Texas A&M lost a lot of their biggest names from last year's team to the NFL Draft, but fans are not exactly overly concerned at this point about how this upcoming season might go. That's mostly thanks to the great work that Mike Elko and his staff have done in the transfer portal, as well as the continued development of some of the younger players on the team.
Of course, there are transfer portal players who will mostly just function as depth for a given team, and then there are transfer portal players who will emerge as breakout stars for a team. The Aggies have seen plenty of transfers end up starring for them: KC Concepcion and Cashius Howell are the two most notable names from last year that fit that bill.
In a revent article for CBS Sports, Brad Crawford leverages some intel from program insiders to predict some breakout stars around the league for this upcoming year, and his eye is on one newcomer to College Station. Of course, for Aggie fans who have been following closely, this prediction will be nothing new.
CBS Sports predicts Anto Saka to break out for Texas A&M football in 2026
Though players coming over from Northwestern usually don't generate the most hype, Aggie fans are certainly more than just a little bit excited about what Anto Saka can bring to College Station. That was put on tape already in the Aggies' spring game, and is being further confirmed through lists just like this.
Saka is an absolute athletic freak, moving far more quickly than you'd expect anyone at his size to be able to do. He can leverage that for elite pass-rush reps, as well as utilizing his remarkable strength to hold up against the run.
That lines up with what Crawford said about Saka— here's just a snippet from the article.
"His first-step quickness and natural bend make him an immediate pass-rush threat, especially in sub packages where he can attack tackles in space. Texas A&M doesn't need him to be a finished product in September. It needs him to create negative plays, force hurried throws, and tilt possessions in the Aggies' favor."Brad Crawford
Saka is impressing the staff and insiders for sure, as well as all others who have taken a close look at his tape. Brooks Austin, also known as The Film Guy on Youtube, has praised Saka multiple times when discussing Texas A&M and their prospects for this upcoming year.
In all likelihood, Saka is not going to hit the sack numbers that Cashius Howell did— they're not the same kind of player. However, Saka could easily be a more well-rounded player due to his build, and that may make him even more attractive to NFL front offices once draft time rolls around.
There are other transfers, especially on the defensive side— think Tawfiq Byard and CJ Mims— that have a chance to break out for the Aggies this fall. But as of right now, the guy with the most hype here is Saka— so don't be surprised to hear his name a heck of a lot this season.
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