Texas A&M begins spring practice very soon, and with the amount of turnover the roster has undergone, there will be several positions up for grabs. Last week, we previewed the potential battle at corner opposite Dezz Ricks, but now, it's time to look a little closer to the line of scrimmage.
The Aggies will be losing a lot of snaps on the defensive line this upcoming year, with potential first-round pick Cashius Howell being the biggest name to leave College Station. He's accompanied by Albert Regis, Tyler Onyedim, and Dayon Hayes— all of whom booked plenty of game time for the Aggies last year.
However, thanks to the efforts of Mike Elko through the transfer portal— as well as the continued emergence of some of the Aggies' home-grown recruits— A&M will have plenty of juice at the defensive end spot headed into this upcoming season. The only question is who will end up as a starter for the Ags.
Texas A&M spring football position battle preview: Defensive end could be the future for the Ags
There was a lot of buzz about Marco Jones coming into the year for Texas A&M, and while the true freshman certainly made an impact, he didn't quite blow anyone's hair back with his level of play. He ended the year with 21 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks.
If he is able to take the next step, as many are high on him doing, then he could end up locking down one of the starting spots on the defensive line. TJ Searcy has an experience edge on him, but the upside for Jones is going to be a key, determining factor here.
Then, you have the transfers. The aforementioned Searcy came in from Florida last offseason and was productive for the Ags this past year, but Elko brought in even more talent to compete for these spots.
Ryan Henderson from San Diego State came in as a guy who has played quite a bit of football, being in his fourth year overall. He recorded 9 tackles for loss and 7 sacks last year, but he's a tad undersized at 6'3" and 250— though Howell measured less than that, to be fair.
Northwestern's Anto Saka has some really intriguing qualities as well. He is maybe the most physically imposing player at defensive end on A&M's roster, but that hasn't quite yet translated to an eye-popping level of production.
Could a guy like Samuel M'Pemba make an impact? A first-year player like Tristian Givens or Samu Moala? While you can't rule these out— I particularly expect to see Givens get a little bit of time in pass-rushing situations for the Ags— I don't think a starter is in this group for Texas A&M.
The safe thing would be to bet on Marco Jones and TJ Searcy being the starters, as those two have the most experience on this roster, but I can't shake the feeling that Saka will make a move in the spring. Watch for the Northwestern transfer to line up opposite Jones when game one rolls around this fall— I think fans will look back at his addition as one of the biggest that A&M had this past offseason.