Texas A&M Stays Hot Landing Coveted Edge Rusher out of the Transfer Portal

The Texas A&M Aggies have been rolling in the first few days of the transfer portal being officially open, already landing some key players out of the portal at positions of need for the Aggies heading into the 2026 season.

The Aggies have shown urgency in adding pieces to an offensive line that's set to undergo a major restructuring with many key parts leaving the program, whether that's due to the NFL Draft or players having run out of eligibility.

And while the offense has gotten several other additions, the Aggies have not ignored their defense, adding pieces to both the linebacker room and in the secondary, and recently have added another player to the front seven from the transfer portal.

Northwestern Transfer Anto Saka Commits to Texas A&M

Texas A&M Aggies Football Anto Saka Transfer Portal — Purdue Boilermakers running back Devin Mockobee (45) looks at Northwestern Wildcats defensive lineman Anto Saka (4) during a run in the second quarter at Ross-Ade Stadium. | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

On Wednesday morning, per a report from On3's Hayes Fawcett on X, Northwestern Wildcats transfer redshirt-junior edge rusher Anto Saka has committed to the Aggies for the 2026 season. The veteran pass rusher joins the Aggies in his last year of college eligibility.

Saka was viewed as a four-star transfer portal prospect and ranked as the top 80 player available in the portal by 247Sports. At his position, Saka ranked as one of the top players in the entire transfer portal, ranking as the No. 13 edge rusher in the portal.

After four seasons with Northwestern, Saka will leave Evanston after making a total of 33 appearances in a Wildcat uniform, having recorded 41 tackles, 14 tackles-for-loss, 12 sacks, three forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery.

The six-foot-four, 255-pound edge rusher has received praise for his frame, size, and intangibles, finding himself tabbed as the No. 56 player on Bruce Feldman's annual "Freaks List."

Saka has also generated a bit of NFL Draft buzz if the veteran player decided to turn pro after the 2025 season, ranking as the No. 22 edge rusher available in the 2026 NFL Draft class by Pro Football Focus and as a top 150 prospect on their big board.

Entering the 2025 season, PFF's Trevor Sikkema wrote about Saka and detailed the edge rusher's upsides while also highlighting where he would have to improve.

"Saka is one strong son of a gun for being listed below 250 pounds," Sikkema wrote. "As an outside linebacker edge defender, he can line up in 2- and 3-point stances, with most of his production coming with his hand in the dirt. He is an athletic player with a good first step, helping him dictate rushing battles. His arm length appears shorter than his height would indicate, and he struggles to keep blockers from getting their hands inside. And once they do, he has a difficult time getting free."

The Aggies are in need of a premier pass rusher, with unanimous All-American edge rusher Cashius Howell heading off to the NFL Draft after the 2025 season, where he led Texas A&M in sacks with 11.5 while also recording 31 tackles and 14 tackles-for-loss.

And Texas A&M will turn to Saka to help replace some of the production as the veteran edge rusher looks for one big final season of college football.