In the age of the ever-growing college football transfer portal, which has become the collegiate version of NFL Free Agency, whenever a coach leaves a program due to a promotion or lateral move, players from the previous destination often follow said coach to his new school, providing a vast experience boost.
For Texas A&M, new head coach Mike Elko, who was previously leading the Duke Blue Devils for the past two seasons, helped develop several stars on defense, as the former Aggie defensive coordinator remains one of the elite defensive minds in the game today.
While the Aggies already possess one of the better defensive lines in the SEC, the portal “officially opens” on Dec. 4, meaning several players could enter their name sooner than later. Earlier this week, one of the top pass rushers in the country, Duke defensive lineman R.J. Oben, entered the transfer portal on Friday afternoon.
Duke standout defensive lineman R.J. Oben has entered the transfer portal, @chris_hummer, @tomloy247 and I have learned for @247sports.
Has 14.5 career sacks.https://t.co/6Cw7NKmknb pic.twitter.com/cPnPEniBPr
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) December 1, 2023
Standing at 6-4 and just over 260 pounds, Oben has played 38 career games in Durham (NC), recording 14.5 career sacks, including five during the 2023 season. Looking to cement himself as a legit NFL prospect, a year in College Station under Elko to continue his development seems like an intelligent decision; a pass rusher lined up beside what could be an elite interior Aggie D-line, the sky’s the limit for Oben to produce in the backfield.
This looks like a no-brainer on paper, but Oben will have plenty of potential suitors, and Texas A&M needs to be among them.
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