Will Johnson identifies 'most important' games on A&M's 2025 schedule

Texas A&M football kicks off its 2025 season in just 54 days as UTSA will roll into Kyle Field on Saturday, Aug. 30. Before fall camp gets underway, 12th Man Production's Will Johnson joined TexAgs Live to analyze the week-to-week importance of the Aggies' schedule and more.

Key notes from Will Johnson interview

• Unfortunately, summer got started a little too early for us at 12th Man Productions since baseball didn’t get to the postseason and softball had an early exit. I compare this summer to last summer in Omaha when we made it all the way to the last game. You get back and feel rushed for football season. This summer felt like an extended summer since June was kind of available to us. I would rather have the rushed summer and have all the diamond sports going as far as possible. Business-wise, you don’t like being rushed, but I’d still prefer that. A lot of July is spent getting ready for football season. There’s video board stuff and “The Pulse” to get ready for. Recruiting has been going on. The rush will really start now in July as we get to the preseason kickoff.
   
• The obvious for me is Texas A&M’s ability to rush the football this year. We know the offensive line is back with three good running backs and a quarterback in Marcel Reed, who can run the football. I get excited about the obvious.
   
• One thing I look at is that I think they’re going to be better on the defensive line than people expect them to be. You lost three draft picks off the line, so people are saying you’re going to take a dip there. Going out to spring practices, I feel like I saw a lot more than I ever have since we were broadcasting the spring game on SEC Network+. I looked at a lot of the defensive linemen, really starting with the freshman Marco Jones. I think people are sleeping on what they've gained through recruiting and the transfer portal. Albert Regis and Cashius Howell are returning and are really going to get their shot. I think they are going to be much better than advertised.
   
• I’ve never been to South Bend. I’ve never been on Notre Dame’s campus. A&M went there in 2000, but I did not travel then. Notre Dame is one I’ve circled since that came on the schedule years ago.
   
• I think an interesting dynamic is going to Arkansas now. We’ve played at AT&T Stadium for so many years. Obviously, in 2013, we went to Fayetteville. Arkansas had a bad football team, but the atmosphere was impressive. This was the days of Johnny Manziel and Mike Evans. I don’t know if I’m excited about going to Fayetteville, but it is interesting going up for the first time in 12 years. It was a raucous atmosphere in 2013. We’ll see what kind of team they have in October, but it’s a potentially dangerous place to play.
   
• I think the importance of the Notre Dame game for A&M’s playoff hopes is winning one or two of the big road games, including LSU and Texas. That predicates on taking care of business at home against Auburn, Florida and South Carolina.
   
• Florida is supposed to be better, but how much better? South Carolina is a very intriguing home game. If you are undefeated or a one-loss team at home, I think you have to win one or two against Notre Dame, LSU or Texas.
   
• Early in the season, I think Notre Dame would be the easier game of those three since they probably have more questions. I would put Notre Dame as the most gettable. LSU and Texas will have themselves figured out by the time you play them. Notre Dame will be a top-10 or top-five team unless the Irish botch their game with Miami.
   
• The last time the Aggies played UTSA, they were holding them off late in the game at Kyle Field. Thank goodness Myles Garrett had like five sacks in the game. It was one of those late non-conference games, and the Aggies struggled through it. Notre Dame plays Miami and then has a bye week before they play A&M. The Irish go to Miami, and they’ll probably be 1-0 as long as they don’t botch it.
   
• The Baylor game for Auburn is a Friday night. You could possibly be playing a backs-against-the-wall Tiger team. You mentioned important seasons. I think this is an important one for Hugh Freeze. He could present himself with a lot of problems if he’s not successful this season.
   
• Mississippi State is struggling. That’s the middle of the pack schedule with South Carolina, Florida and LSU. That’s the meat in the middle. You get two at home, but you have to take care of both of them. If you do, you’re set up really well for a late-season run.
   
• Florida hosted Miami last year and got blown out. The Gators have a three-game stretch that’s really tough before the Aggies. When the Aggies beat them in “The Swamp” last year, there were rumblings of firing Billy Napier from the fanbase. He got hot late and has his quarterback in DJ Lagway, so there’s hope for him. Florida had a crazy tough schedule last year, and everything just flipped this year. It doesn’t get any easier. It’s a coin flip for what Florida’s record will be when they meet the Aggies this year. Can Florida get a Texas or LSU game? Miami? 3-2? 4-1?
   
• You could say Florida is the biggest unknown this year. Their success late last season was still a small sample size, and it wasn’t a long run.
   
• There’s a lot of retention at A&M. One thing people aren’t discussing is that A&M didn’t have a lot of exodus. They have a lot of players back on a team that was that close a year ago. We don’t need to be in the spotlight right now.