It’s THursday night, which means it’s time for Mail call!

Q: I saw him on the sidelines and he played. But what’s the story with Robbie Bourdon? Seems like he played more last year with our experienced line. Was hoping he made the next step to step in at guard. (TSmith3001)

A: Yeah, that’s a bit of a mystery. He’s still in on short yardage and goal line situations and has played some at left guard, but he’s been passed by Lamont Rogers and they’d rather have Trovon Baugh on the left side. Maybe he’s the left guard of the future, but not the present.

Q: Is the thrill of Texas A&M football derived from the pursuit of the destination, or from the shared endurance of the journey?

If the Aggies were to achieve ultimate, undeniable success—a national championship—would the core identity of A&M football culture shift, or would the decades of unyielding belief and collective anticipation have mattered more than the trophy itself? (ShowMeYourTDs)

A: I don’t care about the journey. I want to win. Nobody is going to forget the past — Cubs fans sure as hell didn’t after they won in 2016. It just means that the Aggies finally got where they should’ve been before.

Q: I have a couple of questions about two freshmen.

1. Tamarion Watkins, what is his injury and have you heard a timeline for return.

A: I don’t know. He’s off the injury list so he may be back this weekend. I’m expecting him.

2. Zaden Krempin, his father is a friend of mine, good guy with Dallas Fire/Rescue. He has surprised me with his amount of plays. Do you believe he can be a permanent Left Tackle? (NemoJones)

Doesn’t matter what I think; the staff thinks so to the point they moved Rogers to the right side. It won’t be a walk in the park for him with Mark Matthews and company coming in this spring, but he’s going to get a shot at it. He’s impressed me so far, honestly. I didn’t know if he had the footwork to play tackle, even if I was more bullish on him than most. I certainly had questions when he bulked up so quickly. But he’s handled it all well.

Q: Class of 2022 Bryce Anderson was expected to play this fall. Any information on his status/departure? (rareo)

A: He’s playing on special teams. That’s it.

Q: How come we didn’t play Deez Ricks on Chris Marshall all the time? What is the reasoning behind that? (JonnyRocketAg)

A: Some teams keep their corners on one side of the field all the time instead of trailing a receiver everywhere. The Aggies are one of those teams.

Q: What is the magical formula Elko uses to determine readiness and keep capable playmakers off the field?

A: When they think a player’s ready in all facets of the game, he plays. I would guess this has to be about KJ Edwards (maybe Aaron Gregory?). Playmakers are getting out there.

Are we going to actually see more blitzes to put pressure on QB’s? (LufkinAg)

If they don’t blitz this weekend, I’m going to lose my mind.

Q: Do you think Elko has been spending any one on one time with Marcel over the last couple of weeks? I’m wondering if he personally sits down with Marcel to chop it up.

A: I’m sure he has. That’s the quarterback he’s hitched his wagon to and he’s having confidence issues. Elko’s hands-on as it is, so I would wager heavily that he’s taken time to talk with Reed one-on-one.

Will Elko and Co. blitz more tomorrow?

I don’t see a way they can’t. Austin Simmons will eat anyone up if they just bring four.

Will we target The Thing, aka Kiotti more tomorrow?

I think that depends on how Missouri plays things defensively. You can say you’re going to throw the ball to player X and it sounds good, but if they make an effort to take them away and they’re not Jerry Rice or Randy Moss, they probably will have some success. I do think the tight ends will probably be lower on Mizzou’s list of concerns, so that may mean he does.

What’s the latest on athletic facility upgrades?

The player development center at Blue Bell Park is currently under construction. The volleyball and equestrian teams both got new facilities and I have some news I’m going to drop tomorrow in TIDBITS that could be of interest.

How’s Jefecita Thunderballs and her bionic hip doing? (tsip despiser)

She had a rough night last night. I was up until about three trying to help her get the pain under control. There are ebbs and flows, but I’m seeing progress.

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Q: Do you think NIL money will move to established players in the portal vs high school players? Could the answer depend on position? (QuickDrawMcGraw77)

A: Oh, it already does go to established players. That’s why KC Concepcion was here last season and Cam Coleman is in Austin this season. I would bet that more money is spent on players in the portal then on freshmen, simply due to the fact that they’re a known commodity. Jordan Seaton ain’t in Baton Rouge for the jambalaya.

Q: In addition to the questions about pass blitzing, any chance of run blitzing more?

A: Maybe. A&M was awful against the run last year in Columbia and Mizzou’s running the ball well again this year, so it seems reasonable.

I may have missed it, but have we had feedback on the recruits that were at the Arky game?

Largely very positive. I think they made themselves a factor with 5-star DL Kellan Hall. I think they’re in the driver’s seat for the nation’s top defensive tackle Prince Che, and, maybe more importantly, all the members of the 2027 class who were in attendance — 15 of the 25 — reaffirmed they’re solid with the Aggies.

Do we not have anyone with more twitch than Horton to return punts with Craver and Bussey out?

I would personally like to see Brandon Arrington get a shot, but in the spring and summer the guys fielding punts were Craver, Bussey and Horton.

I may have missed this also, but do we have any bootlegs with run/pass option? (Reckless75)

Yes. But have they been used? No.

Q: Do we get to 7 wins? If so, predictions?
BAS is coming back. (Sy81)

A: Yes, they get to seven wins.