Projecting Texas A&M football’s defensive depth chart once spring practice is complete
Last week, we projected how the depth chart may shake out on offense by the end of the spring. Now, it’s time to take a look at the defense.
This will undoubtedly be a quite different looking unit from top to bottom. The defense is where so many of the transfers came from in the first portal window, and where the Aggies and Mike Elko brought in most of their portal prospects as well. Twelve of the twenty-one transfers that the Aggies brought in were on the defensive side of the ball.
There are some big names to replace, however. Walter Nolen, Fadil Diggs, Jacoby Mathews, and others all hit the portal; and that’s not to mention guys like Edgerrin Cooper and Demani Richardson who are headed to the next level.
So who will be taking these guys’ places? Where will the production come from? Let’s dive in and take a look.
Projecting Texas A&M football’s spring defensive depth chart: Defensive ends
1st unit: Shemar Turner, Nic Scourton
2nd unit: Shemar Stewart, Rylan Kennedy
3rd unit: Solomon Williams, Kendall Jackson
This is simultaneously one of the easier and harder spots to project. Turner and Scourton are all-American types of players, so they are clearly the top picks to start on each end of the line.
Like the addition of former Purdue EDGE Nic Scourton for @AggieFootball . Heavy hands. Physical. Powerful. Has played in space. He’s versatile. Does get stuck on blocks occasionally & overcommits at times but he can hold up in the SEC. I see him offering solid production. pic.twitter.com/9pkzmtiyTi
— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) March 2, 2024
However, it just feels wrong putting Shemar Stewart on second team here. He has so much potential and began to really flash in the later part of this previous year, but I don’t know how you put someone above Turner and Scourton.
Shemar Stewart😵💫😵 pic.twitter.com/ApRi9utnfM
— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) December 28, 2023
At the same time, though, Turner is listed among the players who will be limited this spring with injury, so the post-spring depth chart may have Stewart listed opposite Scourton. When all is said and done, though, I’d have Turner at the first spot.
Rylan Kennedy is the name to watch as a big riser. His name began to pop up a lot late in the year, and he had some eye-catching reps against Oklahoma State in the bowl game. He is supremely athletically gifted, but came into college very raw. If he can parlay those natural gifts into on-field production, the rest of the conference had better watch out.