Tag: DJ Hicks

Texas A&M’s Las Vegas Bowl D-line starters announced amid departures

Texas A&M HC Mike Elko announced who will step in place of Nic Scourton, Shemar Stewart, and Shemar Turner vs. USC in the Las Vegas Bowl

Texas A&M’s 2024 regular season might be over, but the Aggies still have a chance to win nine games and head into the 2025 offseason with momentum. Coach Mike Elko and his staff will be without 22 players, including 19 who entered the transfer portal and three NFL Draft-bound defenders.

While this was expected, depth across the defensive line is an issue going into next Friday’s Las Vegas Bowl vs. USC, as starting defensive ends Nic Scourton and Shemar Stewart were the first players to declare for the draft. In contrast, senior defensive tackle Shemar Turner announced his intentions on Tuesday.

During Monday’s pre-bowl press conference, Elko discussed the departures while noting the team’s budding culture and the opportunity presented to the younger players, especially on defense, who will play the entire game and gain more experience heading into next season.

“For some of our seniors, there is a chance for them to go out and have a big game against USC. … It’s an individual basis. Our kids trust in the culture here. They trust in the coaches. They trust in what we’re saying.”

Along the defensive line, Elko confirmed that Edge/defensive end Cashius Howell, defensive tackle DJ Hicks, and defensive end Rylan Kennedy will likely play the entire game outside of a handful of snaps.

Howell, a star in the making during his first season with the Aggies, ended the year with 35 tackles and three sacks, earning a 73 defensive grade and a team-high 82.6 pass-rush grade per Pro Football Focus.

Kennedy, who finished the year with 19 tackles and 1.5 sacks, earned the second-highest PFF pass-rush grade (81.0), while DJ Hicks started most of the season next to Shemar Turner, finishing with 14 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

Texas A&M will face USC in the Las Vegas Bowl on Friday, Dec. 27. The game will air on ESPN at 9:30 CT.

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Watch as Texas A&M gets ready while mic’d up as they prepare to take on Notre Dame

Take a sneak peek at Aggie practice as they near their much-anticipated matchup with Notre Dame in 10 days

The buzz is in the air as the Texas A&M is closing in on their season opener against Notre Dame on August 31. It will be the first real look at the team since Mike Elko took over late last season.

One of the things that’s been extremely noticeable has been the amount of accountability and how much fun this team is having together. Like any new beginning, there tends to be a little bit of a honeymoon period. However, through spring and summer, the team is still vibing and ready to get on the field.

This mic’d clip highlighted DJ Hicks, Noah Thomas, and transfer OL Ar’maj Reed-Adam. What stood out the most was Reed-Adams’s infectious personality and how much he enjoys playing football.

You can check out the entire video below!

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‘The D-line is crazy’ Texas A&M LB Scooby Williams knows Texas A&M’s team strength

Texas A&M’s defensive line has a chance to be special

Accurately grading Texas A&M’s fall practice period is nearly impossible for those of us in the media who only witnessed short portions of each practice. Still, from that bird’s eye view, it’s evident that the team has the potential to excel on offense, defense, and, yes, even special teams, which should fill every Aggie with hope.

Before Sunday’s final fall scrimmage, former Florida linebacker Scooby Williams, who followed new defensive coordinator Jay Bateman to College Station, joined several other players to discuss the progress made on defense this month.

When asked what he believes the Aggies’ strength will be this season, Williams was immediate in his response, and his answer didn’t surprise any of us who have been paying attention:

 “The D-Line is crazy. There is a bunch of NFL potential on it.”

Texas A&M’s defensive line is by far the strongest unit on Texas A&M’s 2024 roster, as Elko’s respected defensive background led to landing former Purdue defensive end Nic Scourton, who led the Big Ten in sacks (10) last season.

Scourton and former Bowling Green Edge Cashius Howell join the likes of junior defensive linemen Shemar Stewart and Shemar Turner across a defensive line littered with blue-chip talent with plenty of pass rush potential.

Dialed into the final week of fall practice, TexAgs Co-Owner Billy Liucci recently noted on the latest episode of the Loochaor Podcast that A&M’s defensive line depth should play a big role in rotations based on each opponent throughout the SEC slate, referencing players such as defensive ends Rylan Kennedy and Malick Sylla who should see the field in some capacity.

Scooby Williams is currently battling for the second linebacker spot next to starting MLB Taurean York with former Pitt LB Solomon DeSheilds and sophomore backer Daymion Sanford. Williams finished with 52 tackles, one sack, and two forced fumbles during his final season with the Gators.

No. 20-ranked Texas A&M will host No. 7-ranked Notre Dame on Saturday, August 31 at 6:30 p.m. CT. The game will air on ABC.

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Texas A&M defensive lineman flying under the radar is poised for a breakout year

Sophomore DJ Hicks has the opportunity to be a key contributor to the Aggie defense

With a change of the guard in Aggieland, Texas A&M has a wealth of players that will get a fresh look under the new coaching staff. Many questions must be answered leading up to the season opener against Notre Dame on August 31.

DJ Hicks is not a name unknown to Aggie fans, as he came into College Station as one of their top-rated recruits in the 2023 class. The five-star defensive lineman was ranked as one of the top linemen in the country, but due to how deep the Texas A&M D-line was last season, he only played sparingly during his freshman campaign.

SEC Unfiltered has been doing an underrated series for the conference and they did a film session on Hick to show his ability with the chance to have a huge sophomore season.

We’ll get to see Hicks in action during the Spring Game that will take place on April 20 at 1 p.m. CT.

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Here are the Top 5 Texas A&M defensive players that need to make an impact this spring

Ahead of spring football, here are five Texas A&M defensive players who need to improve, starting next month.

It may be early in the offseason, but Texas A&M’s spring football season is less than a month away, and all eyes will be on how new head coach Mike Elko and his impressive coaching staff will help what should be an elite defensive unit, led incoming senior defensive lineman Shemar Turner, former Purdue Edge Nic Scourton, who led the Big 10 in sacks (10) last season.

Not to ignore the 22 transfers that are due to make an immediate impact, but looking at the current roster members that need to take the next step in their collective development will help dictate what Aggie fans should look forward to during spring football, which is now less than a month away.

While Turner’s return basically solidifies A&M’s defensive line, younger members in trenches, including DJ Hicks and Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy, showed flashes during their extended snaps in the Aggies bowl loss to Oklahoma State and are both deemed to play much larger roles in 2024.

Including several players in the secondary and a linebacker competing for a starting job, here are the five Aggies on defense that need to step up during spring football, heading into the 2024 season.

Texas A&M underclassmen trio returning for 2024 football season

According to Texas Aggies United, freshmen, WR Micah Tease and DL DJ Hicks, and sophomore OL Dametrious Crownover are returning for next year.

A trio of Texas A&M underclassmen will be back for the 2024 football season to officially kick off the Mike Elko era in College Station.

According to Texas Aggies United, freshmen, wide receiver Micah Tease & defensive lineman DJ Hicks, and sophomore offensive lineman Dametrious Crownover are returning for the next campaign. Crownover is an incoming junior while Tease and Hicks will be sophomores.

It was originally reported on Jan. 3 that Hicks would be forgoing the transfer portal and remain in Aggieland. Hicks will work directly with Sean Spencer, who was hired from Florida to coach the defensive line. The 6-foot-5, 290-pound native of Katy, Texas graduated from Paetow High School last year.

He committed to Texas A&M as a 5-star recruit who was ranked amongst the top 15 players in the country. According to 247Sports, Hicks was the No. 1 player from the Lone Star State in the Class of 2023. He was selected to play in the Under Armour All-America game and Polynesian Bowl.

Hicks played in 11 games for the Aggies this season, tallying 13 tackles (6 solo), 2 tackles for a loss of yards and 1 sack. He racked up 2 tackles during the Texas Bowl on Dec. 27 against No. 20 Oklahoma State.

Tease had a rocky first season in College Station as he was arrested in September. Crownover’s older brother, Earnest, declared for the 2024 NFL Draft on Dec. 28 and was a finalist for the Lowman Trophy.

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Report: True freshman phenom DJ Hicks returning to Texas A&M for next season

Per Landyn Rosow of Rivals, the Aggies true freshman defensive lineman is returning to Kyle Field for his sophomore year in College Station.

Texas A&M phenomenal freshman defensive lineman David “DJ” Hicks Jr. is reportedly returning to Kyle Field for his true sophomore season in Bryan-College Station.

According to a report from Landy Rosow, Rivals’ Texas A&M recruiting insider & writer, Hicks will not be entering the NCAA Transfer Portal and intends to play for new head Aggies head coach Mike Elko and his staff in 2024.

Hicks will work directly with Sean Spencer, who was hired from Florida to coach the defensive line. The 6-foot-5, 290-pound native of Katy, Texas graduated from Paetow High School last year.

He committed to Texas A&M as a 5-star recruit who was ranked amongst the top 15 players in the country. According to 247Sports, Hicks was the No. 1 player from the Lone Star State in the Class of 2023. He was selected to play in the Under Armour All-America game and Polynesian Bowl.

Hicks played in 11 games for the Aggies this season, tallying 13 tackles (6 solo), 2 tackles for a loss of yards and 1 sack. He racked up 2 tackles during the Texas Bowl on Dec. 27 against No. 20 Oklahoma State.

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Texas A&M 2023 college football season countdown: No. 13 DJ Hicks

With true power at the point of attack, DJ Hicks has all of the prerequisites you want in a defensive lineman and has been named among the freshman to watch in 2023.

Fear not, Aggie fans, meaningful college football is just around the corner, with the start of the 2023 season under a two weeks away! Here at Aggies Wire, we’ll be counting down by looking at each Texas A&M football player that corresponds to the number of days left till the start of the football season.

With 13 days until kickoff, we’re looking at No. 13 for the Maroon and White: freshman defensive lineman DJ Hicks.

The freshman interior defensive lineman has yet to play a single regular-season snap for the Aggies and yet has already drawn immense praise and rave reviews from both media outlets and his coaches alike. Hicks was a five-star recruit in the 2023 cycle, the No. 11 ranked national prospect, the No. 1 defensive lineman, and the No. 2 ranked player in Texas, per 247Sports composite.

Out of Paetow High School, the versatile interior defensive lineman is a matchup nightmare against opposing offensive fronts, no matter if you’re putting him in a 4-3 or 3-4 formation. With advanced body control, stellar lower body strength, and power at the point of attack, Hicks boasts all of the prerequisites you want in a force on the defensive line.

ESPN already went out of its way to name him among the best true freshmen to watch for the 2023 season and those sentiments have been backed up by the work he’s put in so far during the Aggies’ fall football camp. Head Coach Jimbo Fisher kept his observations short and sweet, but it speaks to Hicks’ impression on the coaching staff:

“DJ Hicks, man, you know we recruited the right guys.”

Hicks has a prime opportunity to step in and provide valuable depth behind a defensive front that has immense upside in 2023 but has a chip on its shoulder, nonetheless. It’s a crowded unit of four and five-star talents, so getting a high volume of reps in year one may be a lofty goal. But nonetheless, the goal ahead for Hicks is clear: be an absolute terror for opposing offenses and a force of disruption by any means necessary.

Given that he’ll be mentored by the likes of McKinnley Jackson and Fadil Diggs, Hicks’ development in 2023 should be a treat as he works to establish himself as a key cog of the defense for the future.

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WATCH: Texas A&M Football welcomes the 2023 freshman class in entertaining fashion

Texas A&M’s talented media team put together a “welcome wagon” of sorts for the Aggies’ talented 2023 freshman class.

Amid the Aggies’ ongoing fall practice schedule, the 2023 college football season is now just two weeks away, while Texas A&M is set to kick off their crucial 2023 campaign on Saturday, Sept. 2, against New Mexico inside what should be a packed Kyle Field.

Ahead of their ninth practice on Friday afternoon, Texas A&M’s entertaining Aggie Cam released yet another piece of fantastic content after asking nearly every player the ultimate question: Do Aliens truly exist?

Shifting the focus to the Aggies’ talented 2023 recruiting class, who are entering their first full season with the program, the Aggie media team put together a rousing welcome wagon of sorts for the nearly 40-plus players, including several notable transfers, headlined by former five-star defensive tackle DJ Hicks Jr, and five-star running back Reuben Owens, who is poised to see the field this season regularly.

Texas A&M leads the SEC in returning production as a bulk of the Aggies’ historic 2022 recruiting class has returned. High expectations have already been placed on several newcomers outside of Hicks and Owens, as former four-star cornerback Jayvon Thomas has reportedly made waves this fall while competing for a starting spot opposite veteran corner Tyreek Chappell. In contrast, former four-star offensive lineman Chase Bisontis is poised to see extensive playing time in the trenches.

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ESPN names Aggies’ defensive lineman DJ Hicks among the best true freshmen in 2023

ESPN named Texas A&M incoming defensive lineman DJ Hicks as one of the best true freshman of the 2023 class.

With the 2023 college football season just around the corner, fans will get an opportunity to see some of the best recruits of the current cycle take the field. While it’s not a guarantee that every true freshman will get snaps in year one, there are those that are simply too skilled and talented to keep them on the sideline out the gate.

ESPN unveiled their annual list of the best 2023 recruits at, well, everything. Which freshman signal-caller is the most accurate passer? Who is the past rusher with the highest motor? These are just a few of the questions that the worldwide leader in sports sought to answer.

Texas A&M has a talented 2023 recruiting class coming in this year, and for ESPN, one name stands out among them: defensive lineman DJ Hicks.

ESPN named Hicks as the “most powerful” when it comes to true freshmen on the defensive line. The Katy, TX product is currently the eighth-best prospect in ESPN’s 300 rankings:

“Among the most explosive players in this class, Hicks plays with great effort and tenacity. There often seems to be a wake of carnage in his path. He will fire off the ball and be a disruptive force, but you see his power when he meets resistance. He consistently jolts blockers and powers through them. The son of a high school coach, he knows the game well to match his power. He should be a factor for the Aggies in Year 1.”

Out of Paetow High School, the versatile interior defensive lineman is a matchup nightmare against opposing offensive fronts, no matter if you’re putting him in a 4-3 or 3-4 formation. With advanced body control, stellar lower body strength, and power at the point of attack, Hicks boasts all of the prerequisites you want in a force on the defensive line.

Hicks has a prime opportunity to step in and provide valuable depth behind a defensive front that has immense upside in 2023 but has a chip on its shoulder, nonetheless. The Aggies gave up 208.8 yards rushing per game and managed just 19 sacks in 2022, but with a year of experience under their belt, this unit is expected to take a major leap in the fall.

For Hicks, the goal ahead is crystal clear: to be an absolute terror for opposing offenses and be a force of disruption by any means necessary. Given that he’ll be mentored by the likes of McKinnley Jackson and Fadil Diggs, Hicks’ development in 2023 should be a treat as he works to establish himself as a fulcrum for the future.

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