Texas A&M defensive end Cashius Howell was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year today, as the Aggies continue to rack up postseason honor after postseason honor. KC Concepcion was awarded the Paul Hornung trophy earlier today as the nation's most versatile player, and now Howell— who is still in contention for some national awards— has been recognized as the best defensive player in the nation's best conference.
Howell led the SEC in sacks and sack yardage, racking up 11.5 sacks across his 12 games and costing opponents a total of 80 yards thanks to his ability to bring the QB down. He and Auburn LB Xavier Atkins were the only two players to finish in the top 5 in the conference in both sacks and tackles for loss (Howell was 4th in the latter category).
Cashius Howell's SEC Defensive Player of the Year award gives Mike Elko the pitch he needs for potential returners
Howell was a contributor to the 2024 squad, but really only came on at the end of the year, having not seen the field very much beforehand. After leading the MAC in sacks during his time at Bowling Green, Howell could have made the jump to the NFL were it not for a furious pitch by Mike Elko and company to get him to come back to College Station.
That pitch has obviously paid off in a huge way— which is massive for both Howell and Elko. Now, Cashius is being projected as high as top-6 in the upcoming NFL Draft, while Elko can point to Howell's massive production as a reason why those players on this roster who are teetering on the edge between leaving and staying ought to remain.
This is a major feather in the cap for Elko when it comes to player development, as well: Howell took a bit to adjust to the SEC, but thanks to this program's development, he's now the best defensive player in the conference. That speaks volumes to what this program can accomplish on that front, and will no doubt serve them well going forward.