he countdown to Texas A&M’s 2024 season opener against Notre Dame is nearing single digits.
Ten days remain before the 7th-ranked Fighting Irish head to College Station for a primetime showdown. New Aggies head coach Mike Elko has completed the long journey to accepting the position, going through his first offseason, and finishing his first fall practice period with the team this month.
Aggies Wire will focus on one player daily for the next ten days, ranking the Top 10 players on the 2024 roster. Coming in at No. 6 on our list, senior defensive lineman Shemar Turner, who will permanently move inside after playing defensive end last season, looks to set the tone of the Aggie defense this fall.
Playing like the best defender on the roster for half the year, tied with current Green Bay Packer LB Edgerrin Cooper, Turner ended the year with 33 tackles, six sacks, and ten tackles for loss. He consistently played with a high motor while setting an edge and stopping the run at a high rate, making his offseason move to defensive tackle a no-brainer.
Adding more size while working with new S&C coach Tommy Moffitt, Turner’s summer appearance at SEC Media Days showed a player that didn’t look close to his now 6-4, 300-pound frame, meaning more muscle was gained than fat.
A proven leader, the new faces across the Aggie D-line will depend on his leadership to get through the season, especially SEC play, knowing that the rest of the defense can count on Turner to provide interior pressure and allow the likes of defensive end Nic Scourton and Shemar Stewart to collapse the pocket.
Texas A&M’s 2024 defensive line looks like an elite unit on paper, and Shemar Turner will undoubtedly be a big part of this group’s success.
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