Texas A&M’s pass rush has a fresh face drawing attention in fall camp, and Anto Saka made it clear that sophomore defensive end Marco Jones is not just holding his own - he’s standing out.
That matters for the Aggies. Cashius Howell’s NFL departure leaves a real hole in the front, and while Texas A&M brought in Saka from Northwestern, he arrives with a résumé that doesn’t scream proven finisher.
In three seasons in the Big Ten, he never had more than four sacks in a year. So the pressure to produce is real, and the questions around the pass rush are fair.
But Saka’s comments on Wednesday pointed to another name that could shape how this defensive line looks in 2025.
“One of the guys that I really feel like put on a highlight tape was Marco," Saka said when speaking with the media on Wednesday. "The other day Marco brought out a fake spin, and I'd never really seen that in person.
The way he executed it... I'm excited for Marco Jones, y'all should be excited for Marco Jones.”
The hype around Jones isn’t coming out of nowhere. Texas A&M’s social media team posted video Wednesday of him blowing up a run play and dropping freshman running back KJ Edwards for a loss. The tackle came almost immediately after the snap, a quick reminder of the kind of disruption Jones can bring.
Aggie fans already got a taste of that in the 2025 Maroon and White game. As a true freshman early enrollee, Jones flashed in a big way in front of a live crowd, finishing with five sacks, six tackles for a loss, and a pass breakup.
Last season, though, the production didn’t turn into a major role. Jones appeared in 13 games and totaled 21 tackles, with 3.5 for a loss and 2.5 sacks, as he worked behind a veteran-heavy defensive line.
Now the path looks clearer. With more of those veterans gone, Jones has a chance to turn those flashes into something bigger, and the early signs from camp suggest he’s ready to make that leap.
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