Texas A&M Football He has a knack for producing Elite players In the last years. Although the Aggies haven’t had the team success that some of their rivals have, the abundance of talent they attract keeps them in the mix. Some of these players have earned their place among the best college football players in recent memory. Today, we’ll be honoring some of the Aggies’ greats by ranking the top five Texas A&M football players of all time.
First, a quick disclaimer. We only judge these players based on their time in college, not their adventures in the NFL. We’ll still mention their professional careers, many of them becoming NFL stars, but they won’t make it into the rankings.
Second, we have some honorable mentions to hand out. The first mention of the honor mentioned is running back John David Crowe (1955-57), the first consensus All-American and Texas A&M first Heisman winner in 1957. The second is defensive tackle Sam Adams (1991-1993), who totaled 20.5 cyst. in his three-year career and was a consensus All-American in 1993.
With a note of honor, here are the five greatest Texas A&M football players of all time.
5. WR Mike Evans, 2012-13
Mike Evans might have I only played two years with the Aggies, but that was more than enough time for him to establish himself as the best receiver of all time. Despite his short college career, Evans ranks sixth in school history in receiving yards and seventh in both receptions and receiving touchdowns. If he plays one more season, he could break all three stat records.
In his freshman season in 2012, Evans burst onto the scene with 1,105 yards and five touchdowns. Then in 2013, he took his game to another level with 1,394 yards and 12 touchdowns, which earned him consensus All-American honors. Both seasons rank in the top three in school history for receiving yards.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers then selected Evans seventh overall in the 2014 NFL Draft. He passed 1,000 yards in All nine NFL seasonsHe is one of the best receivers in the league. Although his stint at College Station was short, Evans is nothing short of an Aggies legend.
4. LB Dat Nguyen, 1995-98
A 2017 College Football Hall of Fame inductee, Dat Nguyen has been all over the field as an Aggie. He racked up 517 silly tackles during his college career, averaging over 10 per game. He led the team in tackles all four seasons and held the school record with 60+ tackles.
Nguyen earned several accolades with Texas A&M football, including Bednarik and Lombardi awards in 1998. The Dallas Cowboys then selected him in the 1999 NFL Draft, making him the first Vietnamese American to play in the league. Texas A&M fielded some outstanding defenders throughout the year, and Nguyen is among the best of them all.
3. D. Miles Garrett, 2014-16
Miles Garrett was one of the most dominant pass catchers in recent college football history. Over his three-year career, Garrett made 47 tackles for loss and 31 sacks, which ranks seventh in school history. He was a two-time first-team All-American, even being named a consensus selection in 2016 despite posting his lowest sack total of the season.
Garrett’s stellar college career led to the Cleveland Browns selecting him first overall in the 2017 NFL Draft. To date, he’s the only Aggie to go first overall, and he’s lived up to the hype. Garrett instilled fear in opposing the crimes as the Aggie, and he continues to do so today as the Browns.
2. EDGE Von Miller, 2007-2010
The competition is very tough, but Von Miller reigns as Texas A&M’s best football linebacker of all time. Unlike Garrett and others, Miller took time to develop, having only 5.5 sacks in his first two seasons largely due to a scheme that didn’t fit him. Once the Aggies adjusted their scheme, though, Miller became the most feared running back in the country.
As a junior in 2009, Miller exploded with 21.5 tackles for loss and 17 sacks. He then followed that up with 17.5 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks in his senior season in 2010. Miller was a first-team All-American in both seasons and won the Butkus Trophy and the Jack Lambert Trophy in 2010.
Miller then went second overall to the Denver Broncos in the 2011 NFL Draft, and became an icon of the franchise. He led Denver to Super Bowl 50, then won Super Bowl 56 as a member of the Los Angeles Rams.
1. QB Johnny Manziel, 2012-13
A player has to be really good to earn a nickname like “Johnny Football,” and Johnny Manziel was definitely really good. Like his favorite target Evans, Manziel remains an icon for the Aggies despite only playing two college seasons. In fact, Manziel was the most electric player in Texas A&M history.
Manziel exploded on the scene as a freshman in 2012, throwing for 3,706 yards and 26 touchdowns, as well as 1,410 yards and 21 rushing touchdowns. He was awarded the Heisman Trophy and Davey O’Brien, becoming the first freshman to win either. In 2013, Manziel improved as a passer with 4,114 yards and 37 touchdowns, but was not as effective as a runner with only 759 yards and nine touchdowns.
Manziel holds the school’s single-season record for passing yards, passing touchdowns, rushing touchdowns, total touchdowns and total touchdowns. Although his professional career was on fire, Manziel captained the college football world two years in a row, making him the best Aggie of all time.