Texas A&M Complete Spring Practice Primer

It was a roller-coaster 2014 for Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin.

His Aggies knocked off South Carolina on the road to open the season, went into an October swoon that saw them drop games to Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Alabama and rebounded for a big road win at Auburn and a bowl win over West Virginia.

The late-season charge was led by freshman quarterback Kyle Allen and a defense that, despite its miserable statistics, showed flashes of what it's capable of with freshman defensive end Myles Garrett and linebacker Otaro Alaka coming on strong as the season progressed.

What's in store for the Aggies this spring? Get to know with our spring practice primer.

What to Watch for on Offense

It's the Allen show, as the Scottsdale, Arizona native will take first-team snaps all spring hoping to build off his AutoZone Liberty Bowl performance that saw him score five touchdowns (four passing, one running). The pure pro-style passer is more Case Keenum than Johnny Manziel, which means Sumlin and his staff will likely utilize the small village of wide receivers to go back to the future to Sumlin's Houston days and the Air Raid offense that got him the job in the first place.

Is that the right game plan for Allen and the Aggies, though?

Tra Carson, Brandon Williams and a host of other talented running backs are chomping at the bit to become a bigger part of the offense, and while Sumlin is an air-raid coach at his core, more emphasis on the running game would go a long way toward bringing stability to the offensive side of the ball.

Up front, the Aggies lose offensive tackle Cedric Ogbuehi. A big loss? Sure, both literally and figuratively. But if Sumlin and his staff have proved anything over the last three years, it's that replacing top-flight left tackles is as easy as cutting and pasting a name from somewhere else on the roster.

That bodes well for redshirt juniors Avery Gennesey and Jermaine Eluemunor, as well as redshirt freshman Koda Martin—all of whom will be battling for playing time.

What to Watch for on Defense

For new defensive coordinator John Chavis, it's all about consistency.

The Aggies have finished last in the SEC in total defense in each of the last two seasons, but it wasn't due to lack of talent. Garrett was awesome last year, safety Armani Watts looked like a difference-maker at times and several other players showed flashes of brilliance.

Getting all of those pieces to click at the same time is Chavis' most important task, and that process begins this spring. With Alaka nursing a shoulder injury, it will be up to players like Josh Walker to step up and become consistent in the middle of that defense and take control.

Up front, it can't be "Garrett and everybody else.

Whether it's defensive tackle Daylon Mack this summer or somebody else stepping up either inside or outside this spring, finding a playmaker who can take advantage of the attention Garrett will demand and become a difference-maker up front will go a long way toward Texas A&M's defense turning itself around.

Freshman to Keep an Eye on

Texas A&M has a small village of talented wide receivers on the roster, but from the moment true freshman Christian Kirk stepped foot on campus in January, he upped the ante.

The 5-star prospect in the class of 2015 has everything that Sumlin wants in a wide receiver. The 5'10" 191-pounder may look like a prototypical slot back on paper, but he has tremendous hands, runs crisp routes, plays taller than he actually is and will provide a nice compliment to a receiving corps that includes Josh Reynolds, Ricky Seals-Jones, Speedy Noil and others.

Kirk's versatility gives Sumlin options, which is a scary thought for the 13 other defensive coordinators in the SEC.

Coach Sumlin's Toughest Task

Balancing the offense. 

Whether it was the way former quarterback Kenny Hill burst onto the scene when he threw for 511 yards in the season-opener vs. South Carolina or part of the plan all along, Texas A&M was way too pass-heavy in 2014. The Aggies called 514 passing plays and only 421 rushing plays, with two inexperienced quarterbacks—Hill and Allen—calling the plays.

That has to change.

Sumlin and offensive coordinator Jake Spavital have Carson, Williams and a healthy stable of running backs at their disposal, and they need to learn how to use them better. Sure, screen passes are part of the Texas A&M "running game," but a healthy threat between the tackles will go a long way toward opening up the offense even further and taking some pressure off of Chavis.

Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and college football video analyst for Bleacher Report, as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on Sirius 93, XM 208.

Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats are courtesy of CFBStats.com unless otherwise noted, and all recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports' composite rankings. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.