Jeff Fuller and Von Miller stood out at Saturday's Maroon & White Game like liberals at a Rush Limbaugh tribute dinner.

Fuller, who seemingly was always open, had nine catches for 147 yards. If Texas A&M quarterback Jerrod Johnson needed a spark he simply threw toward Fuller, who had six catches for first downs.

Miller's relentless pressure forced Johnson to dial up Fuller quickly. Miller had three sacks and a couple of hurries from the "jack" position, a hybrid of defensive end and linebacker.

Fuller and Miller have the potential to be playmakers. Unfortunately, some of their success Saturday was because of deficiencies in other areas that also plagued A&M last season.

The 6-foot-4, 209-pound Fuller overpowered A&M's undersized and undermanned cornerbacks. Five receivers had 100-yard games against the Aggies last year and another seven had at least six catches. Opponents attempted 365 passes against A&M last year, and the Aggies had only eight interceptions and 36 deflections.

A&M also had only 16 sacks, which was a sad total in the pass-happy Big 12. That's why A&M moved Miller, who's had a sizzling spring against an offensive line that last season allowed 39 sacks and is missing three starters.

Injuries have been one of A&M's biggest problems this spring. More than 20 players, including at least 13 on scholarship, didn't dress for Saturday's game. When you add in the 28 incoming players who are still in high school, that means roughly 50 percent of the 2009 team wasn't available.

A&M defensive coordinator Joe Kines can't wait until he gets his hands on the 16 defensive newcomers.

"I gave them a couple of good words of advice," Kines said. "Run, and get in shape. If you want to play, come in in shape, 'cause you're really gonna get a chance. You're really gonna get a chance."

Despite the lack of numbers, A&M has made great strides this spring.

"We're starting to solidify ourselves on the scheme and how we want to play defense," A&M head coach Mike Sherman said.

Miller, senior safety Jordan Pugh and sophomore safety Trent Hunter have been solid, which was expected. But redshirt freshman linebacker Kyle Mangan, senior defensive back Justin McQueen, junior walk-on linebacker Michael Hodges and sophomore defensive tackle Tony Jerod-Eddie are reasons the defense clearly has had the upper hand against the offense.

Sophomore linebackers Garrick Williams and Ricky Cavanaugh haven't been spectacular, but they've made progress.

"Last year we played with linebackers who never played linebacker in high school," Sherman said.

And it showed, play after play.

The Aggies have addressed that issue by landing five linebackers, led by Jonathan Stewart of Shreveport, La.

"They'll enhance that group, and we're going to find a spot for those guys either as backups or starters," Sherman said. "So the guys who are playing right now as starters really gotta work hard this summer to keep their jobs, because we're gonna work like heck to get the speed on the field that we're bringing in this fall."

If the Aggies can make progress in 13 workouts with 48 players missing, how much better can they become in the fall?

Running back Christine Michael, the Aggies' highest-rated incoming freshman, has the potential to be an impact player if the offensive line can improve.

Therein lies the biggest concern for Sherman and A&M.

The Aggies averaged only 2.9 yards per rush last year, so returning four starters on the line isn't necessarily a good thing. Sherman, a former line coach, is trying to get as much competition as possible. Junior Lucas Patterson, who moved over from defensive line; junior Matt Allen, who sat out last season as a transfer; and sophomore Danny Baker along with redshirt freshman Brian Thomas will have chances to become starters. If nothing else, maybe they'll push the returning starters into getting better.

The success of Johnson also hinges on the line's development. One of the spring's biggest disappointments was sophomore Ryan Tannehill not being able to compete against Johnson because of a shoulder injury.

A&M also will go into fall drills without a complement to Fuller. Redshirt freshman Tommy Dorman hasn't proven he's a legitimate No. 2 quarterback, which will make A&M hesitant to return Tannehill to wide receiver even if he doesn't beat out Johnson.

Terrence McCoy, Nick Trice, Kenny Brown and Cody Beyer have failed to win a starting receiver spot, and now former defensive back Lionel Smith is in the mix.

Incoming freshmen Brandal Jackson (Navasota) and Uzoma Nwachukwu (Allen) will get a chance to become the next Fuller.

"Some other guys have to step up," Sherman said. "We can't play with just a target. We need targets."

A&M also needs one or two more defensive linemen so teams won't be able to load up to stop Miller.

A&M might have a long list of shortcomings, but it's making progress. A year ago, the Aggies didn't have a go-to receiver or a sure-fire pass rusher.

Robert Cessna's e-mail address is robert.cessna@theeagle.com