Could Texas A&M football add to loaded defensive backfield portal haul with high-level Michigan safety Keon Sabb?
It’s no secret that Texas A&M football, under the Elko regime, has cleaned up in the transfer portal. One of the areas where they’ve had the most success in landing high-level prospects is in the defensive backfield; they’ve added no less than seven defensive backs, all of whom have a chance to start or see significant time as early as the 2024 season.
Even though the first portal window has been officially closed for quite some time, there’s still some movement. Due to a provision that the head coach of a given program leaving automatically opens a 30-day portal window for that program’s roster, there has been a steady stream of portal entries from around the country during the coaching carousel.
One of the programs Texas A&M football fans had eyes on in this time was Michigan, as Jim Harbaugh recently left for the LA Chargers job. The Wolverines have done a good job keeping continuity on the staff, yet there were still a couple of players—two, in particular—who could consider the Aggies if either decided to test the portal.
As of this morning, one of those has entered his name in the transfer ranks. Keon Sabb, a safety originally from New Jersey, is officially in the portal per Matt Zenitz.
Michigan Safety Keon Sabb has entered the transfer portal, per @mzenitz pic.twitter.com/h0lpMTcdqi
— PFF College (@PFF_College) February 16, 2024
Sabb had the Aggies, along with Michigan and Clemson, in his final group coming out of high school. A member of the 2022 recruiting class, Sabb was one of the few misses that year’s Aggie staff had, as he obviously eventually ended up with the Wolverines.
Sabb is a heady safety who can lay the wood as a tackler. He would be a high-quality add to any roster and proved himself in a big way during this past year’s College Football Playoff.
That said—will Texas A&M football actually be at the top of his list? They’ve had a high hit rate so far on the defensive backs they’ve recruited, but that could actually end up working against them there. A&M has an embarrassment of riches in the defensive backfield at the moment, and a guy like Sabb could be looking for a sure starting spot somewhere. It seems clear that Elko is bringing in a culture of competition, so nothing will be guaranteed for anyone who comes into College Station; it’s a pure “best man wins” situation for this Texas A&M football program now.
It’s entirely possible that the safety room is too backlogged for a guy like Sabb to give the Aggies a long look. But given the fact that A&M finished near the top of his recruitment beforehand, I wouldn’t rule out the idea that he at least gives the Ags a visit here soon. He wouldn’t be able to enroll until after the spring, in any case, but he would still be a high-value add if he does indeed end up in Maroon and White.