Texas A&M kicks off the 2023 college football season in just under two months, and while the offseason is nearing its conclusion sooner than later, it’s time to preview what Jimbo Fisher and his staff will be working with from a roster perspective.
The Aggies’ linebacker depth was a substantial question mark heading into spring football, as a pair of returning starters headlines the group with minimal depth to account for behind them. A big addition through the transfer portal helps in the demand for depth, and their performance as a group will be key for the Maroon and White to improve in defending the run.
Returning production: Edgerrin Cooper returns for his senior season in College Station after appearing in 11 games with eight starts for the Aggies in 2022. He recorded 61 tackles, including eight for a loss, five pass deflections, one interception, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery. According to Pro Football Focus, he finished with a 66.1 overall defensive grade, including a 66.7 run defense grade, a 70.4 pass-rush grade, and a 59.7 coverage grade.
Cooper joins Chris Russell Jr. as the experienced leader of the linebacker unit. In 2022, Russell appeared in 12 games for the Aggies, recording 66 total tackles, one forced fumble, and one defensive touchdown. As the Mike linebacker, he recorded a 63.9 overall defensive grade, including a 70.2 run defense grade, a 51.9 pass-rush grade, and a 58.5 coverage grade in 2022 per PFF.
Sophomore Martrell Harris Jr. rounds out the three returners from last year’s campaign, appearing in 12 games while recording seven total tackles and one forced fumble. With just 54 total snaps, he finished with a 64.4 overall defensive grade, a 60.7 run defense grade, and an 86.8 pass-rush grade, according to PFF.
Departures: Notable linebacker departures from 2022 include Andre White Jr., Tarian Lee Jr., and Ish Harris. White recorded 35 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble in seven games. Lee recorded nine tackles in eight games, while Harris did not see the field in 2022.
Final Observation: The starting reigns are in the hands of Cooper and Russell, and the Aggies have a potentially athletic playmaker in Harris backing those two up. In adding former Jackson State product Jurriente Davis through the transfer portal, Texas A&M has a player that thrives as an off-the-ball linebacker, primarily at the Will position in the Aggies’ 4-2-5 defensive scheme.
Freshman Taurean York has flashed his upside in spring camp, but he’s a first-year nonetheless, and as we witnessed last season, throwing him into the fire will result in growing pains.
While the starters look promising on paper, and the addition of Davis gives them some much-needed depth, all it takes is for one injury to impact this unit significantly. For a defense that hopes to improve from its 124th run defense ranking in 2022, the hope is that his unit can stay healthy and build rapport throughout the season.
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