Editor's note: This is the second part of a weeklong series looking at five players to watch in spring practice, which begins Feb. 28 for Texas A&M
For the second consecutive season, Texas A&M must replace three starters at receiver.
Going into the 2013 season, there were three seniors who graduated -- with Mike Evans as the lone starter returning -- but the Aggies were able to find ample production from a plethora of players, including Derel Walker, Malcome Kennedy and Travis Labhart.
In 2014, with Evans declaring early entry into the NFL draft and Labhart and Walker having used up their eligibility, Texas A&M once again must find new bodies to pickup the production slack. Could one of those players be a true freshman Speedy Noil, a five-star signee out of New Orleans Edna Karr High School?
The number of spots open for competition -- not just as a starter but in the receiving two-deep since the Aggies use so many receivers -- makes Noil and intriguing player to watch this spring. He's one of the highest-rated recruits the Aggies signed in the 2014 recruiting class (he was the No. 7 overall player in the ESPN 300 and the No. 1 athlete in the country) and he enrolled in classes early, meaning he can participate in spring practice.
Kennedy, who is the returning statistical leader, and Ricky Seals-Jones, who missed most of last season after knee surgery, figure to have the best shot at starting jobs next season. But the rest is up for debate and coach Kevin Sumlin has long been a "best players play" proponent, no matter how experienced or inexperienced a given player is.
Noil, whose given name is Devante, is nicknamed "Speedy" for a reason. He was the 2013 SPARQ National Champion at The Opening, the prestigious high school showcase for the nation's top prospects. He ran a 4.45-second electronically-timed 40-yard dash and 3.87-second 20-yard shuttle, both blazing times.
A high school quarterback coming out of Edna Karr, Noil figures to be a receiver in the Texas A&M offense but is versatile enough to line up wherever offensive coordinator Jake Spavital asks him to. It's up to Noil to prove he's ready to contribute immediately, and he'll have that chance when spring practice begins. The Aggies' wide-open, Air Raid-style offense aims to get the football to its best playmakers in space quickly, and Noil has the kind of ability that should fit the scheme well.
Texas A&M receivers coach David Beaty praised Noil's explosiveness and said his history as a high school quarterback will benefit him.
"He's explosive as anybody I've ever seen," Beaty said. "He has a combination of strength, speed, explosiveness and he's a really smart guy. He played the quarterback position a lot so he has a little bit more of an understanding [of receiving concepts] than some of my guys that come in."
There are several receivers already on the roster that will be competing with Noil for those receiving jobs in addition to Kennedy and Seals-Jones, namely LaQuvionte Gonzalez, Edward Pope, JaQuay Williams, Jeremy Tabuyo and Sabian Holmes, all of whom saw time on the field last season. Kyrion Parker, who redshirted last season, is also expected to be a factor. But for fans, what's new and fresh is often what is most interesting to observers, and Noil might be the most interesting of the bunch even though he hasn't even been on campus a full month yet.
With the crop of young talent the Aggies have at receiver, expect the competition to be fierce across the board.