The defense for Texas A&M in 2026 looks like it may be Mike Elko's best unit since he's been in College Station— and that's quite the statement, given how good the defense was in 2021, for example. The head man has not shied away from those high hopes, however, speaking about how deep and elite the secondary is on more than one occasion.
That's thanks to quite a bit of seniority on the defense, of course— in that secondary alone, you have fourth-years Dezz Ricks, Dalton Brooks, Tawfiq Byard, and Marcus Ratcliffe, as well as fifth-years Julio Humphrey and Rickey Gibson. That's not to mention the experience on the defensive line— Anto Saka, Ryan Henderson, DJ Hicks, CJ Mims, and others are all players with several years of experience under their belts.
All that said, however, it's the young players who have impressed one Texas A&M insider with their play during fall camp— and there are five names in particular, coming from each level of the defense, that have been mentioned over and over. On the latest edition of the Loochador Podcast, Billy Liucci of TexAgs gave fans a glimpse of what the future of the Aggie defense may look like thanks to these impressive fall camp performances.
Future of Texas A&M's defense reportedly on display in fall camp
In a discussion about how the Aggies' defense might look for this year, Liucci, well-known as the most plugged-in Texas A&M insider out there, mentioned five freshmen who could shape up to be absolute monsters.
The names he mentioned were a mix of known quantities and diamonds in the rough. Most Aggies know that CB Brandon Arrington is set to be an absolute star for the Aggies once he gets his shot, and there are high hopes for DL Bryce Perry-Wright as well. But Liucci also raved about EDGE Tristian Givens, safety-turned-linebacker Tamarion Watkins, and S Chance Collins.
Collins is a name that has been cropping up more and more lately as one of the most slept-on players from this last year's recruiting class— though he's facing an uphill climb to start over some of the names ahead of him this year, his high level of play may see him force his way onto the field in the upcoming year.
Givens was a high-level recruit coming out of Georgia, but there were questions about whether he could retain his twitch when he added on the weight necessary to play in the SEC— from all accounts so far, he's done that and more. His emergence down the stretch of the season, and into the upcoming year, could be a storyline to watch closely.
Watkins is maybe the most interesting out of the group. He was a three-star prospect when the Aggies picked him up, and mostly played safety for his South Carolina high school. However, his large frame had the Texas A&M staff dreaming of what he would look like at linebacker— and the transition to that position seems to be coming along better than anyone had hoped.
If these five players are able to anchor the defense for the Aggies going forward, along with all of the talent that is coming in from the class of 2027— guys like LB Kaden Henderson, EDGE Zyron Forstall, CB Raylaun Henry, S Kamarui Dorsey, DT Myels Smith, and others— then the Aggies could have an elite defense for years to come. Fall camp breakouts like this are not only exciting for the upcoming season, but for the seasons that follow— and this report should have Aggie fans very happy about the future of the unit under Elko and Hemphill.
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