Mike Elko Expects Big Season for Texas A&M Aggies DE

The Texas A&M Aggies need new faces to step up on the defensive line, and they have a prime candidate waiting in the wings.

Texas A&M defensive lineman Cashius Howel celebrates a stop during the Lone Star Showdown against the Texas Longhorns. / Sara Diggins/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

The Texas A&M Aggies will have to reload at several positions this season, but none more so than the defensive line.

The Aggies lost three key starters from last year's defensive line in Nic Scourton, Shemar Stewart and Shemar Turner, all of whom were selected in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft. That's a lot of talent to replace, and doing so won't be easy.

Enter Cashius Howell, a senior from Kansas City, Mo., whom head coach Mike Elko expects to take a big step forward in 2025.

Texas A&M defensive lineman Cashius Howell grabs the face mask of Texas Longhorns running back Quintrevion Wisner. / Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"We were able to re-tool the defensive line. Cashius Howell will take a big step forward this year," Elko said at a coach's night in Fort Worth, per TexAgs.

Howell transferred to A&M from Bowling Green last offseason and played all 13 games in 2024, though he only started the Las Vegas Bowl after other players had already opted out. In total, he recorded 40 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, eight passes defended, an interception and a forced fumble.

At Bowling Green, Howell recorded 9.5 sacks in 2023 to earn third-team All-MAC honors.

The Aggies' defensive scheme doesn't necessarily lend itself to players putting up crazy numbers of sacks. Stewart, an absolute freak of an athlete, only had 4.5 sacks over his three years in College Station, which was the main knock on him throughout the pre-draft process. Scourton also noticed the affects, as he only had five sacks last season after putting up 10 at Purdue the year before.

Still, Howell putting up four sacks, the second most on the team behind Scourton, as largely a backup is quite impressive. In a larger role, he could put up some pretty strong numbers.

The Aggies added to their defensive line in the transfer portal with players like T.J. Searcy from Florida and Tyler Onyedim from Iowa State, but Howell should still see a good deal of action in 2025.

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