Chappell came out of nowhere (ok, the bench) and held down one of the cornerback positions after the Aggies were decimated by injuries at the position. Actually, he did a lot more than that -- he made 41 tackles (31 solo) and led the team in passes broken up with 9. By season's end, opposing teams didn't challenge him much. This year, the Philadelphia native is the one sure thing in a very deep cornerback room, and a significant improvement would put him in All-SEC territory.

Robinson was a second-team All-SEC pick last year, and it seemed like he still wasn't getting enough attention. No such worries this year. In his second season as a starter, he's also draft eligible, so this could be a big money year for him if he needed motivation.

One of the real surprises of the spring, Moko moved past Blake Trainor into the starting lineup by the end of spring practice. He may not hold onto the job, but with his size and power, it may be only a matter of time and practice before he becomes one of the bullies of the SEC.

The most experienced defensive lineman going into the season, Jackson missed the spring as he recovered from injuries but is still a key element to the rebuilt front. He had 14 tackles and a sack last year, but the Aggies are expecting a whole lot more from him this time around.

Turner was a role player in his first season at A&M, and was a bit of a tweener. Still, he was freshman All-SEC, racking up 14 tackles and 1.5 sacks in limited time. He's not a tweener anymore, he's a legit defensive tackle. After an outstanding spring, he looks like a starter, too. If he keeps the same level of productivity from last year as a starter this year, he could be an All-SEC candidate.

It was just a matter of time until Deuce Fatheree moved into the starting lineup. It just happened a lot faster than expected, but he was up to the task as a freshman last year. Now, he's established as a right tackle and, after last year's performance, there's no reason to think he can't be elite.

There's not many steps to take beyond very good, which was what Cooper was last year (58 tackles, 5.5 TFL, .5 sacks, 1 INT), but he's capable of doing it. With his speed and violent disposition, I really think he's an All-SEC caliber linebacker.

Muhammad didn't really get much playing time until the later part of the season, catching just 10 passes in eight games. But he averaged 15.3 yards a catch and scored 4 touchdowns, so the coaching staff won't make that mistake twice. Muhammad could play all three receiver slots, meaning he'll be on the field a lot more and see a whole lot more passes thrown his way.

Gilbert probably won't start, but he proved he's ready for the big time in 2021. He racked up 14 tackles while playing in all 12 games, and was a scarily effective blitzer. He was good enough to bump former 5-star Erick Young to the bench, and eventually the transfer portal. This year, he should see a whole lot more work and could be a real impact player as the third safety.

I wanted to take Antonio Johnson here, since I'm expecting an All-American season from him, but he's already recognized as one of the best players in the conference. Foster may be well on his way, as a Freshman All-American in 2021 at a position he wan't supposed to play. After a full season at center, the powerful sophomore could be ready to dominate in 2022.