Former Texas A&M football DL transfers second time, ends up with in-division rival
Former Texas A&M football player Isaiah Raikes moving on from Southern Cal to Auburn
When we all bade our fond farewell to former Texas A&M football DL Isaiah Raikes this past November—as I know we all did—I think none of us anticipated that we would be seeing him again in college, as he had only one year of eligibility remaining and the Aggies did not face off against USC. Well, look who's got egg on their face now?
BREAKING: Former Texas A&M and USC DL Isaiah Raikes has Committed to Auburn, he tells @on3sports
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) April 22, 2024
The 6’1 315 DL will have 1 year of eligibility remaining
“The plains is the crib! War DAMN Eagle 🦅💙🧡 #SECbaby”https://t.co/Afjkm4JIn9 pic.twitter.com/OTHvOhBvYg
Raikes made the call to move on from Los Angeles after only a few months in sunny Southern California. Doubtless the big-city life and bright lights of the City of Angels were a bit much for a humble country boy from (shuffles notecards) Richland, New Jersey. Even so, he'll leave SoCal as a proud son of Trojan football; an inimitable brotherhood if there ever was one.
Don't you dare intimate this is me trying to meet a wordcount.
In all seriousness, Raikes was a decent player for the Aggies. I remember him peeling out on punt coverage against Alabama in 2021 to track down a returner in what looked to the eye to be a quite improbable play. He always had a high motor and was a constant feature along the interior defensive line for the Aggies during his time in College Station.
He never quite crossed from good to great, in my admittedly amateur estimation, but there's no doubt the Aggies would have rather kept him this year given their current depth along the interior of the defensive line. When I heard that he was transferring again, and given that he is a New Jersey native, I felt as though he was a lock to follow Elijah Robinson to Syracuse, but my intuition is wrong again. What else is new!
He will join an Auburn unit where he should be a candidate to start right away. Though they've featured some terrifying units up front in previous years, the Tigers haven't had quite the top-line talent recently along the DL. The addition of Raikes will help shore them up in that area.
The Aggies will see Raikes when they travel to Auburn this year, in the penultimate weekend of the season. If we in a few months look back and call that one the "Isaiah Raikes Revenge Game," I will be very upset.
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