Texas A&M’s offseason chatter has centered on Marcel Reed, and for good reason. The redshirt junior quarterback is coming off a career year with 3,169 passing yards, 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, and the Aggies are still talking about his need to deliver in “big games” if they’re going to get back to the College Football Playoff.
But if there’s a part of this team that could end up swinging the season, it may be the defensive line.
ESPN’s Dave Wilson this week called A&M’s front the “X factor” that could determine the Aggies’ postseason fate, and that idea fits with the bigger picture around Mike Elko’s third season in College Station. Texas A&M returns 65% of its 2025 roster, added 17 players through the transfer portal and brought in the 2026 signing class. The Aggies are less than five weeks from opening the season against Missouri State on Saturday, Sept. 5, after Elko made offseason stops at several A&M Clubs across Texas and also took part in SEC Media Days two weeks ago.
The line up front matters because the Aggies’ defense didn’t consistently win at the point of attack in the losses to Texas and Miami in the first round of the CFP. Getting after the quarterback and shutting down the run were both major issues in those games, and fixing that starts inside.
That’s where DJ Hicks comes in.
The senior defensive tackle, a former five-star recruit, has taken another step and is nearing his ceiling. During a recent appearance at the A&M Houston Club, Elko made clear how much he expects Hicks to matter.
"It's DJ Hicks' time. He's a kid who's been working extremely hard over the last few years to be a fundamental master on the defensive line. He will for sure lead that line."
Last season, Hicks teamed with nose tackle Albert Regis and defensive tackle Tyler Onyedim to post 26 tackles and three sacks, both career highs. He was also one of the team’s most dependable run stoppers.
Now the Aggies are asking him to generate more pressure from the middle, a job that would help transfer edge Anto Saka and senior defensive end T.J. Searcy collapse inward and tighten the pocket.
In Other News...
Texas A&M Just Got A Huge Boost At Linebacker
Texas A&Ms linebacker picture got a welcome dose of optimism this week when Mike Elko offered an encouraging update on Daymion Sanford. The Aggies were already bracing for a long wait after Sanford suffered a severe injury in the spring game, but the early read out of camp suggests he is moving in the right direction as the opener approaches.
Elko said Sanford will be worked back throughout preseason camp, with his progress monitored along the way, which matters for a defense that wants as much depth as it can get. Even with the injury scare still fresh, the outlook is no longer centered on recovery alone, and that gives Texas A&M a little more stability heading into the matchup with Missouri State. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Camp Opens With 3 Offensive Questions Fans Can't Ignore
Preseason football is about to pick up in College Station, with Texas A&M set to hold its first practice Wednesday as preparations begin for the 2026 opener against Missouri State. Mike Elko is scheduled to speak with reporters Tuesday, and hell do so with a roster that has been reshaped but not completely remade, thanks to 65 percent of the group returning, 17 transfer additions and another strong recruiting class helping fill in the gaps.
Still, the first real questions in camp are the kinds that tend to define a season before it even starts. Texas A&M is trying to settle the offensive line after significant turnover, and the staff also has to sort out how the new scheme under coordinator Holmon Wiggins will come together in practice. Those answers wont arrive all at once, but this is the point in August when the Aggies start learning whether the new pieces can blend quickly enough to matter. [Read more 🡒]
Zach Clemence May Be Becoming A Bigger Piece For Texas A&M
Texas A&Ms basketball offseason has been about sorting out a roster that looks different, but still carries real expectations into Bucky McMillans second year. After getting the Aggies back to the NCAA Tournament in his first season, McMillan brought in six transfers and kept some important holdovers in Mackenzie Mgbako, Zach Clemence and Jamie Vinson, giving the program a mix of continuity and change as it works through summer competition.
That blend showed up in the Baha Mar Hoops Summer League, where Texas A&M beat the Victoria Vikes with strong showings from Mgbako, PJ Haggerty and Clemence. For the Aggies, Clemences role is one of the more interesting subplots on the roster, because any growth from him could give McMillan another useful piece as the team tries to build on last seasons breakthrough. [Read more 🡒]