Texas A&M football: 30 greatest players of all-time
By Jeff Shull
Stats – 141 tackles, 47 tackles for loss, 31 sacks, seven forced fumbles, one interception, five passes defended
Accolades – 2015 and 2016 First-Team All-American, 2015 and 2016 First-Team All-SEC, 2014 Consensus Freshman All-American, 2014 Freshman All-SEC, No. 2 overall high school prospect in the nation
Team signature moment – Win @ the No. 3 Auburn TIgers in 2014, won Liberty Bowl in same season
Myles Garrett came to the Aggies with a ton of hype. He was the No. 2 overall recruit in the 2014 class, the highest rated player Texas A&M had ever signed since recruiting rankings were tracked. He lived up to the hype.
Garrett was a monster to block from the get-go. Aggie fans will tell you most of the time he was “stopped” was due to the opposing offensive lineman getting away with a hold. He was almost, legally, unblockable.
One of the things that prevents Garrett from being higher on the list is not just the sheer numbers the players ahead of him also put up, but the limited team success. The Aggies finished no better than 8-5 with Garrett leading the defense, and the defense wasn’t as good as its talent suggested it could be, even after stealing John Chavis away from the LSU Tigers.
Garrett eventually became the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns, the only Aggie ever selected with the top pick. An ankle injury hindered him in his rookie season, but he is already one of the best players in the league. He made Second-Team All-Pro and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2018. He finished with 13.5 sacks and three forced fumbles.