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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