Cashius Howell’s Journey To Becoming Force At Texas A&M

Texas A&M found the right edge rusher.

His name? Cashius Howell.

Senior transfer from Bowling Green, Texas, who is arguably one of, if not the best, defensive end prospects for the upcoming NFL Draft, still has a ton of football left to play. Recently, the Kansas City, Missouri, native spoke with The Draft Network to discuss the successful campaign since coming to Aggieland.

“My goal is to continue being the version of myself I can be on and off the field,” Howell said. “I want to continue to keep doing what I’m doing.”

Acclimating to a New Team

Cashius Howell Texas A&M Aggies. — Sep 14, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators tight end Arlis Boardingham (8) runs past Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman Cashius Howell (18) to go out of bounds during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Sometimes change is hard. For a young man at the time who didn’t know what he was walking into, it took him time to adjust to the new scenery because being at Kyle Field was a complete change for him, and joining the SEC was a different style of football than the MAC.

“I’m not going to sit here and act like I immediately hit the ground running,” Howell said. “My focus when I first got here was to get bigger, stronger, and faster. I was playing catch-up with my teammates. They had been in this strength program. I started doing that. It was an adjustment at first. Eventually, I started to realize it’s still football. I had been playing my entire life. I didn’t need to make it bigger than it was.”

Howell went on to chat about what the coaching staff had him doing in his role as a member of the team, as he wasn’t always on the field in the huddle for every defensive play, but he worked his way there.

“That first season, I was playing a rotational role,” Howell said. “I was more of a third-down package player. I tried to maximize my opportunities while waiting for my turn. This 2025 season, the game has totally slowed down for me. I understand my role within the scheme of our defense. I’m trying to do my one-of-11 on every single play. I’m playing with a ton of confidence right now. That’s allowed me to take off this year.”

Excelling At Position

No doubt there has been growth from the 2024 to 2025 season, where Howell has adapted to the Mike Elko system and has been given more opportunity to show off his talent on a weekly basis. What Howell credits the progression from last year to is earning the reps and having a good mindset.

“I’m getting more reps now,” Howell said. “Another big change from last year to this year, though, is my whole mindset. This past offseason, I had a pretty good idea this was going to be my last year [of college football]. That definitely added some urgency to my success this season.”

Not too high. Not too low. Keeping it neutral. Those are major factors in what has benefited him during games and practices.