Texas A&M’s 2024 season opener vs. Notre Dame is just 12 days away, as the 7th-ranked Fighting Irish will visit College Station for the first time in 20-plus years. For the Aggies, this will pose as the inaugural opener for new head coach Mike Elko.
Looking to avoid the usual first-year slump, Elko inherited a talented veteran roster while adding nearly 30 players from the transfer portal this offseason, including former Purdue defensive end Nic Scourton, who, after two productive seasons with the Boilermakers, has joined a stacked defensive line.
A Bryan, Texas native, Scourton’s journey back to College Station has NFL scouts excited to watch what he can do in the SEC after recording 72 tackles, 48 solo tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and 3 passes defended during his last two seasons in Indiana.
After receiving plenty of well-deserved preseason hype, Scourton has been named to the 2024 AP All-America team as a second-team defensive end. Tennessee junior Edge James Pierece Jr. received a first-team designation.
Standing at 6-4 and 285 pounds, Scourton is built like an NFL Edge, coming off his Big Ten-leading 10 sacks during the 2023 season, as Elko and defensive coordinator Jay Bateman are expected to rely on the junior pass rusher to also stop the run at a high rate.
No. 20-ranked Texas A&M will host No. 7-ranked Notre Dame on Saturday, August 31 at 6:30 p.m. CT. The game will air on ABC.
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