Texas A&M tight end Jalen Wydermyer started as a true freshman through the 2019 season and the Dickinson High School grad never looked back from a statistical standpoint, being third on the team in receptions but leading the Aggies in average per catch and total touchdown receptions. It earned him freshman all Southeastern Conference honors and anticipation that he would play an even bigger role in the Aggies’ passing game in 2020.
Even so, the return of injured freshman Baylor Cupp (who was rated as a five star prospect prior to enrolling in Aggieland and was expected to play a big role himself) might appear to suggest that his return might impact Wydermyer’s role in 2020. In turn, that might result in reduced numbers this season from the last seven games of 2019 when he was averaging about 3.5 catches per game, 15 yards per catch, and a touchdown every 6.5 receptions.
On the surface, that sounds great. Below the surface…you want to keep Wydermyer on the field as much as possible.
Wydemyer gave the offense a big play capability both before the catch downfield and after it on his shorter receptions. Secstatcat (which complies numbers in SEC games only) notes that Wydermyer led the Aggies in yards per target at 9.93 yards and was second in depth adjusted catch rate (how many yards downfield he caught the ball adjusted for the number of times he was targeted down the field relative to his peers). In fact, Wydermyer was among the top ten receivers in the league in depth adjusted catch rate as a true freshman. He averaged 7.5 yards after contact per catch which means that he nearly ran for a first down on every catch AFTER he caught the ball.
In an offense in which just 8.13% of all of quarterback Kellen Mond‘s attempts went for 20 yards or better (and his yards per attempt was sixth in the league), Wydermyer posted numbers more reminiscent of a big play wideout who stretched the field or a sneaky slot who could turn upfield and split defenders for a big play…and all of this in a 260-pound body.
Not only that, Wydermyer was also the Aggies’ most reliable receiver as a true freshman. He was among Secstatcat’s top ten in the conference in Drop Rate and Contested Catch Rate and caught 71% of all targets. In fact, Wydermyer had a top rate of just two percent all season. His reliable hands and size also made him a favorite of Mond’s inside the 20-yard line where he had the conference’s best red zone rate.
When you take a deeper look at Wydermyer it’s apparent that A&M has got to find a way to keep him on the field at all this fall if he can improve his blocking and help out in the run game even with the return of Cupp. In fact, it’s hard to see what he’s done and not argue that he is the Aggies’ best receiver. That may tend to lock A&M into fewer formations and plays and make their tendencies easier to recognize but if that means that he doesn’t leave the field those potential issues may not be real issues at all in the long run.
