Texas A&M Post-Transfer Portal Depth Chart Review: Defensive Line

With several incoming transfers and a few returning faces, here's a look at the refurbished Texas A&M defensive line for the 2026-27 season.

Oct 4, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies defensive tackle DJ Hicks (5) runs the ball after a strip sack during the fourth quarter against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

With the spring season underway and winter offseason in the rearview mirror, Texas A&M is starting back up on practice after saying goodbye to some seniors and ushering in more new faces. 

After one of the most successful runs in recent program history last year, the defensive side of the ball is as important as ever. The Aggies know that a strong, cohesive defense wins championships and have put together a group with exciting potential. Here’s a look at what Texas A&M’s defensive line will look like for the 2026-27 season:

Defensive End: Ryan Henderson, T.J. Searcy, Anto Saka

Sep 14, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; San Diego State Aztecs edge Ryan Henderson (96) before the game against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Incoming senior Ryan Henderson is one of many transfers that the Aggies have added to their roster, out of San Diego State. With 417 snaps, Henderson is the most experienced member of Texas A&M’s prospective defensive line, although both his pass and rush coverage grades are average at best. The 6-foot-3 athlete will enter his first season in the SEC, and last year of potential eligibility.

T.J. Searcy will be returning for his second season with the Aggies after transferring from Florida last year. With 395 snaps, Searcy will also lend experience to a Texas A&M lineup that will lose notables like Cashius Howell, Dayon Hayes and Albert Regis. In the 2025-26 season, Searcy posted 31 total tackles, logging 13 on his own, with one-and-a-half sacks.

Anto Saka is another transfer, playing with the Northwestern Wildcats for three years before making the move to College Station. With 347 snaps and talent at stifling the ground game, Saka may come in clutch for the Aggies as he makes his SEC debut.

Defensive Tackle: DJ Hicks, CJ Mims, Brandon Davis-Swain, Angelo McCullom

Oct 25, 2025; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; Texas A&M Aggies defensive tackle DJ Hicks (5) celebrates after a play during the second half against the Louisiana State Tigers at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

With 378 snaps for the Aggies, incoming senior DJ Hicks will be one of the few veterans on the line that has spent his entire collegiate career developing at Texas A&M. The former five-star prospect played in 11 games his freshman year, later making 13 appearances the next season. Last season, he logged 26 tackles, 13 solo, and three sacks. Beyond recruiting a talented transfer class, retaining Hicks was one of the Aggies’ best moves during the offseason.

CJ Mims hails from North Carolina, transferring from the Tarheels’ program after Bill Belichick’s first year with UNC as head coach. The incoming senior posted stellar numbers, with 42 tackles, 20 solo, and two sacks last season. Although Mims will be taking on his first year in the highly-defensive SEC, his 356 snaps with UNC make him one of the most high-qualified prospects that the Aggies recruited during the transfer window.

Brandon Davis-Swain is another notable recruit from the portal, transferring from Colorado after spending two years with Deion Sanders and Co. The 6-foot-4, 290-pounder logged 352 snaps already across his career, and has plenty of room to grow — as well as time to do so.

Former Fighting Illini Angelo McCullom is yet another incoming transfer prospect, entering his junior year with 295 snaps and average defensive grades. He enters Texas A&M’s program with 21 career tackles and two total sacks.