Why Albert Regis Departure Won’t Hurt Texas A&M As Much As You Think

The Aggies having a ton of depth and a solid coaching staff helps make up for losing Regis.

Dec 20, 2025; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies defensive tackle Albert Regis (17) and defensive tackle Tyler Onyedim (11) celebrate during the game between the Aggies and the Hurricanes at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Rebuilding a defense is not always easy.

Texas A&M hired a man named Mike Elko, who is known to have a “big brain,” and that is meant as a compliment. Pat McAfee would agree.

Elko is a genius when it comes to building a premier defense that is one of the best in the SEC and in the nation. He has a great record and is expected to do the same for this new group, which will have to step up in the absence of several veterans.

If you look at all the players over the last couple of years that Elko has transformed into leaders of men and NFL Draft prospects, the list is long, and the signs point to nothing changing with the troops he has this season.

Not only was that the doing of Elko or his coaching staff. It’s a credit to what Albert Regis has done in the Maroon and white and how he was able to bring out the best of his teammates and make them feel comfortable in the culture.

Strong Coach & Defensive Line

Dec 27, 2023; Houston, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies interim head coach Elijah Robinson on the sideline during the fourth quarter against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

There will be a mix of veterans who have been a part of the program for a year or more, as well as players who came in as transfers. There are several names that should sound familiar to the 12th Man, like T.J. Searcy, DJ Hicks, and Marco Jones. They have worked around Regis and know the ins and outs of what it is like to take the field at any given moment.

As for the transfers, that group includes Anto Saku from Northwestern, Ryan Henderson from San Diego State,, and Angelo McCullom from Illinois, along with recruits who could make noise, including Bryce Perry Wright, Tristian Givens, and Samu Moala. Not a bad group of men to work around.

Their defensive coordinator, who will be assisting throughout the year, is Eljah Robinson, who served as the assistant head coach after the firing of former A&M coach Jimbo Fisher. At the time, he was the defensive line coach and the run game coordinator before taking on the role for the rest of the 2023-24 season.  

Robinson took the job with the Aggies in the 2018 season and remained there until 2023, before leaving for Syracuse as the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator. What makes him important to this group is that he is familiar with what it means to be part of his school and with the core values the program embodies day in and day out. He’ll be a great example of that once again and will help develop men who have a history of going to the NFL.

Yes, Regis will be dearly missed for the mentality he consistently brought before, during, and after games.  There will be certain skills and attributes that no other player has, but it can be darn close. Those characteristics include his leverage, quickness to the football, and ability to read offenses. Not only that, Regis can maneuver easily through blockers to get to the quarterback, demonstrating awesome versatility and athleticism.

Every player in that room translates parts of his game into their game, which is why there shouldn't be panic or concern that Regis is no longer on the reactive roster. It’s the deep depth that makes him gone, alright.  

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