Texas A&M football is 28 days away, and in the days leading up to the Aggie opener we’re answering the 50 biggest questions for the 2018 season.
Texas A&M football is entering a new era of football with head coach Jimbo Fisher, one that will see them perform with a whole new offense than that of Kevin Sumlin’s air raid offense.
But one thing that is less talked about, even though his hire is considered one of the best of the offseason, is new defensive coordinator Mike Elko implementing a new scheme on defense.
His philosophies might be a little different than that of previous defensive coordinator John Chavis, but it’s definitely not as drastic a change as it will be on offense.
But man does Elko have a whole hell of a lot of talent to work with.
Texas A&M’s defense returns eight starters on defense from a season ago. They only lost one defensive end, one defensive tackle and one safety. They played a ton of young guys all over the field and it showed, but their experience is something that will be useful in 2018.
The big strength of the 2018 team could be their defensive line.
Senior Kingsley Keke decided to return for his senior season and it could be a lucrative decision for the Aggie. He was placed on the Bednarik Award watch list given to the nation’s top defensive player every season. He was also given preseason All-SEC honors by both Athlon Sports and CBS Sports, among others.
He’s not the only one to receive preseason accolades.
Landis Durham has also been getting some hype heading into the 2018 season. Durham tied for the SEC lead with 11 sacks in 2017, which was enough to earn him a spot on the Nagurski Trophy watch list, given to the nation’s top defensive player as well.
Keke and Durham alone will give offensive coordinators nightmares, but they aren’t the only guys who could wreck havoc up front. Daylon Mack — who has so far yet to live up to the hype of being a top 10 recruit and a 5-star player — has re-dedicated himself this offseason and has the 2019 NFL Draft to think about. There’s a chance he steps into Elko’s defense and makes a name for himself.
Then there is the Defensive MVP of the Spring for two years running, Justin Madubuike. The prize of the 2016 recruiting class hasn’t gotten reps in the rotation yet, but Zaycoven Henderson graduating frees up playing time and he could be even better than Henderson ever was.
Could this be one of the best units in the SEC? If each player lives up to his potential, absolutely. There is enough combination of talent and experience to be a force for Elko, and none of this takes into account the wealth of talent he has at the linebacker position, players that could drop down as pass rushers and make life miserable for opposing quarterbacks.
The SEC proves how talented it is — especially on defense — every single year in the NFL Draft. Despite the fact that the conference is consistently loaded on that side of the ball, this group for Texas A&M could be very special.
Jeff Shull is the Site Expert for the Gig Em Gazette on FanSided. Follow him on Twitter, and be sure to follow the Gig Em Gazette on Facebook and Twitter.