Nic Scourton Reflects on Texas A&M Career After NFL Draft

Texas A&M Aggies football star Nic Scourton’s new home was announced on Friday, when he was selected by the Carolina Panthers with the 51st pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Shortly after being selected, Scourton recounted his journey to the league.

The Bryan, Texas native dreamed of playing for his hometown squad, but did not get the opportunity out of high school. After committing to Purdue, his only Power Five offer, Scourton rose to stardom. In his two seasons there, Scourton recorded 72 tackles, 12 sacks, and two forced fumbles before making the decision to enter the transfer portal.

Texas A&M defensive lineman Nic Scourton (DL65) wears a medallion with picture of late uncle Harold during the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

"At first I was a little bit salty about it, you know, like not being recruited out of high school,“ Scourton said. ”But once I got past that, I sat down with Coach Elko and his staff, and I was just like man, this is where I want to play.”

Scourton’s success in the Big 10 translated to the SEC. In his one season with the Aggies, Scourton stood among the best in the conference with 14 tackles for loss and five sacks. He was also named Defensive MVP at the team award show.

"I mean, it's aligning and I think it paid it off, you know, made some great connections, played some great football, I played in the SEC, was able to go and win a couple of big games,” Scourton said. “Just to be like, able to go to the SEC man and had success was just like a, it was a big honor and especially to do it in my hometown.”

The 6-3, 257-pound physical edge rusher has drawn comparisons to Bengals’ star Trey Hendrickson because of his relentless pursuit of ball carriers and elite ability to change direction.

"I think just a resilient guy, you know, coming to the game with great game plans, really good understanding of how to rush and things like that,” said Scourton. ”I think I'm a very instinctive player, while also being a very smart player, you know, you can see I'm thinking on the field and I think I'm very physical, so I think I'll fit right in.”