Texas A&M’s 2024 regular season might be over, but the Aggies still have a chance to win nine games and head into the 2025 offseason with momentum. Coach Mike Elko and his staff will be without 22 players, including 19 who entered the transfer portal and three NFL Draft-bound defenders.
While this was expected, depth across the defensive line is an issue going into next Friday’s Las Vegas Bowl vs. USC, as starting defensive ends Nic Scourton and Shemar Stewart were the first players to declare for the draft. In contrast, senior defensive tackle Shemar Turner announced his intentions on Tuesday.
During Monday’s pre-bowl press conference, Elko discussed the departures while noting the team’s budding culture and the opportunity presented to the younger players, especially on defense, who will play the entire game and gain more experience heading into next season.
“For some of our seniors, there is a chance for them to go out and have a big game against USC. … It’s an individual basis. Our kids trust in the culture here. They trust in the coaches. They trust in what we’re saying.”
Along the defensive line, Elko confirmed that Edge/defensive end Cashius Howell, defensive tackle DJ Hicks, and defensive end Rylan Kennedy will likely play the entire game outside of a handful of snaps.
Howell, a star in the making during his first season with the Aggies, ended the year with 35 tackles and three sacks, earning a 73 defensive grade and a team-high 82.6 pass-rush grade per Pro Football Focus.
Kennedy, who finished the year with 19 tackles and 1.5 sacks, earned the second-highest PFF pass-rush grade (81.0), while DJ Hicks started most of the season next to Shemar Turner, finishing with 14 tackles and 1.5 sacks.
Texas A&M will face USC in the Las Vegas Bowl on Friday, Dec. 27. The game will air on ESPN at 9:30 CT.
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