Why Texas A&M football’s Nic Scourton could lead the SEC in sacks in 2024

Texas A&M football, fresh off of a banner year along defensive front, looks to improve even more thanks to Nic Scourton; Could Aggie newcomer lead SEC in sacks?

You don’t need me to tell you how good of a year 2023 was for the Texas A&M football defensive front. Of course, with all the talent the Aggies have stockpiled, it felt like a long time coming—especially after 2022’s porous rush defense—but it was a marvel week after week to watch the ferocious Aggie DL take down QB after QB.

All this without the presence of a true-blue, dyed-in-the-wool edge rusher as a starter. We saw flashes from Malick Sylla and Enai White from time to time, but neither ended up making a huge impact on the stat sheet—White recorded one sack in a half-year’s time before being shelved with injury.

The leading force for the Aggies, actually, was LB Edgerrin Cooper, now of the Green Bay Packers. Coop notched 8 sacks to lead the team, with Shemar Turner (who added 6 of his own) not far behind.

This is to say that the pass-rush came by committee last year—and there were games where that strategy didn’t quite work. Against Ole Miss, LSU, and Oklahoma State, the Aggies only notched three sacks total. Even against Abilene Christian, the Ags only put up one sack.

Though Coop’s play was stellar, it felt like the Aggies, for most of the year, were missing that one dedicated pass rusher along the defensive line. They now have that in Nic Scourton, the Purdue transfer who led the Big 10 in sacks in 2023.

The fact that Scourton was able to do that in West Lafayette is extremely remarkable. No offense to the Boilermakers, but it’s not as if most of Purdue’s opponents were overly concerned with other guys along the defensive line; they would have been dedicating a considerable amount of attention to Scourton.

Now, he joins an Aggie defensive front that also features guys like Shemar Stewart, David Hicks, and Shemar Turner. There’s going to be a step up in competition, no doubt, but there’s also a step up in the level of talent alongside him up front.

We could see Scourton really unleashed this year—I’m talking to a degree not quite seen in Aggieland since Myles Garrett in 2016. Now, I don’t think Scourton is to the reigning DPOY’s level at this point in his career—and, to be fair, they’re completely different archetypes at the position—but the production could rival that of #15.

As you look around the conference, too, you see the potential for Scourton to go back-to-back in being the conference leader in sacks; the Big 10 last year, and the SEC this fall. James Pearce, Jr., from Tennessee and Mykel Williams from UGA will be stiff competition for that distinction, no doubt, but #11 in maroon is right up there in that race.

Is this too high of an expectation to put on Scourton’s shoulders? I don’t think he would say so. He can absolutely be in this conversation this year—and, if he is, I’d wager that means the Aggies have a top-shelf defense in Mike Elko’s first year in College Station.