Freshman All-American team includes Aggie defender on verge of national notoriety

Mike Elko is not a man prone to hyperbole, so when he said that Texas A&M freshman defensive end Marco Jones was a guy that the staff considered the best defender in the country for the previous class, fans' ears perked up. By all accounts, Jones has been living up to that kind of billing this spring and fall, and is expected to impact the lineup this season— maybe not as a starter in game one, but he well could be by the end of the season.

With that kind of hype, it makes sense that Jones has made the freshman all-American team that On3 just put out, the Aggies' only representation on the list:

Several other names of note for the Aggies on this list include Linkon Cure, Michael Fasusi, Riley Pettijohn, and Devin Sanchez— all of whom were big time A&M targets where the Ags had a legitimate chance.

Marco Jones makes On3 Preseason Freshman All-American list, heralding national notoriety

This is the first sign for Jones of what should be a big time breakout season and becoming a household name nationally. From the way the coaches have talked, he could become one of the best players on this A&M defense, and therefore the SEC; and if you're a top defender in the conference, you're a name that fans across the nation know.

We've been predicting a breakout for Jones for some time now, based on the intel that has come out of College Station, but this is one of the first pieces of national recognition that he's gotten. With several massive games on the docket for the Aggies this fall, he'll have plenty of opportunities in the spotlight to make some noise.

Barring injury, this will be a banner season for no. 10. His presence even in the spring game against a very senior offensive line was eye-catching, and it won't be long before he's a destructive force against opposing offenses in the nation's