Aggies Defense Listed As Top 10 Unit In Lastest ESPN Rankings
Offense wins games, but defense brings home championships. And in the middle, Texas A&M will need both to thrive if it hopes to bring home a Southeastern Conference title before realignment in 2024.
All eyes will be on the marriage of first-year offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino and sixth-year coach Jimbo Fisher as they try to navigate through the waters of fixing a unit that ranked 93rd in total yards and 101st in scoring. Defensively, second-year coordinator D.J. Durkin has laid down a foundation and code of conduct. Now comes the part of putting all the puzzle pieces together.
ESPN recently listed their top 10 defense entering the 2023 season. Unsurprisingly, A&M found its way into the top 10 after leading the nation in passing yards allowed per game last season, falling in the No. 9 spot behind several other high-profile programs.
Jimbo Fisher and Texas A&M hired former Ole Miss defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin to the same position back in January 2022 to replace Mike Elko, who left to become the head coach at Duke. Elko went 9-4 in 2022 while Durkin and the Aggies stumbled to a 5-7 finish -- the team's first losing record since 2009.
He returns a group in College Station that didn't live up to expectations last season (they were 123rd in run defense) despite still finishing in the top 25 nationally in points allowed. The Aggies return talented veterans on the line in Fadil Diggs, McKinnley Jackson and Shemar Turner, as well as players from a historic 2022 defensive recruiting class that includes linemen Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy, Walter Nolen, LT Overton, and Shemar Stewart.
The Aggies had many departures via transfer behind the line. But Chris Russell Jr. and Edgerrin Cooper are back in the second level of the defense, where Cooper led the team in tackles for loss in 2022. In the secondary, Demani Richardson and Jardin Gilbert give A&M experience at safety, while North Carolina transfer Tony Grimes and Tyreek Chappell look to hold things down at corner after Antonio Johnson departed for the NFL.
There's not a lack of talent by any means on this A&M defense. It's a matter of putting together a complete product on the field - ESPN
Cooper, Diggs, Richardson and Jackson are veterans with multiple years of starting experience. Richardson, a four-year starter known for his ability to defend the run, was one the more prominent names to surprise fans when he announced he would return for a fifth year.
Injuries and lack of reps were significant reasons for regressions defending the run. Diggs, who finished with five tackles for loss, was limited to just eight games. The departure of DeMarvin Leal to the NFL left a glaring hole in the pass-rushing department up the middle, though Overton, Stewart and Nolen flashed potential toward the season's end.
The Aggies worked the transfer portal in their favor, bringing in veteran talent to replace departed names such as Johnson and Jaylon Jones. Grimes, a former All-ACC defensive back, is expected to start on the boundary opposite Chappell. Former Jackson State linebacker JD Davis, who registered 58 tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss, should provide versatility at the second level of defense.
The nickel position has always been crucial for A&M's success under the Fisher era. Exit Johnson, enter Bryce Anderson. The Beaumont native made strides during spring practice, often garnering praise from Fisher and other players for his quickness to decipher routes in coverage and close the gap defending the run. He was named the spring practice defensive MVP for his efforts.
"Bryce is a very talented guy," Fisher said following the team's annual Maroon and White game. "Bryce can play nickel. He can play dime. He can play (farther) back at safety. If he had to, Bryce could be a corner. He can run. He can really run. And he’s got really good ball skills, and he’s a good return guy."
A&M is one of several defensive units that could dictate which program represents the SEC West in Atlanta, Ga., come early December. Defending national champion Georgia was listed as the top unit despite losing talent like cornerback Keele Ringo, defensive tackle Jalen Carter and defensive end Nolan Smith.
Alabama, which enters the offseason at an impasse when discussing quarterback, will rely heavily on its defensive front as the backbone of the team's success. Ranking No. 3 in the preseason standings, the Crimson Tide return talents like pass rusher Dallas Turner, defensive tackle Jahiem Oaks and All-SEC cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry.
No. 8 LSU, perhaps the biggest surprise program in the conference under first-year coach Brian Kelly, has become a fan favorite to dethrone Alabama in large part due to its returning defensive production. All-SEC linebacker Harold Perkins is ready to build off a productive freshman campaign in Baton Rouge, while defensive tackle Maason Smith will be ready to go after tearing his ACL in the season-opening loss to Florida State in New Orleans.
The Tigers attacked the transfer portal to fix their secondary, adding prospects like former A&M cornerback Denver Harris, Syracuse's Darian Chestnut and Ohio State's JK Johnson.
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