Texas A&M’s NFL pipeline produced a little of everything in Week 7: a rookie receiver exploding for the best game of his young career, a rookie pass rusher grabbing his first sack, and two veteran linemen again showing why they’ve stuck around this long.
The headline belonged to Cleveland Browns wide receiver KC Concepcion. In a 27-24 win over the Tennessee Titans, the former Aggie turned in career highs across the board, finishing with eight catches for 129 yards. He added 23 rushing yards on three carries, giving him 152 total yards from scrimmage and a nomination for NFL Rookie of the Week.
Concepcion also carved out a small slice of Browns history. He became the first Cleveland rookie wide receiver since 2016 to top 100 receiving yards in a game, and his 129 receiving yards landed eighth in franchise history for a rookie in a single game. Through seven games, he has 30 receptions for 315 yards and is starting to look like a real weapon in the Browns’ offense.
Cincinnati Bengals rookie defensive end Cashius Howell had his own moment in a 35-13 win over the Baltimore Ravens. Howell picked up his first career NFL sack when he dropped Tyler Huntley for a four-yard loss on Baltimore’s opening second-half drive. That play helped force a punt, and Cincinnati rolled from there, erasing a 13-0 halftime deficit and pouring in 35 unanswered points.
Howell came into the league after posting 11.5 sacks in his final season at Texas A&M. The second-round pick in the 2026 NFL draft is already putting that pass-rush resume to work on Sundays.
Among the veterans, Jake Matthews and Jermaine Eluemunor also got their due. Matthews, the Atlanta Falcons offensive tackle, earned the highest Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade in Texas A&M’s weekly NFL recognition graphic, another reminder of the steady work he keeps delivering in pass protection.
Eluemunor made the list as well after finishing among the NFL’s top 10 tackles in pass-block win rate. He helped the New York Giants beat the Houston Texans 27-21, adding another strong outing to his veteran run.
Week 7 gave Texas A&M fans a rookie breakout, a milestone sack, and another pair of dependable performances from two longtime blockers.
In Other News...
Texas A&M Cant Avoid This Holmon Wiggins Question Anymore
Will Steins move from Oregon to Kentucky and Collin Kleins return to Kansas State set off a coaching shuffle that left both Oregon and Texas A&M looking inward for answers. The Ducks promoted Drew Mehringer, and the Aggies did the same with Holmon Wiggins, a move that was supposed to provide continuity while keeping the offense on track.
Instead, Oregon already made its own change after offensive struggles, and Texas A&M has been forced to live with the same uneasy question about Wiggins. The Aggies have had enough time to see whether the internal promotion can lift the unit, and the lack of progress has put his ability to improve the offense under the spotlight in a way that is getting harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Opens With One Big Chance To Validate The Hype
Before the SEC grind begins, Texas A&M gets a clean first look at how much its offseason makeover can matter. The Aggies open against Alabama State with a roster built around second-year coach Bucky McMillan, key transfers and a pair of focal points in guard PJ Haggerty and returnee Mackenzie Mgbako, giving fans an early read on whether the hype around the program is ready to translate into wins.
Alabama State arrives with its own reset in motion, too, under first-year coach Chris Wright and new general manager Dominique Wilkins. The Hornets will lean on guard Mike James as they try to move past last seasons 10-22 finish, which makes this opener more than just a tune-up for Texas A&M. It is the kind of early test that can either calm the noise around a revamped roster or add even more attention to what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Is Feeling The Cost Of Lost Pass Rush Talent
Texas A&Ms defensive front looked deeper a year ago than it does now, and the ripple effects of that talent drain are starting to show. Several members of the Aggies 2025 defense have moved on to other programs, and the production they carried with them is the kind that changes how a staff builds a pass rush. Cashius Howell was the headliner, leading the SEC with 11.5 sacks, while Tristan Jernigan and Solomon Williams have already found roles at Cal.
Rylan Kennedy has also surfaced quickly at Florida State, where he has become a presence in sacks and pressures. For Texas A&M, that leaves less margin for error up front and more pressure on the next wave of defenders to replace snaps, disruption and finishing ability. The Aggies can survive losing one productive edge threat, but losing several at once changes the shape of the defense and raises the stakes for how the pass rush holds up over the long haul. [Read more 🡒]