Fear not, Aggie fans, meaningful college football is just around the corner, with the start of the 2023 season under a month 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 24 days until kickoff, we’re looking at No. 24 for the Maroon and White: senior linebacker Chris Russell Jr.
Russell returns as one of two experienced leaders, joining Edgerrin Cooper, to lead the Aggies’ linebacker unit this season. Last year, he appeared in 12 contests for the Maroon and White, logging 66 tackles, one forced fumble, and one defensive touchdown. While operating as the Mike linebacker, he recorded a 63.9 overall defensive grade, a 70.2 run defense grade, a 51.9 pass-rush grade, and a 58.5 coverage grade in 2022 per Pro Football Focus.
It’s not an overstatement to say that Russell’s veteran leadership will be counted on mightily given Texas A&M’s questionable depth at the linebacker position. Outside of Russell and Cooper, defensive coordinator DJ Durkin will be relying on transfer, and former Jackson State product Jurriente Davis, sophomore Martrell Harris Jr., and freshman Taurean York.
The combination of two experienced starters alongside some younger talent with clear upside gives room for optimism, but remember that is a unit that is looking to help establish itself in defending the ground game. As a defense, Texas A&M ranked 124th versus the run, highlighting the need for the linebacker corps to be more efficient when operating in the middle of the field.
The Aggies saw no shortage of linebacker departures via the transfer portal in the offseason, so Russell has an opportunity ahead of him to be a foundation of a defense that has the potential to be elite, so long as all the pieces click together ahead of a pivotal 2023 campaign.
Chris Russell Jr.’s Photo Gallery;
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