, and the Astros are turning heads—but not for the reasons anyone expected. Their resurgence, driven not by stars like Yordan Alvarez or Christian Walker, but by a cast of less-heralded names, is writing a strange and telling early-season story.
Christian Walker, brought in to add middle-of-the-order thump, has yet to resemble the feared hitter he was in Arizona. Forget the narrative of a slow starter—he’s never looked like this in April. Through March and April of 2025, he’s slashing a worrying .196/.277/.355 with a .632 OPS. Compare that to the same stretch in 2024, when he posted a .283 average, .496 slug, and a robust .890 OPS, and it becomes clear: this is something more than rust. Even in 2023, his April numbers (.248/.714 OPS) looked steadier.
What’s more troubling than the overall dip is when it’s happening. Walker is faltering in the biggest moments. With runners in scoring position, he’s hitting just .143 over 33 plate appearances, including 15 strikeouts. The struggles get even more glaring with two outs—.125 average, .188 slugging, and a .451 OPS in 19 such plate appearances. In “late and close” situations, when the pressure’s highest, he’s practically disappeared: 1-for-18 with a .056 average and a .167 OPS.
His patience has waned (only 9 walks so far, compared to 20 by this time last year), and for now, his presence in the lineup feels more like a placeholder than a pillar.
The contrast couldn’t be clearer when you look at José Altuve—long the engine of this franchise—who, in 2024, delivered in the moments Walker is now missing. With two outs and runners in scoring position, Altuve hit .275 with an .888 OPS. In late and close situations, he thrived with a .314 average and .854 OPS. That kind of situational excellence is missing from this 2025 squad—but someone else may yet step into that role.
And yet—the Astros are winning. Not because of Walker, but in spite of him.
Houston’s offense, in general, hasn’t lit up the leaderboard. Their team OPS ranks 23rd (.667), their slugging 25th (.357), and they sit just 22nd in runs scored (117). They’re 26th in doubles, a rare place for a team built on gap-to-gap damage.
But where there’s been light, it hasn’t come from the usual spots. Jeremy Peña, often overshadowed in a lineup full of stars, now boasts the team’s highest OPS at .791 (Isaac Paredes is second in OPS) and is flourishing in his new role as the leadoff hitter. Peña’s balance of speed, contact, aggression, and timely power has given Houston a surprising tone-setter at the top.
Even more surprising: four Astros currently have more home runs than Yordan Alvarez.
And then there’s the pitching—Houston’s anchor. The rotation and bullpen have been elite, ranking 5th in ERA (3.23), 1st in WHIP (1.08), and 4th in batting average against (.212). In a season where offense is lagging and clutch hits are rare, the arms have made all the difference.
For now, it’s the unexpected contributors keeping Houston afloat. Peña’s emergence. A rock-solid pitching staff. Role players stepping up in quiet but crucial ways. They’re not dominating, but they’re grinding—and in a sluggish AL West, that may be enough.
Walker still has time to find his swing. He showed some signs of life against Toronto and Detroit. If he does, the Astros could become dangerous. If he doesn’t, the turnaround we’re witnessing will be credited to a new cast of unlikely faces. And maybe, that’s the story that needed to be written.
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