Texas A&M’s 2015 defense figures to be the best defensive unit that the Aggies have put on the field in a while. There’s just too much coaching, athleticism, and depth for A&M not to be vastly improved from the 2013 and 2014 groups.

Five star freshman Daylon Mack has upgraded the defensive line in a big way with his play at tackle

For example, new defensive coordinator John Chavis has created a scheme that plays either in the opponent’s backfield or along the line. Defensive linemen play in gaps and on the shoulders of opposing linemen to work their way upfield and force double teams, redirect skill position players, or make plays themselves. The linebackers use the alignment of offenses to cut down on their proximity to the line of scrimmage for running plays or align themselves deeper to better enable them to drop into the passing lanes. Secondary players play man coverage so that they know their responsibilities, press receivers to keep them from getting into the secondary, and read routes so that they know where to go.

However, no system works without players and the Aggies certainly have their share of those. The defensive ends go no less than four deep and six deep if you throw senior Julien Obioha and freshman James Lockhart into the mix. Sophomore Myles Garrett is a future number one draft pick who has great bend, burst, length, and technique. Not only that, he doesn’t take plays off. However, even when he’s been hold out of practice this August, there hasn’t been a dropoff in performance. Junior Daeshon Hall is playing the run much better and sophomore Qualen Cunningham has excellent get off and so he’s difficult for offensive linemen to get their hands on. Lockhart has a great motor, a good base, and a nice burst and the only issue with him is will he continue to get bigger and this grow out of the defensive end position. Sophomore Jarrett Johnson has a nice base and the primary difference between he and Lockhart is that Lockhart comes off the ball faster. Johnson has developed into a nice anchor against the run.

Freshman Daylon Mack has been an impact player at defensive tackle every time he steps onto the field. You would never know that he stepped onto A&M’s campus just a couple of months ago. He’s so big and strong that he’s hard to move, has a ridiculous burst for someone his size, and his hand fighting skills are better than what would attribute them to be for a freshman. He needs to improve his stamina but that’s about the only knock on him. He’s not always with the ones but it’s hard to imagine not in the starting lineup at some point during the season.

Senior Alonzo Williams has quietly had a nice camp and he’s bigger than he’s ever been before. If he can stay low and take advantage of his size, he should be someone that can act as anchor in the interior. Obioha has moved between tackle and end and provide size on the perimeter versus power teams and quickness to the interior against spread teams. Redshirt freshman Deshawn Washington is in the best shape of his career and makes life difficult for interior linemen with just about the quickest first step of any of the group. Junior Hardreck Walker provides size and Kingsley Keke has both that attribute and the ability to run people down. Overall, it’s a group that goes six to eight deep and now has both the size and depth to hold up against anyone in the SEC.

The linebacking corps has benefitted greatly from the protection provided by the front four. Sophomore Josh Walker and junior Shaan Washington have been active and Walker seems to be making an adjustment to the Mike linebacker role. Washington’s range and athleticism enable him to both blitz and drop into coverage with equal aplomb. A.J. Hilliard can play and provides both size and savvy; he just needs to stay healthy. Freshman Riley Garner has worked quite a bit with the second unit and although lacks the burst of some of the older players he’s got good range and will get better as he adds strength. Claude George looks like someone that A&M will be able to count on as he’s making fewer mistakes than he did during the spring. The increased amount of time that John Chavis has spent with him is beginning to pay off.

The secondary now has more simplified responsibilities which has allowed them to be more confident and aggressive. It’s not just a case of them pressing receivers all over the field; they play off of people and maintain better position relative to the receiver which allows them to break on the ball. Most of the attention has gone to seniors De’Vante Harris and Brandon Williams, both of whom are great stories (Harris has emerged as the Aggies’ best corner while Williams has great athleticism which enables him to overcome mistakes in coverage or technique). In addition, it’s been hard for the quarterbacks to hold the ball too long and take shots down due to the pressure from the front four. However, nickels Noel Ellis and Donovan Wilson (when he’s not playing safety) and backup corners Nick Harvey and Alex Sezer have also played very well. Ellis, Sezer, and Harvey have great closing speed and even though they lack the size of a Williams or even a Harris they aren’t afraid to muscle receivers and fight them when the ball is in the air (which is a big change from last season).

A&M is set at safety with junior college transfer Justin Evans and sophomore Armani Watts as the starters. Evans has adequate size while Watts is much bigger than last year; in addition, their athleticism is more akin to the people playing corner as both could play nickel and factor into the return game if need be. The only question among the backups is will Wilson move down to nickel on a longer term basis when the Aggies start facing bigger teams in SEC play. If he does, then senior Devonta Burns will see more playing time. Wilson has had one of the better camps among the secondary with his increased size and acceleration. No matter what, freshman Justin Dunning will be a reserve with linebacker size and good speed. His range and vision already has enabled him to be something of a playmaker in camp and his 230 pounds enables him to really pop people when he makes contact.

Overall, A&M’s defense now has plus players at every level of the unit which is a far cry from where they were two years ago. They’ve gotten bigger and faster and Chavis has made them more aggressive and physical via his teachings and scheme. They’re probably going to be even better than people anticipated due to these factors. Not only that, their improvement isn’t a fluke…they’ve consistently held A&M’s offense in check dating back to the first days of spring practice. They make plays in the backfield or at the line of scrimmage and rarely give up any big ones. In fact, it’s shaping up that if A&M makes a surprise run at the SEC West title this season, it’s going to be the defense that takes them to that level.

