Tag: Sean Spencer

New Texas A&M DE Josh Celiscar is ready to make an impact in 2024

Here’s what new Texas A&M transfer DE Josh Celiscar brings to the table

The transfer portal will officially reopen on April 16 of the next week, so prepare for the chaos that will ensue. This week, however, Texas A&M’s 2024 defensive line got stronger with the addition of longtime UCF defensive end Josh Celiscar, who spent his last four seasons in Florida.

Bringing notable confidence to a depth chart where he’ll have to earn his spot in the rotation, Celiscar recently spoke to GigEm247 beat writer Carter Karels, and let’s say that this young man isn’t afraid of a bit of competition come fall.

“I do not care who they think is better than me. I am going to prove to them that I am better and I can showcase a lot of things that they need on the defense.”

At 6-4 and 265 pounds, Celiscar is 20-plus pounds lighter than Shemar Turner (290 pounds) and Shemar Stewart (285 pounds), but he provides added versatility to work around the line and find his best spot to thrive in his final collegiate season.

As Celiscar noted in the interview, he knows what he’s capable of after producing right out the gate during his freshman season at UCF, amassing 156 career tackles, 24.5 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles, eight sacks and three pass deflections with over 50 appearances.

Already creating a close bond with Texas A&M defensive line coach Tony Jerod-Eddie and Sean Spencer, Celiscar reportedly feels right at home.

Set to carry 90 scholarship players into the fall, this is by far the deepest roster the Aggies have had in quite some time, and adding a veteran talent in Josh Celiscar is the right move at the right time.

Note: Celiscar is set to arrive in June, joining former Vanderbilt safety De’Rickey Wright.

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Former UCF DL Joshua Celiscar will transfer to Texas A&M

Texas A&M picks up another experienced defensive lineman in former UCF defensive end Joshua Celiscar

Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko is getting run help with a productive defensive lineman out of Florida.

Defensive line coaches Sean Spencer and Tony Jerod-Eddie will add senior defensive end Joshua Celiscar from the University of Central Florida. After having a little bit of a down year in 2023, a change of scenery can be exactly what Celiscar needs to return to his 2022 form.

The 6-4 265 pounds DE was named an Honorable Mention All-ACC pick during his junior year where he had three sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss.

With the spring portal opening soon expect more names to flow in and out of College Station as players start to key in on where they might fall on the roster. No doubt Elko is keeping his ear to the portal streets looking for ways to improve his team.

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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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Mike Elko era in College Station officially begins today for Texas A&M football team

Dec. 28, 2023 will be remembered forever as the first official day that Mike Elko began as the head coach of the Texas A&M Football program.

Dec. 28, 2023, will be remembered forever as the first official day that Mike Elko began as the head coach of the Texas A&M Football program.

The Aggies lost the Texas Bowl 31-23 against No. 20 Oklahoma State last night in Houston. While it’s never encouraging to see Texas A&M lose, the Aggies overcame early adversity with the loss of sophomore quarterback Jaylen Henderson to injury on the game’s first play from scrimmage.

Texas A&M finished the 2023 season with a 7-6 overall record. Now, the Elko Era in College Station officially begins.

In the last month since being hired, Elko has assembled his coaching staff and those moves became official Thursday as well. Kansas State offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Collin Klein was hired for the same position at Kyle Field, replacing Bobby Petrino.

Florida inside linebackers coach Jay Bateman was hired as the Aggies’ new defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, replacing D.J. Durkin, who coached his last game for Texas A&M at NRG Stadium on Wednesday.

Other additions to the coaching staff include hiring Sean Spencer from Florida to coach the defensive line, Ishmael Aristide from Duke to coach cornerbacks and Tommy Moffitt as director of football strength & conditioning.

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2024 4-star DL Dealyn Evans signs with Texas A&M over Texas and Florida

Evans verbally committed to the Aggies on July 31, 2022. He was primarily recruited by Elijah Robinson, who is departing soon for Syracuse.

Patience is a virtue and a prominent Texas A&M recruit emphasized that point across Instagram Live on Friday night.

4-star defensive lineman Dealyn Evans told the world that he would be making his decision on where to play college football on Friday at 5 p.m. CT. With over a thousand people tuned in, Evans pulled off the ultimate troll move, all in good fun, of course.

“It’s been a tough decision, but I feel like some things just need to wait,” Evans initially said on Instagram, indicating that he would be waiting until Feb. 7 to officially sign somewhere.

Minutes later, Evans officially revealed his decision to those still tuned in, announcing that he would be signing with the Aggies over The University of Texas and Florida among others.

Evans verbally committed to play at Texas A&M on July 31, 2022. He was primarily recruited by Elijah Robinson, who is departing after the Texas Bowl to become defensive coordinator at Syracuse, which left his signing status up in the air.

The 6-foot-4 1/2, 260-pound prospect had major interest in the Longhorns program and visited three other universities: Alabama, Florida and TCU. During his Gainsville visit with the Gators, he was recruited by Sean Spencer, who recently became the Aggies’ new defensive line coach.

Evans is set to graduate in the spring from Pine Tree High School in Longview, Texas. He had 23 total offers and other notable schools include Auburn, Baylor, Houston, LSU, Michigan, Oregon, SMU, UTSA, USC and Washington.

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Breaking: 4-star DL Kendall Jackson commits to Texas A&M after flipping from Miami and Florida

Johnny Manziel isn’t walking through that door but Aggies coach Mike Elko has been making money moves since coming home to College Station.

Johnny Manziel isn’t walking through that door but new Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko has been making money moves since coming home to College Station.

Elko’s latest move is a big one. 4-star defensive lineman recruit Kendall “Hollywood” Jackson committed to the Aggies on Tuesday afternoon.

“I want to thank my coaches, coach Wade and coach Bell, all my coaches. I appreciate y’all for these last four years. Y’all have been an integral part of my life today,” Jackson said Tuesday at a news conference held at Buchholz High School. “With that being said, I did post that I won’t be signing with Miami today. For the next three to four years, I’m taking my talents to Texas A&M.”

On July 12, the Gainsville, Fla. native initially committed to stay home and attend the University of Florida. He decommitted from the Gators on Dec. 2. One week later, he committed to the University of Miami.

Five minutes before holding a news conference to announce his decision Tuesday, Jackson announced via X that he would not be signing with the Hurricanes after all. He is 6-foot-4, 250 pounds and has 19 total offers.

Jackson’s taken four visits so far to Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky and Miami. Elko hired Sean Spencer from Florida as the new Texas A&M defensive line coach on Dec. 3. The hiring appears to be already paying major dividends with the commitment of Jackson this week.

The college football early signing period begins Wednesday and ends Friday.

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2024 5-Star DL and Aggie commit Dominick McKinley is set to take an official visit to Texas A&M

Amid all the transfer portal chaos, Texas A&M will reportedly host 2024 5-star DL and Aggie commit Dominick McKinley this weekend.

While some fans are new to the head coach transition period encompassing semi-drastic change to the roster, new Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko is one of many to endure the wrath of the transfer portal, which he’ll also have to use to put a curb any more future losses.

If you’re keeping track, eleven Aggies have now entered the portal, including several on the defensive line, headlined by Walter Nolen and Fadil Diggs, who announced their portal intentions on Wednesday afternoon.

Focusing on the future, 2024 five-star defensive lineman Dominick McKinley remains committed to the Aggies despite the firing of former head coach Jimbo Fisher, combined with beloved DL coach Elijah Robinson departing for Syracuse as soon as next month.

While Robinson’s exit has likely impacted McKinley’s decision-making, Mike Elko’s defensive background, including serving as A&M’s defensive coordinator for four years under Fisher, certainly helps, while new D-line coach Sean Spencer has an extensive recruiting background, including helping Penn State land future Hall of Fame linebacker Micah Parsons.

According to 247Sports’ Steve Wiltfong, McKinley is set to take an official visit to College Station this weekend after committing to the Aggies back on Sept. 1, possibly securing his commitment after meeting with both Elko and Spener for an extended period to discuss how he can make an immediate impact on the defensive line as soon as the 2024 season.

While things may look dreary among all the transfer portal-related chaos, good news is on the horizon.

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Former Florida defensive line coach joins SEC West program

After parting ways with the University of Florida, former Gators defensive line coach Sean Spencer has landed with another SEC program.

After parting ways with the University of Florida a week ago, former Gators defensive line coach Sean Spencer has found a new home in the SEC, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Spencer is joining the Texas A&M Aggies under new head coach Mike Elko. Elijah Robinson, the Aggies’ old defensive coordinator, is now with the Syracuse Orange.

With the Gators, Spencer was a strong recruiter but multiple failures by his unit on the field led to his dismissal. A considerable amount of defensive linemen coached by Spencer were publicly surprised when he left Gainesville, but his contract was up for renewal in January, according to On3.

Before coaching at Florida, Spencer was a defensive line coach for the New York Giants. He also held the position at Penn State and Vanderbilt. Spencer made stops at Bowling Green, Hofstra, Holy Cross, Massachusetts, Shippensburg, Trinity College, Villanova and Wesleyan.

Spencer took to Twitter to on Saturday to address his future.

“I believe in the relationships with the players,” he wrote. “I believe in the pure keep it 100 mentality in communication. A Fierce competitor and always chasing perfection. Built for the battle and never afraid of the fight. You move from one job to the next in this profession and make lasting relationships that continue beyond the field.

“The Journey will continue and I will continue to affect lives and mentor players to be great in all aspects of the game of life. You learn something whereever you are good or bad. Just know that I will continue to be me and I will continue to help players reach their goals and dreams.
CHAOS. Command Heart Achieve Outstanding Success.”

Love the Game it will love you back. See y’all soon.

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Report: Texas A&M to hire former Florida DL coach

After Elijah Robinson’s departure, Texas A&M and head coach Mike Elko officially hired a Florida D-line coach for the same position.

It has been reported that after Sunday’s departure of Texas A&M defensive line coach Elijah Robinson, new head coach Mike Elko had a contingency plan. ESPN’s Pete Thamel has announced that Elko has hired former Florida defensive line coach Sean Spencer for the same position.

For Spencer, this may look like a lateral move on paper. Still, after two seasons with the Gators, Spencer will make the jump to College Station to begin what is hopefully a highly successful tenure on Elko’s guidance.

Throughout his successful coaching career that goes back nearly three decades, Spencer’s memorable run at Penn State (2014-2019) as the program defensive line coach led a defense that led the country in sacks per game (3.54), was sixth in tackles for loss (8.2), and 14th in total defense (324.5) during the 2015 season.

From 2014 to 2018, the Nittany Lions recorded over 40 sacks per season, leading to Spencer’s brief move to the New York Giants (2020-2021), making way for his last stop with Florida. Sean Spencer’s time with the Gators may have been short-lived. Still, the veteran assistant helped mentor several Florida defensive linemen who have made it to the NFL, including 2023 second-round pick Gervin Dexter Jr.

As Thamel noted, Mike Elko and Sean Spencer go back to coaching at Hofstra (FCS) in 2006, making this a no-brainer from a relationship standpoint. Not only will Spencer serve as the Aggies’ new D-line coach, but his recruiting prowess from his time at Penn State and Florida will put a bandage on what has been lost in Elijah Robinson’s departure.

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