Texas A&M’s defensive front is starting to look loaded, and Samuel M’Pemba just gave everyone another reason to pay attention.
The former Georgia transfer, now heading into his second season with the Aggies, showed off a massive Power Clean during “Max Week” with Texas A&M strength and conditioning coach Tommy Moffitt. M’Pemba completed one rep that looked to be 370 pounds, a serious number for any football player.
That kind of power fits the profile Texas A&M believes it has in the 6-foot-3, 250-plus-pound edge defender. M’Pemba barely saw the field last fall, appearing in just a handful of games and recording one tackle along with his first career sack. But this season, he’s expected to have a much bigger role as the primary backup to rising sophomore Marco Jones at the Jack position.
Jones is projected to be a key piece in that hybrid linebacker/edge role, the same spot Cashius Howell thrived in during his final two seasons with the Aggies. Behind him, M’Pemba is viewed internally as one of the fastest and most athletic defenders on the roster.
He’s not the only name drawing attention in College Station. Texas A&M’s 2026 roster is packed with NFL-level talent, beginning with junior wide receiver Mario Craver. Nearly every one of the 17 offseason transfer portal additions is expected to land a starting job or major rotational role, including former Northwestern edge Anto Saka, who is already drawing interest from NFL scouting circles and is slated to start as the Aggies’ big defensive end.
Among the players returning from the 2025 team, 65% are back, giving Texas A&M a roster that looks deep on paper and even deeper at the spots that matter most. For M’Pemba, the message is simple: the physical tools are there, and the offseason work is showing up in a big way.
In Other News...
Former A&M Defensive Architect Is Now Shaping Another SEC Program
Will Steins first staff move at Kentucky carried a familiar Texas A&M flavor, as the new Wildcats coach turned to former Aggies defensive coordinator Jay Bateman to help shape the next chapter in Lexington. Batemans time in College Station left a clear imprint, with his defenses playing a major role in A&Ms 11-0 start and eventual College Football Playoff trip, the kind of run that makes his resume stand out in the SEC coaching carousel.
For Texas A&M, the connection adds a little extra edge to a matchup already circled on the calendar. Kentucky visits College Station on Sept. 19, giving the Aggies an early chance to see how one of their former defensive architects handles a new job in the same league, while A&M continues looking ahead to a 2026 season that will put its key voices back in the spotlight at SEC Media Days. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Elkos Terry Bussey Update Changes Everything For Texas A&Ms Offense
Texas A&Ms offense is entering the season with a very different look, and Mike Elko is sorting through the ripple effects of departures to the NFL and the transfer portal. The Aggies will lean on a mix of returning players and newcomers to stabilize the receiver room, with the staff still trying to settle who can step into the biggest roles and keep the passing game moving.
One name now sitting at the center of that conversation is Terry Bussey, whose availability changes the outlook for an offense that needs playmakers to emerge quickly. Elkos group has spent the offseason piecing together options around the receiver group, and Busseys presence gives the Aggies a much-needed piece as they head into fall camp with more questions than answers about how the targets will be distributed. [Read more 🡒]