Texas A&M was without Ashton Bethel-Roman on Saturday against The Citadel, and the absence was for personal reasons. The wide receiver did not attend the home game, leaving the Aggies with one more pass catcher unavailable on a day when the roster already looked thin.
Carter Karels of On3 reported that Bethel-Roman was being given space by the team to handle the matter. That made his absence different from a routine game-day scratch and added another layer to a receiver room that has been under strain for much of the season.
Bethel-Roman had only recently worked his way back after an injury, and his season had already been interrupted before this latest setback. He has seven catches for 56 yards, modest production but still meaningful for a player who was a notable impact option last year as Texas A&M's No. 3 receiver.
The wider problem for the Aggies showed up in the game-day list as well. Mario Craver, Kelshaun Johnson, Trovon Baugh, Anto Saka, DJ Hicks and Daymion Sanford also did not dress out for the matchup with The Citadel, leaving Marcel Reed to lean on Isaiah Horton and Aaron Gregory as his top pass catchers. Texas A&M has been working through receiver injuries since fall camp, and the pattern has forced the offense to keep adjusting around unavailable players rather than building continuity.
Jerome Myles had already left the Texas A&M program before the season while dealing with personal matters, which gives the Aggies two separate personnel stories at the position group this year. For Bethel-Roman, the next question is not whether he matters. It is when Texas A&M gets him back, because the roster picture around him keeps getting thinner whenever another receiver disappears from the field.
