Texas A&M football's linebacking corps has had a few sparks of brilliance throughout the years since joining the SEC, but rarely has it been a position of unmitigated strength. There are a few years and players in there— 2018's combination of Tyrel Dodson and Otaro Alaka was fantastic in particular— the "can he play linebacker?" trope that A&M fans trot out when they get a commitment is based in the fact that A&M has, all too often, found themselves without satisfactory play at the position.
That lingering sense of dissatisfaction plays into evaluation year over year, and maybe to fans picking apart the play on the field far too much. But it's always a nice reality check when neutral fans evaluate the team— sometimes, impressions can come from a lack of knowledge of the team, but other times, it can be a corrective to an overly critical fanbase.
Texas A&M starting linebackers rank as top 10 unit in country
The starting duo for next year, returning from 2024, of Scooby Williams and Taurean York is a solid one, at the very least. While neither are knock-down, drag-out, five-star type of talents, they were decent enough for the Aggies last year— despite the gripes that many had.
In that vein, fans will be surprised, even if they shouldn't, that these two are ranked as a top-10 duo in the country.
Best Linebacker Duos In The Country
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York's acumen has been evident since he stepped on campus, as he has been a day one starter for the Aggies. Scooby was underrated by a lot of fans; Florida fans, sore when he left, threw a lot of jabs at him as he headed out the door, but really none of them proved to be true. He was a pretty sure tackler most of the time, despite one notable miss when he had a sure sack against LaNorris Sellers.
If the linebackers for A&M play up to this designation next year, that will be huge for the entire defense. The Aggies have a really strong defensive unit next year if the coaching staff coalesces in the right way, and the addition of guys like Lyle Hemphill will aid in that.