Don’t look now, but the Texas A&M bandwagon is beginning to fill up. Climb aboard while there’s still room left as the Aggies are quickly becoming the dark horse pick in the SEC West. They were given much love at SEC Media Days, and people are beginning to look at the Aggies as a viable contender in their division.

And why not? Coach Kevin Sumlin has already weathered the storm, an onslaught that blew through the program at the end of last season. The departure of not one, but two five-star quarterbacks, a loss in their bowl game with first-time starting QB Jake Hubenak and a second consecutive 8-5 season that began with such high hopes.

Without so much as a single kickoff, Sumlin has managed to win and win often during the offseason. He brought in Sugar Bowl MVP Trevor Knight, the guy that passed Alabama dizzy (348 yards, 4 TDs on a 32-for-44 passing night) in Oklahoma’s 45-31 victory over the Tide.

The graduate transfer will now look to work his magic in College Station under highly-regarded new OC Noel Mazzone, who many believe will pump new life into the Aggies offense with his up-tempo scheme. Another offseason “win” for Sumlin.

SEC Network and former Alabama QB Greg McElroy said he believes that Texas A&M is the dark horse pick in the SEC West behind favorites Alabama and LSU.

.@CoachSumlin is always confident, but I get the sense he really likes his football team this year. Less drama, more focus. #YESSIR — Greg McElroy (@GVMcElroy) July 12, 2016

Paul Finebaum said he believed the Aggies would have a “bounce back season.” And that’s due to the quarterback that Sumlin was able to bring in after the two transfers.

“He’s got a quarterback. He’s renting him for a year, but he’s the answer,” Finebaum said.

Sports Illustrated’s Andy Staples is convinced as well.

“This could be A&M’s best team since Johnny Manziel won the Heisman and led the Aggies to an 11-2 record in their debut season in the SEC in 2012,” Staples wrote.

But it’s not only a new, experienced player at quarterback that has many taking a second look at Texas A&M for 2016. This team has top talent at many positions, as 247Sports’ Jeff Tarpley pointed out.

“People started counting up the talent while they were in Hoover, Ala., and realized that it’s there in quantity and quality more so than at any other point in Sumlin’s tenure … defensive ends Myles Garrett and Daeshon Hall, safeties Armani Watts, Justin Evans and Donovan Wilson, and receivers Seals-Jones, Christian Kirk and Josh Reynolds. It’s a team that has size in the trenches and experience in the front seven, recipes for success in the SEC.”

For others, like SB Nation Good Bull Hunting’s Chuck GBH, it’s the stoic confidence that Sumlin exudes that has some believing in him and the program.

“Sumlin still owned the room from the moment he walked in. It’s hard not to be excited about any team coached by this man.”

Ultimately, it’s all these things that had some in the media looking a little deeper at the 2016 Texas A&M squad and scratching their heads wondering why they hadn’t seen it sooner?

So the bandwagon continues to fill up as the Aggies head into the fall with high expectations. Much higher, certainly, than what they left the 2015 season with.