Al Golden On Cashius Howell: 'He Plays With His Hair On Fire'

The Cincinnati Bengals appeared to have gotten who they wanted all along.

Dec 20, 2025; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies defensive end Cashius Howell (9) rushes the line during the game between the Aggies and the Hurricanes at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Cincinnati Bengals are in the midst of a defensive facelift. 

Several free agent acquisitions and a franchise-altering trade in bringing in Dexter Lawrence II could have been the biggest changes made for a defense that ranked second-worst in total yards allowed across the league last season (382.1), yet the Bengals decided to stockpile more defensive additions with the 41st pick in the 2026 NFL Draft with Texas A&M’s Cashius Howell. 

Howell just finished a season that saw him finish as a unanimous All-American, win SEC Defensive Player of the Year, and obviously be nominated to the All-SEC First Team. 

A Great First Impression

Feb 26, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Texas A&M defensive lineman Cashius Howell (DL41) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Following Howell’s selection, assistant GM Mike Potts and defensive coordinator Al Golden spoke on why they went for the Aggie. 

“The way he plays jumps off the tape. He plays with his hair on fire, if you will,” quoted Golden

Howell notched 31 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and 11.5 sacks for a Texas A&M team that finished with an 11-2 record, losing to Miami in the first round of the college football playoff in a gritty 10-3 loss.

“And in terms of when we were meeting with him…The biggest thing was, he just wanted to talk ball. He didn't have something prepared. He just wanted me to ask questions, him answer questions, and talk about different things relative to football. So, it's great to have,” finished Golden.

Howell led the MAC in sacks in 2023 (9.5), his first stop with Bowling Green after coming out of Rockhurst High School, as an undervalued recruit. 

Howell was one of many different defensive end prospects that Cincinnati reportedly had on the board, but the pair made it clear Howell was their preferred choice. 

The Kansas City native reportedly held an extensive meeting with the Bengals front office in the midst of pre-draft chaos. 

“A lot of those guys, we knock out between 6:30 and 8 a.m. because we have draft meetings all day, starting at 8 a.m., and we're meeting with these guys in 15 to 20 minute blocks,” quoted Potts. 

“We're meeting with him upstairs. We ended up spending probably close to 45 minutes or an hour with him.”

While there is still a lot of work to do on the field, as any revamped defense will take time to gel, the Bengals seem to have landed a key piece to fit with Lawrence.

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