Texas A&M football's linebacker unit in 2023 was maybe the best that Aggie fans have seen since joining the conference back in 2012. Taurean York's freshman campaign was revolutionary, living up to and exceeding every bit of hype he received coming into the year, supplanting Chris Russell and replacing Andre White's production with aplomb.
Of course, York wasn't the star of last year's unit, as good as he was. No, the name that had Aggie fans abuzz all year about their LB unit was that of Edgerrin Cooper, who had finally come into his own after years of flashing his potential.
Cooper led the Aggies in tackles, tackles for loss, and sacks— in other words, he was put into a position to succeed by the coaches and capitalized big time. That breakout season had Cooper with some round-one NFL draft buzz, but when the time came for teams to make their selections, he fell to the second round, where he was selected by the Green Bay Packers.
Former Texas A&M football LB Edgerrin Cooper honored by ESPN as NFL All-Rookie selection after monster finish to 2024
Cooper started the season off pretty slow, only coming in on certain packages, but by the end of the season, he was a staple in the lineup. In the Packers' playoff game against the Eagles, he played 100% of the snaps, as a matter of fact.
Due to the huge impact he began to make in his finish to the year, Cooper has drawn a lot of praise. Now, he's adding some legit accolades to that buzz, as ESPN has named him as a first-team all-rookie selection for this year, alongside LB Omar Speights of the LA Rams.
This is quite the honor for Cooper. Most Aggie fans thought he would be a success story in the NFL, but to have the immediate impact that he has had is something that probably transcends the expectations of many A&M faithful.
This portends great things for Cooper's career. Hopefully, the road ahead is as bright as his rookie season has been. Congratulations, Coop!