Tag: Fadil Diggs

Former Texas A&M junior DL Fadil Diggs commits to Syracuse in transfer portal

Oops, he did it again! Texas A&M interim coach Elijah Robinson will be departing from College Station in 2024 but he won’t be leaving alone.

Oops, he did it again! Texas A&M interim head coach Elijah Robinson will be departing from College Station to begin 2024 but he won’t be leaving alone.

Robinson is set to become the new defensive coordinator at Syracuse after the Aggies play No. 20 Oklahoma State in the Texas Bowl on Dec. 27. News broke last Thursday that Texas A&M staffer Joe Schaefer will be joining Robinson on the Orange staff as a defensive assistant coach.

Now a former Aggies player is headed to Syracuse as well. Junior defensive lineman Fadil Diggs announced his decision via X on Tuesday afternoon. Diggs entered the NCAA Transfer Portal on Dec. 6 “in hopes to continue to elevate at another destination.”

Diggs is 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds with two years of eligibility remaining. He recorded 36 tackles (22 solo), four sacks and two pass deflections for Texas A&M this past season. Diggs earned the “Aggie Defensive Leadership” and the “Strength & Conditioning Defensive” awards with his play in 2022.

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Texas A&M DL transfer Fadil Diggs to visit Alabama this weekend

Could Alabama land Texas A&M transfer DL Fadil Diggs? He’ll be visiting the Tide this weekend.

Alabama will host one of the top defensive line transfers in the country for a visit this weekend. According to 247Sports’ Brian Dohn, Texas A&M transfer Fadil Diggs will be in Tuscaloosa for a visit this weekend.

Diggs, a New Jersey native, has spent the past four seasons with the Aggies. He has accumulated 78 tackles, eight sacks, and three forced fumbles.

Interestingly enough, Diggs will not be the only former Aggies to be in Tuscaloosa this weekend. He will be joined by former teammate and defensive lineman Lebbeus “LT” Overton.

There has not been a confirmed report of Alabama offering either of them. However, Alabama typically does not bring in transfers if they do not have a committable offer.

Following his trip to Tuscaloosa, Diggs will also take an official visit to Syracuse.

Alabama has shown interest in several transfers thus far. It will be interesting to see if Diggs ends up in Tuscaloosa.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the latest news regarding the Alabama football program.

Report: Texas A&M DL Fadil Diggs enters transfer portal ‘to elevate at another destination’

According to On3 Sports, Aggies junior defensive lineman Fadil Diggs entered the NCAA transfer portal on Wednesday afternoon.

Amid a busy Wednesday in the college football landscape, another Texas A&M defensive line member is on the move.

According to Hayes Fawcett of On3 Sports, Aggies junior defensive lineman Fadil Diggs entered the NCAA transfer portal this afternoon around 12:47 p.m. CT. Diggs shared the news of his intentions with Fawcett via a statement.

“First off, I would like to thank Texas A&M and the 12th Man for an incredible four years in College Station,” Diggs stated. “Secondly, I would like to thank coach Fisher, coach Elko, Coach Price, coach (Robinson) and all of the coaches during my journey in affording a young kid from Camden, New Jersey an opportunity to play big-time football in the SEC, which has been a dream come true.

“It has been a true honor to be a team captain for the past two years, on and off the field, and I am thankful for my teammates for inspiring me to become the leader I am today. With that said, I will be entering my name into the transfer portal. I will be starting a new chapter of my own in hopes to continue to elevate at another destination.”

Diggs is 1-of-11 Texas A&M players to enter the transfer portal since it opened Monday. He joins fellow DL Walter Nolen as 1-of-5 Aggies to enter the portal on Wednesday.

Diggs is a 6-foot-5, 260-pound DL with two years of eligibility remaining. He recorded 36 tackles (22 solos), four sacks and two pass deflections for Texas A&M this past season. Diggs earned the “Aggie Defensive Leadership” and the “Strength & Conditioning Defensive” awards with his play in 2022.

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Everything the players had to say after Texas A&M’s 42-30 loss to No. 14 LSU

Hear what Jaylen Henderson and Fadil Diggs had to say after Texas A&M’s 42-30 season finale loss to No. 14 LSU.

Texas A&M (7-5, 4-4 SEC) has finished the 2023 regular season after losing 42-30 on the road vs. the No. 14 LSU Tigers behind quarterback and Heisman-favorite Jayden Daniels’ impressive four-touchdown performance.

In interim head coach Elijah Robinson’s second game at the helm, the Aggie offense was lights out in the first half, as sophomore quarterback Jaylen Henderson, in his third career, start no less, led the offense to three first-half scoring drives, including a 14-yard touchdown strike to tight end Jake Johnson to take a 17-14 halftime lead.

Despite keeping the Tiger’s explosive passing attack at bay early on, Daniels began to heat up, throwing three second-half touchdown passes, all endzone shots, as the Aggie’s secondary continued its embarrassing trend of allowing big plays from every opponent’s star receiver, as LSU No. 1 wide receiver Malik Nabers hauled in 122 receiving yards and two touchdowns on the afternoon.

Trailing 35-24, Henderson found senior tight end Max Wright for a memorable 51-yard touchdown as the big man rumbled his way to the endzone to cut the lead in half and provide a small opening for a potential comeback. However, the defense continued to falter late, as Daniels would find WR Kyren Lacy for a 15-yard touchdown to seal the Tiger’s 42-30 victory.

After the game, Jaylen Henderson and defense lineman Fadil Diggs were the player representatives during the post-game media session. Here’s what both young men had to say after the loss:

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‘I guess they do not get enough attention from the games they are losing.’ Rebels QB Jaxson Dart blasts Texas A&M after Ole Miss win

Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart states that previous social media “trolling” by several Aggie players fueled the Rebels during their 38-35 victory.

Tell me if you’ve heard this before: The quarterback from the winning team states that they were motivated by something the opposing team did during the week, such as social media “trolling” on said quarterback’s Instagram account.

Well, it happened again! After Ole Miss narrowly defeated Texas A&M 38-35 on Saturday afternoon to keep their playoff hopes alive, Rebels QB Jaxson Dart, who threw for nearly 400 yards in the win, took it upon himself to express his deepest feelings concerning a very mild social media “troll” earlier in the week from several Aggie defensive lineman, and during the after-game press conference, Dart stated,

“I guess they do not get enough attention from the games they are losing, so it was a good win for us.”

Shots taken, indeed! Yes, Aggie D-line standouts, including Fadil Diggs, McKinnley Jackson, and Shemar Stewart, joined linebacker Edgerrin Cooper and freshman Chantz Johnson in posting apparently vicious arm-flexing emojis just days before the matchup. Still, Dart stated that this was enough to get the team more focused than ever.

“Coming into it, we had a lot of confidence already. Them doing that just boosted it even more,” Dart stated. “I know the O-line specifically took that to heart, especially because of how many defensive linemen commented on it.”

The Rebels, of course, got the last laugh in the final minutes of the game, marching down the field with just minutes remaining by way of chunk plays in the passing game, leading to star running back Quinshon Judkins punching in the go-ahead touchdown from one yard out.

As many of us have avoided talking ad nauseam the past 24 hours, Texas A&M junior defensive end Shemar Turner was ejected late in the fourth quarter after striking offensive tackle Micah Pettus in the groin, as the trash talk apparently went too far in the heat of the moment. It’s not the best look, but hey, it’s all about learning from your mistakes and moving on.

Texas A&M will return to Kyle Field to take on Mississippi State on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 6:30 pm. CT. The game will air on ESPN2.

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Texas A&M’s defense is out to prove that last year’s loss to Ole Miss was simply based on inexperience

After last years defensive debacle vs. Ole Miss, Texas A&M’s defense is ready for the challenge in a rematch with the Rebels this weekend.

Texas A&M (5-3, 3-2 SEC) will face, yes, its toughest challenge yet this season, facing the 11th-ranked Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday for yet another true SEC road matchup for an early 11:00 a.m CT. Kickoff.

Going back to last year’s 31-28 prime-time loss to Ole Miss at Kyle Field, lingering memories of Rebel players stepping on the A&M logo in taunting fashion, coupled with head coach Lane Kiffin accusing Aggie safety Bryce Anderson of faking an injury, Texas A&M’s defense, who allowed over 200-plus rushing yards to Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins, is out for some much-anticipated revenge.

This time around, junior linebacker Edgerrin Cooper is playing at an All-SEC level. In contrast, sophomore defensive tackle Walter Nolen and junior pass rusher Fadil Diggs all helped lead the Aggies’ dominant pass rush, including their impressive 13th-ranked run defense.

On Monday, star defensive end Shemar Turner sat down with the media to provide insight on how the Aggies, who now have a bevy of experience after last season’s struggles, will defend Judkins this time around, as Kiffin’s offense depends on a balanced attack to gain early momentum.

“He’s a great running back… Not letting him get too hot, not letting him too comfortable running the ball outside the tackles like he did last year.”

While Judkins remains the focal point defensively, Turner knows that Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart was an absolute nightmare on the ground, scrambling for 95 yards in combination with his three touchdown passes through the air.

“I feel like he is one of those harder ones to bring down, but I don’t think he’s harder to bring down than KJ Jefferson. Getting KJ down is tough. He’s elusive, and he makes guys miss… Getting more than one guy on him is going to be big.”

Texas A&M’s 9th-ranked defense is built in the trenches, leading the county in sacks with 33, just 26 away from breaking their single-season record. Despite the Aggies’ 14th-ranked passing defense, defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin is still experimenting with his cornerback rotation, which may or may not become a liability vs. the Ole Miss passing attack.

However, Jaxson Dart thrives in Kiffin’s up-tempo offense. Still, if the Aggies can pressure the pocket early and often to rattle his confidence, Turner is confident the defense can find their footing for four consistent quarters.

“That is a really good team at Ole Miss. It will be a difficult task, but I don’t think there is an offense that we can’t handle in the country. Slowing down the tempo is going to be a key factor in stopping that offense.”

Texas A&M will now travel to Oxford (MS) to face the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday, Nov. 4, where the game will again air on ESPN at 11:00 a.m. CT.

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‘It’s not the same team of last year. We are going to move forward.’ Max Johnson and Fadil Diggs reflect on Texas A&M’s loss to Tennessee

Following a second straight loss, Max Johnson and Fadil Diggs remain confident that Texas A&M will bounce back stronger.

Texas A&M (4-3, 2-2 SEC) fell 20-13 in a sloppy loss to No. 19 Tennessee (5-1, 2-1 SEC) on Saturday, and given the vibes in the postgame, you would think this team was transported back to 2022.

Granted, the way this season is trending after back-to-back losses, that possibility can’t be taken out of the realm of possibility. With hopes of a College Football Playoff appearance long gone, the same can now likely be said for a run at the SEC title game.  So, where do the Aggies go from here?

If you ask veteran leaders, Max Johnson and Fadil Diggs, the only path forward is up. In speaking with the media during Saturday’s postgame, both players were adamant that a repeat of 2022 would not be in the cards. The reason why: this team is a far cry from last year.

Johnson, in particular, advocated the need to get back to work in order to steer the ship back on track. For Diggs, who played a pivotal role in another inspired effort by A&M’s defense, he noted that there should be no finger-pointing following the loss to the Vols. Football is a team sport, and thus, the Aggies move forward from this setback, together.

Below are Max Johnson and Fadil Diggs’ full postgame press conferences, as well as notable takeaways from their time at the podium.

‘This is the exciting part. What are you going to do now?’ Texas A&M’s ‘prove it’ mentality key vs. Tennessee

Among a raucous environment, Texas A&M’s road trip to Tennessee will take a complete team effort to get the job done on Saturday afternoon.

For some, Texas A&M’s 2023 season may seem on the brink of collapse after falling to Alabama 26-20 in a game that was theirs to lose after leading 17-10 at the half.

Let me assure you that after sustaining their first loss in SEC play, this Saturday’s road trip to Tennessee represents the actual “make or break” matchup for the Aggies’ chances at competing in the West while likely altering head coach Jimbo Fisher’s future with the program.

During Monday’s annual players’ press conference, defensive lineman Fadil Diggs and veteran offensive lineman Layden Robinson represented both sides of the Aggie trenches. Only one has dominated at the line of scrimmage through six games this season.

Sporting the 10th-ranked defense (1st in sacks and 1st in TFLs), Diggs (two sacks) has become a vocal leader among the talented Aggie D-line, as the group has accumulated 20 sacks (26 on the year) and 38 tackles for loss in their last three games. As the predominant strength of the team with no sign of slowing down, second-year defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin deserves credit for flipping the script mid-season.

“As a defensive line and as a defense, it’s great. I didn’t even realize we were leading the nation in sacks. I don’t pay attention to stats that much. We just play our game.”

Conversely, Texas A&M’s O-line play has been average to below average at best, ranked 69th in sacks allowed (12) and 80th in rushing offense, constantly throwing quarterback Max Johnson out of his comfort zone in a more balanced attack.

After every starter on the offensive line outside of left guard Mark Nabou Jr. received a PFF pass-blocking grade below 60, Robinson, who received an abysmal 40.6 PB grade, is adamant that communication across the line needs to improve for symmetry to occur.

“We have to zone out everything else and play our game. We have to make sure we have communication… and focus in every part of the game.”

From a physical standpoint, Alabama defensive coordinator Kevin Steele’s second-half adjustments completely dismantled the Aggie’s “bend but don’t break” blocking scheme, as players were treated like a weight sled as the Tide offense eventually took their final lead of the night. However, Robinson feels this was rare, as the Aggies will attempt to match the defense’s physicality moving forward, especially against the Vols’ intimidated defensive front.

“We are a physical offensive line. One play does not define us. One play does not define any player. We have to get back to work.”

Going away from the trenches, Max Johnson and the offense must find consistency through the air if the ground game stalls. As my colleague Pete Hernandez noted, the Aggie offense made five trips to the red zone against a Top 10 defense, resulting in just 13 points, so even with all the sacks and pressures, offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino has found a way to move the ball, “feeding the studs,” specifically WR Evan Stewart must increase.

So, with the colossal road battle vs. Tennessee looming, How will the Aggies respond to adversity again? I believe Layden Robinson summed it up best:

“This is the exciting part. What are you going to do now?”

Texas A&M will travel to face the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday, Oct. 14, at 2:30 p.m. CT, inside Neyland Stadium (TV: CBS).

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‘You flip the pages by getting back to work.’ Layden Robinson and Fadil Diggs turn the page on Alabama loss, look ahead to facing Tennessee

Layden Robinson and Fadil Diggs spoke to the media on Monday as a preview toward Texas A&M’s next opponent in Tennessee.

There’s no time for Texas A&M (4-2, 2-1 SEC) to sulk in their 26-20 loss last week, as they head to Knoxville for a monumental matchup with No. 19 Tennessee (4-1, 1-1 SEC).

The Aggies’ loss to Alabama handed them their first defeat in conference play, but most importantly, it shed light on glaring areas for the team to address. Among them was the need for the offensive line to execute much better, alongside better game management from none other than head coach Jimbo Fisher.

What better way to turn things around than executing a game plan against a formidable foe in the Vols? The all-time series between these programs is tied 2-2, with the Aggies holding a two-game win streak since entering the SEC. A&M beat Tennessee 45-38 in double overtime in 2016 at Kyle Field, followed up by a 34-13 road win at Rocky Top in 2020.

Veterans Layden Robinson and Fadil Diggs took to the podium on Monday to look ahead to their next opponent. Both echoed that while the loss to Alabama stings, the season is far from over. Better yet, a win on the road against the Vols could be the perfect remedy to steer the season back on track.

Below are Layden Robinson and Fadil Diggs’ full press conferences ahead of facing Tennessee, as well as notable takeaways from their time at the podium.

Texas A&M’s defense showed promise in the Aggies’ 47-3 win over UL Monroe

A sore spot in the first two games, Texas A&M’s defense made progress in the Aggies’ 47-3 win over UL Monroe a week before SEC play begins.

Texas A&M (2-1) got back on track this weekend after blowing out the visiting UL Monroe Warhawks on Saturday afternoon behind quarterback Conner Weigman’s 337 yards through the air while completing 86% of his passes, and finishing with an SEC-leading 96.9 QBR.

While Weigman and offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino deserve a ton of praise, Texas A&M’s embattled defense had its best outing on the young season, limiting the Warhawks to 222 total yards, including 95 yards passing.

Leading the way, sophomore linebacker/safety Jared Kerr and safety Jacoby Matthews recorded four tackles. At the same time, junior defensive end Shemar Turner nabbed his third sack in three games, poised for a breakout campaign.

Coming off their brutal showing in the Aggies’ 48-33 loss to Miami last weekend, defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin’s hot seat was quite in flames, but if improvements weren’t seen against an inferior opponent just a week before the start of SEC play, we might have been discussing a change in staff sooner than later.

While missed assignments and poor tackling plagued Texas A&M’s chances against the Hurricanes, veteran defensive lineman Fadil Diggs, who recorded two tackles on the afternoon, emphasized the need to get back to basics in the trenches.

“I thought we did a great job doing our assignments this week. Last week, Miami was a bad taste in our mouth.”

Against the Warhawks, Texas A&M’s secondary, which has struggled mightily in deep coverage, gave up the entirety of UL Monroe’s passing production in the first half, including several explosive plays, but locked up after half-time adjustments were made, recording six PBUs and eliminating the Warhawks passing game in the process.

The defensive line had its moments, allowing 127 yards on the ground. However, it kept the Warhawks from gaining any consistency in the run game, tacking on two sacks and three tackles for loss to gain momentum heading to the Auburn matchup next Saturday. Overall, head coach Jimbo Fisher was pleased with the results.

“I thought they did a really nice job. We tackled well and played well up front.”

Lastly, the group that nearly every fan and media member felt would struggle due to lack of depth and speed, linebacker Edgerren Cooper and freshman Taurean York, who netted two tackles on the afternoon, have a nose for the ball and plugged up running lanes for most the game, adding in Jacksonville state transfer Jurriente Davis, who’s tackling production and pass rush potential led all Aggie linebackers in tackles three.

With Auburn visiting next Saturday, Texas A&M’s defense is still underway. Still, the talent is there, and with an explosive offense that looks to keep the Aggies in every game this season, sticking to the defensive basics may be enough in the wide-open SEC West.

Texas A&M will host the Auburn Tigers at Kyle Field on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 11:00 a.m., where it will air on ESPN.

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