Tag: Nic Scourton

Post game recap: Texas A&M’s Maroon & White spring game ends with a 24-10 Maroon team victory

Texas A&M’s spring game concluded with a 24-10 Maroon team victory

Texas A&M’s annual Maroon & White spring game concluded on what turned out to be a rainy latter half of the afternoon. The Maroon team defeated the White team by a score of 24-10 behind the arm of backup quarterback Marcel Reed and the hands of junior wide receiver Noah Thomas.

As I noted ahead of the game, nearly 20 players, mostly presumed 2024 starters, did not play, including several starters on the offensive line.

Head coach Mike Elko had a plan for all three quarterbacks going into the game. Starter Conner Weigman is still recovering from surgery after a 2023 foot injury sidelined him after four games, but he still made the start for the White team.

Lacking his usual mobility, Weigman only completed 5-14 passes for 47 yards. Still, none of this should be surprising due to the lack of blocking up front and a lack of receiving options compared to the Maroon team.

Quarterbacking the Maroon, sophomore Marcel Reed (10-14, 84 yards, 1 TD) shared reps with senior Jaylen Henderson (8-13, 100 yards, 1 TD) as both found the endzone. Yet, Reed’s mobility and accuracy have made this offseason battle even more intriguing down the stretch.

Making waves offensively, junior wide receiver Noah Thomas has now made his case as the Aggies’ No. 1 wide receiver next season. He led the game with seven receptions, 82 yards, and two touchdowns, including a diving endzone grab for his final score.

Defensively, former Purdue Edge Nic Scourton looks like the team’s best overall player going into the fall, credited with five tackles, 2.5 sacks, 3.5 tackles for loss, and a pass breakup for the Maroon defense. In comparison, junior Shemar Stewart was equally impressive for the White team, with seven tackles, a sack, and a tackle for loss on the afternoon.

From what I saw today, Texas A&M’s transfer portal-heavy cornerback room is filled with length, speed, and, most importantly, experience at a postion group that struggled throughout the 2023 season.

Overall, the offense showed flashes, especially his improvement at running back, as Le’Veon Moss and Rueben Owens both ran for touchdowns. At the same time, the defense looks like the Aggies’ predominant strength heading into the season opener vs. Notre Dame on Saturday, Aug. 31.

Final Stats: 

White Team: 

  • Total yards: 128
  • Rushing yards: 70
  • Passing yards: 58
  • 1st downs: 6
  • Turnovers: 0
  • Time of possession: 20:51

Maroon Team: 

  • Total yards: 364
  • Rushing yards: 180
  • Passing yards: 184
  • 1st downs: 21
  • Turnovers: 1
  • Time of possession: 39.09

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3 Aggies listed in CBS Sports’ ‘Top 100 Players’ of 2024 rankings

Three Texas A&M defenders, including two from the transfer portal, have made CBS Sports’ “Top 100 players of 2024” rankings.

Texas A&M’s Maroon & White spring game is just two days away. Head coach Mike Elko’s inaugural season will get a sneak peek on Saturday afternoon, but as of now, prepare for potential inclement weather.

In terms of the roster, a bevy of new faces on both offense and defense will make their Aggie debut after a mostly successful spring period. Throughout the spring practice period, Elko has praised the play of several transfer portal additions on defense, including former Purdue Edge Nic Scourton.

This week, CBS Sports writer Blake Brockermeyer released his Top 100 players list ahead of the 2024 season, as three Aggie defenders, including Scourton, made the rankings. Here are all three players:

  • No. 31: Cashius Howell (Edge)
  • No. 44: Nic Scourton (Edge)
  • No. 60: Shemar Turner (Defensive line)

Cashius Howell has the length and speed to get the backfield consistently, recording 9.5 sacks for Bowling Green last season. In comparison, Nic Scourton’s postion versatility and brute strength produced a Big Ten-leading 10 sacks for Purdue in 2023.

Shemar Turner is in a league of his own, returning for a final season in Aggieland, bringing the strength and size to play inside if needed. Already a noted run-stopper, Turner’s strong hands and athleticism make him one of the more feared pass rushers in the SEC.

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‘I think there’s a massive disruption opportunity for Texas A&M’ On3’s J.D. PicKell likes the Aggies’ chances in 2024

On3’s J.D. PicKell theorizes what Texas A&M football could become is the star align in 2024

Just two weeks away from Texas A&M’s annual Maroon & White spring game on Saturday, April 20, the buzz surrounding new head coach Mike Elko’s coaching style compared to former head man Jimbo Fisher shows a much-needed change after two consecutive disappointing seasons.

With a clear focus on accountability and structure, including a shake-up in the offensive trenches during spring practices after one of the worst offensive line performances in program history in 2023, Elko and his experienced coaching staff are taking the right approach thus far.

Only losing a handful of last season’s primary starters, Elko attacked the transfer portal with vigor, landing 22 players, including former Big Ten sack leader Nic Scouron and former Kansas State cornerback Will Lee Jr., who already look like immediate starters as soon as fall camp.

However, the most important position, quarterback, has continued to hinder the program since the departure of longtime starter Kellen Mond, as injuries have continued to mount every season since.

After missing the final eight games last season due to a foot injury, blue-chip redshirt sophomore Conner Weigman has continued to heal this spring, participating in practices while recently noting,

“I’m feeling good. We’re almost there.”

Well, the preseason No. 25 Texas A&M Aggies are obviously underrated for a reason, and On3′ J.D. PicKell feels that the “underdog” tag could finally work in the Aggies’ favor with four playoff teams on the schedule and a head coach worthy of respect in his inaugural season:

The thing with A&M is that it’s never been an issue of roster talent” PicKell stated “For me, it’s always been a matter of structure, execution, and putting the right pieces of the puzzle where they’re supposed to go.”

Yes, Jimbo Fisher was an ace recruiter in his own right, but his results on the field never matched his offseason success. Elko, who spent the last two seasons as Duke’s head coach, finished with two winning seasons and consecutive bowl game appearances.

“Mike Elko, who, quite frankly has done more with less with his time at Duke, I think think there’s a massive disruptions oppurtunity fro the folks at Texas A&M. They play four college football contenders this season, the guys they bring back, they’re top 20 in returning production.”

Lastly, after noting what Conner Weigman could bring to the table in a full 12-game season as opposed to simply “flashing” in brief moments, PicKell ended with a message that should resonate with Aggie fans who remember just how disregarded Texas A&M’s memorable 2012 season was just months before the season.

“There’s no College Football Playoff buzz around A&M right now, but I don’t think we should ignore the fact that this could definitely be the year with the talent they have and the structure they could have. I’m Just saying that A&M could be a force this year.”

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Here are the Top 5 incoming defensive transfers to watch out for during spring football

Here are five of the incoming transfer portal members on defense for Texas A&M to watch during the start of spring football 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 develop the defense, including a bulk of the incoming defensive transfers looking to contribute in 2024 immediately.

Bringing in a wealth of elite defensive knowledge, Elko, combined with new defensive coordinator/ linebackers coach Jay Bateman, see eye to eye scheme-wise, but for consistent success to be had, the newly acquired seasoned veterans paired with key returners such as senior defensive lineman Shemar Turner is the only way towards said production.

With 13 of the program’s 22 portal additions coming on defensive, Aggie’s horrific performance in the secondary last season, specifically a lack of size, depth, and overall talent at cornerback, provided Elko a blueprint on how to attack the portal, landing five corners and two safeties to compete for starting/rotational spots.

Looking ahead to the start of Texas A&M’s spring football season, here are five transfer portal defenders to watch out for next month!

Pro Football Focus ranks Texas A&M junior Nic Scourton among highest-graded transfer edge rushers

On Sunday, Pro Football Focus released its top 10 list of highest-graded transfer edge rushers at the FBS level and Scourton made the ranks.

On Sunday morning, Pro Football Focus released its top 10 list of highest-graded transfer edge rushers at the FBS level and one of Mike Elko‘s biggest portal additions was ranked near the top.

Nic Scourton transferred to Texas A&M from Purdue in early January and he was slotted pretty high on the list. The junior defensive end and outside linebacker was ranked No. 2 with an 82.8 grade.

The only player that Scourton trailed on the list is Miami junior DE Elijah Alston with a 91.4 grade. Alston transferred to South Beach from Marshall but nearly chose Aggieland instead.

Texas A&M offered Alston on Dec. 22 and he chose College Station over Georgia on Jan. 8. However, only 22 hours later, Alston re-opened his recruitment and ultimately committed to the Hurricanes on Jan. 12.

Also on the list from third to tenth: B.J. Green II from Colorado (80.0), Trey Moore from UTSA (78.3), Tyler Baron from Louisville (78.0), Caiden Woullard from Oklahoma (77.9), Tre Smith from Arizona (77.7), Mikail Kamara from Indiana (76.8), Pricely Umanmielen from Ole Miss (76.4) and Devean Deal from TCU (74.9).

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Texas A&M is ranked as a Top 18 team in ESPN’s returning production rankings for the 2024 CFB season

Ahead of HC Mike Elko’s first season at the helm, Texas A&M is ranked in the Top 18 in Bill Connelly’s (ESPN) returning production rankings.

Texas A&M Football is entering a new era under head coach Mike Elko, as his inaugural 2024 season is now just seven months away, and Aggie fans couldn’t be more excited to see what he can bring to the job.

While A&M’s 2024 schedule avoids the likes of Alabama and Ole Miss for the first time since entering the SEC more than a decade ago, it’s the wealth of returning production, including gaining 22 players through the transfer portal over the last two months.

On Monday, ESPN’s Bill Connelly released his annual SP+ ratings rankings (subscription required) for the 2024 college football season, as the creator of one of the more accurate returning production models has the Aggies ranked 18th out of 134 FBS teams. According to Connelly, A&M leads the SEC with a returning production rate of 72% and an offensive (77%) and defensive (67%) return rating ranked 22nd and 35th in the country.

As noted in the article, the Aggies’ incoming transfers count in the returning production rating, led by former Purdue Edge Nic Scourton, who led the Big 10 in sacks (10) during the 2023 season.

To clarify things, here is how each position group will potentially look ahead of the spring football season starting next month.

Former Purdue DE/OLB and Texas A&M commit Nic Scourton joins Texas Aggies United

Texas Aggies United, the official NIL partner of Aggies Athletics, announced Wednesday morning that Nic Scourton has joined the foundation.

One of the most exciting and game-changing prospects to commit to Texas A&M in the NCAA Transfer Portal is officially capitalizing on his name, image and likeness.

Texas Aggies United, the official NIL partner of Texas A&M Athletics, announced on Wednesday morning that Nic Scourton has officially joined the foundation. The former Purdue Boilermaker committed to play in Aggieland on Jan. 4.

Over 100 Aggies athletes are members of the foundation. According to its website, the breakdown of students is as follows: 48 football, 16 basketball (13 men), nine baseball, three women’s soccer, two softball, two volleyball, four swimming & diving (two women), eight track & field (five men), three women’s golf and one women’s tennis. Twenty-three of those athletes participate through the TexAgs “Stacked NIL program.”

Scourton is a member of Texas A&M’s revamped defensive line that was rebuilt through the portal. The Aggies’ portal class ranks No. 1 in the nation according to 247Sports.

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With Shemar Turner’s return, here’s how Texas A&M’s defensive line should look in 2024

With the news that DT Shemar Turner will return to Texas A&M for his senior season, the Aggies’ defensive line is in very good hands.

On Tuesday night, Texas A&M’s 2024 football team received the news that star defensive tackle Shemar Turner will return for a final season in College Station, delaying his entry into the NFL Draft. With Turner’s existing return, the Aggies defensive line is borderline elite and deeper than ever.

While A&M, in head coach Jimbo Fisher’s final season, struggled on both sides of the ball, the defensive line finished the season 7th in sacks (42) and 5th in tackles for loss (99), primarily anchored by the consistent player of Shemar Turner was second on the team with six sacks behind linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (8), who will enter the 2024 NFL Draft.

Needing several upgrades after the departures of DT Walter Nolen (transferred to Ole Miss) and EDGE Fadil Diggs (transferred to Syracuse), new head coach Mike Elko quickly utilized the transfer portal, adding veteran defensive line talent including EDGE Cashius Howell (Bowling Green) DT Rodas Johnson (Wisconsin), and most notably, former Purdue EDGE Nic Scourton, a Bryan, Texas native, who lead the Big Ten in sacks (10) during the 2023 season.

With all the new additions paired with the returning talent, here is how the defensive line depth chart currently looks ahead of Elko’s inaugural 2024 season.

Texas A&M has skyrocketed in the newest 2024 transfer portal team rankings

After landing 13 players through the transfer portal, (more to come) Texas A&M has risen in the newest transfer portal class rankings.

It’s no secret Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko has already made a significant impact on the program after less than two months on the job.

He has already hired a stellar coaching staff with years of personal success. Where Elko starkly differs from former head coach Jimbo Fisher has been his utilization of the transfer portal, which has essentially become college football’s version of NFL free agency.

As of Jan. 5, Elko and the Aggies have landed 13 confirmed transfers, and  several more are pending. Since Thursday, edge Nic Scourton (Purdue), cornerback Donovan Saunders (Cal Poly) and wide receiver Jabre Barber (Troy) have committed to A&M. Each adds starting-level production to critical areas of need.

According to 247Sports‘ newest 2024 transfer portal class rankings, Texas A&M is ranked third. It has an average rating of 89.45 with five four-star and six three-star portal additions. The group is led by Scourton, who is the No. 1 edge and the ninth-ranked player in the transfer portal rankings.

Before you wake up, expect a group of new commitments as Elko has been working late in the night to avoid a rebuilding year in 2024 and look to compete as soon as the Aggies face Notre Dame on Saturday, Aug. 31.

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Breaking: Former Purdue DE/OLB Nic Scourton will transfer to Texas A&M

Texas A&M has offically landed Purdue star defender Nic Scourton through the transfer portal

Texas A&M has landed a commitment from local product and former Purdue outside linebacker/defensive end Nic Scourton from the transfer portal, as the Bryan, Texas native visited College Station this week and has chosen to finish his collegiate career with the Maroon & White per multiple sources, including On3.

As one of the top pass rushers in the Big 10 last season, Scourton led the conference with 10 sacks, finishing with 50 tackles (33 solo tackles), 15 tackles for loss, one forced fumble, and three pass deflections on the year. During his last two seasons with the Boilermakers, Scourton has added quality mass, currently standing at a whopping 6’4″, 280 pounds.

After several critical departures on the Aggies’ defensive line, Scourton’s versatility as a stand-up linebacker and defensive end bodes well for Elko and new defensive coordinator Jay Bateman’s system, knowing that as soon as spring football begins, we will start to see the impact the impact Scourton will bring in a multitude of areas.

Stay tuned for more coverage on Aggies Wire as Elko and his staff are poised to continue adding talent from the portal throughout the week as a big weekend of visitors looms.

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