Texas A&M’s pass rush is shaping up to be more about numbers than one superstar, and that’s the lens Gigem 247’s Jeff Tarpley used when discussing how the Aggies might replace Cashius Howell.
Tarpley joined The Chuck Oliver Show out of Atlanta as A&M finished fall camp, and the conversation turned to the kind of edge presence Howell provided last season. Oliver pointed to the Utah State game, where Howell “trash compact the left tackle for that team” and “got sacks on three straight plays,” then asked who fills that role now and whether Northwestern transfer Anto Saka is the answer.
Tarpley’s view was that the NFL has already pushed the conversation in this direction. Teams still want a dominant pass rusher, he said, but the reality is that true game-wreckers are rare, so the answer often becomes a collective one.
That may be the route A&M takes this season. Tarpley said the Aggies do not currently have anyone with Howell’s burst or bend, but they do have a few different pieces who can be used together.
He mentioned Marco Jones, a 260-pound player who brings athleticism, and TJ Searcy, the veteran on the other side. Searcy is 6-foot-6, has played a lot of football, and is difficult to move in the run game because of his length.
The idea, Tarpley said, is to bring one of the bigger bodies off the bench alongside Searcy and create favorable matchups. That could mean Saka or Jones lined up in a wide nine-technique, far outside the tackle, where they might find themselves isolated against a running back or an H-back.
Tarpley said Saka looks almost like a defensive tackle from a distance because of how he is built, but he is a defensive end. He keeps his legs driving after contact and is strong through the upper body.
He also said Saka brings pop, and while he may not simply run around blockers, he can push them back into the quarterback. That, Tarpley said, should translate into pressures and some sacks.
Add DJ Hicks at defensive tackle, some quick interior players and perhaps a blitzing linebacker, and A&M can build pressure as a unit rather than leaning on one edge rusher. Tarpley’s point was clear: if the Aggies can spread the load, they may be better off than trying to replace Howell with a single player.
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