Three breakout candidates for Texas A&M football in 2025: Freshmen and transfers could lift Aggies to next level
Texas A&M is looking for a huge year this fall, and there's good reason to think they can pull that off. They have a lot of returning experience, and some established players— like Ar'maj Reed-Adams and Will Lee— who can help buoy this team.
That said, there are also a fair number of newcomers on this team that could end up making a huge impact before season's end. Who will rise to that challenge? Here are three predictions.
Marco Jones
This is an easy one to predict at this point. Jones is a guy that Mike Elko and the staff have spoken of as a recruit that they considered the best defensive player in the country, and a must-get for this team.
Well, they got him— and he's already getting rave reviews in camp. As I said in my top 50 player countdown that released earlier today, Jones is a guy that could well find himself in the top 10 of the list by the time that the season concludes.
We've seen a couple of freshman edge rushers take the SEC by storm over the last few years, and Jones could well be the next one to do so. His prospective dominance already has a lot of Aggie fans excited about what he could do in the upcoming year.
I doubt he's a day-one starter, especially with both Cashius Howell and TJ Searcy on the roster, but even Myles Garrett didn't start his first game with the Aggies— and he ended up setting a SEC freshman sack record that still stands today. Jones could end up as a starter by year's end, like Garrett, and though I'm not saying Jones will break that record, he could be a solid contributor.
The issue is just the depth in front of him, as I think Howell is set for a breakout year and Searcy is a solid player as well. Dayon Hayes is lurking in the background too as a guy who can really play, as is Rylan Kennedy. But Jones's talent is apparently such that he won't be in the shadows for long.