After a tumultuous end to the 2024 season for the Texas A&M defense, defensive coordinator Jay Bateman spoke on the difference a full offseason together makes in ensuring a more consistent and buttoned-up unit moving into year two.
"We started the season last year with hardly any kids that had really ever played together," Bateman said. "Now that they've had a year to play together, I think the communication is better ... the overall knowledge base has improved a ton."
This jump in communication and overall knowledge of the system should clean up a lot of the Aggies' sloppiest moments — they finished the year as one of the more penalized teams in the country and allowed 60 plays of 20-plus yards.
Jay Bateman optimistic that secondary improvement will increase sack numbers for Texas A&M football
However, it wasn't just their inability to clean things up that led them to drop four of their last five games— it was also a matter of struggling to bring down the quarterback. While their talented defensive line was great at creating disruption, they averaged just two sacks per game on the year and totaled four in those final four losses.
As strange as it may sound, that was actually the result of an intentional tweak by the Aggies' coaching staff, with Bateman trying to protect the weaker units of the defense.
"We were concerned about some things in the back seven," Bateman said. "There were some times during the end of the season where we had to manage the defensive line in such a way that maybe limited their ability on normal downs to rush the passer."
Missed opportunities and schematic adjustments led them down that safer, yet less explosive, path, but it seems as though those days are left in 2024. Bateman believes that with the healthy return of Tyreek Chappell and the emergence of Bravion Rogers in camp, the depth of this defensive back room will be much improved and form a strong unit around starters Will Lee III and Dezz Ricks— with Washington transfer Jordan Shaw as a wild card.
In turn, the growth on the back end will open things up for the pass rush. It's no small task replacing three NFL-level talents, but the Aggies made a strategic approach in refining this group — prioritizing speed over size.
"What we're asking those guys to do now is a little bit different," Bateman said. "As college football evolves you start to say, 'What do we need more of out of this position?' and I do think the ability to play in space and play on the edge [is more important]."
With another year of continuity, a strengthened secondary and an emphasis on speed at the edge, this defense is in line to take a massive leap in the 2025 season.