Sponsored by Brent Campbell, Fighting Texas Aggie Class of 1998. Brent is a Commercial Real Estate Broker, serving all of Central Texas and specializing in sales, leasing & development. He leads a retail acquisition and sales team and was recognized by the Austin Business Journal as a Commercial Real Estate Heavy Hitter in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020 & 2023.
In the last 22 years, he has closed deals with a total transactional value of over $375 million and has leased more than 4.5 million square feet. Brent currently serves as the president of the board of directors for Habitat Homes, Inc. and Pathways Youth and Family Services. He is a former president of the Heart of Round Rock Neighborhood Association and a former member of the Round Rock Zoning Advisory Committee, the Round Rock Business and Retention Committee, and the City of Round Rock Ethics Commission, which has led him to begin developing in Williamson and Travis County.
An Austin native, Brent lives in Round Rock where he and his wife have raised four boys. Brent works for Don Quick and Associates, Inc. in Round Rock, TX and can be reached at brent@donquick.com.
This week, we'll take a look at 10 true freshmen or second year (redshirt or sophomore) players who could have a big or bigger role on the 2025 team. The list isn't in any particular order, just 10 players I think could be important next season.
1. Defensive end Marco Jones (2025 signee)
2024 stats: 125 tackles, 32 tackles for a loss, 10 1/2 sacks; Navy All-American Defensive Player of the Year; 4-star recruit
Why he’s on this list: Because the Aggies have a need for defensive ends who have size to hold up against the run and can get after the passer. If Cashius Howell and Rylan Kennedy are playing the JACK position again, someone needs to support Dayon Hayes and TJ Searcy. Jones is already up to 250 pounds, has shown he's an absolute freak of nature and, had he been eligible, would have been on the field in the Las Vegas Bowl. That says a lot right there.
2. DT Dealyn Evans
2024 stats: Played in two games
Why he’s on this list: Because the Aggies need some new faces to step up and fill out the two-deep at defensive tackle. Evans, who spent this year bulking up, is now over 300 pounds and will get the first look with Tyler Onyedim this spring to fill up the depth chart behind DJ Hicks and Albert Regis. If he kept the explosiveness he had at 280 pounds, he could be the most overlooked player on the team right now.
3. WR Terry Bussey
2024 stats: 17 catches, 216 yards (12.7 YPC); 16 carries, 102 yards (6.4 YPC), 2 TD
Why he’s on this list: Why indeed. Say hello to A&M’s top returning receiver in terms of both catches and yards, while also adding 6.4 yards a carry as a running back. Bussey is a versatile weapon who showed flashes of excellence while adjusting to a very new role on offense. He should get a lot more playing time in 2025 and Collin Klein will likely look to use him in as many ways as possible to get him the ball. The more comfortable he is, the more dangerous he can be.
4. WR Ashton Bethel-Roman
2024 stats: 4 catches, 44 yards, 1 TD
Why he’s on this list: Because the Aggies need to add to their receiver depth in a big way. Right now, the only sure things are Bussey and newcomers KC Concepcion, Micah Hudson and Mario Craver — and three of those four don’t have a ton of experience. Bethel-Roman doesn’t either, but he can really run. But what sets him apart from some of the other speedy guys is he’s a good route runner who can make cuts and not lose much speed. A&M needs depth at receiver and he should get a very long look.
5. TE Kiotti Armstrong (2025 signee)
2024 stats: 37 catches, 698 yards (18.9 YPC), 8 TD, Navy All-American; 4-star recruit
Why he’s on this list: The Aggies need pass-catching tight ends, and Armstrong is exactly what they need. True freshman or not, he has developed into matchup hell at 6-foot-5 and 268 pounds. Defenders in the Navy All-American game, no slouches themselves, bounced off him when they tried to make a tackle. He’s also a standout in basketball and baseball, so he’s got tremendous athleticism. If he figures out the offense — and he’ll be in for spring ball — he should be out there week one.
6. DE Solomon Williams
2024 stats: 4 tackles, 1.5 TFL in three games
Why he’s on this list: The same reason Marco Jones is. People tend to forget that Williams was the really-hyped defensive end commit last year, and with good reason — he had 61 tackles, an absurd 32 TFL and 15.5 sacks in just 10 games in his junior season. He was a big target for Texas, Oregon, Alabama and LSU, so he wasn’t flying under the radar as a recruit. And, even though he didn’t get much playing time, he was productive when he did play. He more than held his own in the Las Vegas Bowl.
7. DT DJ Sanders
2024 stats: 72 tackles, 9 TFL, 7 sacks; 4-star recruit
Why he’s on this list: The need for size in the interior of the defensive line. At 6-foot-3 and 315 pounds, Sanders brings it. He’s a tremendous athlete for his size and dominated at Bellville, racking up 388 tackles in four years. If my thoughts on him are right, he will be tough to keep off the field, even if in a limited role as he gets to full SEC strength.
8. WR Jerome Myles
2024 stats: 9 catches, 246 yards (27.3 YPC), 4 TD in two games; Navy All-American and Polynesian Bowl commit; No. 4 wide receiver in the nation
Why he’s on this list: It can be explained in three number combinations: 6-2, 220 and 10.36
That’s his height, his weight and his 100-meter dash time, which was the Utah state championship winning time in 2023. Coincidentally, A&M needs both size and speed at receiver. In Myles, they get both.
He put up insane numbers with A&M commit Helaman Casuga before getting hurt after just two games, which gives you an idea what he could be able to do with Marcel Reed. If he’s fully recovered by the start of the season, it’s hard to imagine he would not be in the two-deep right off the bat. He fills too many blanks.
9. S Myles Davis
2024 stats: 11 tackles in 12 games
Why he’s on this list: The Aggies need a big, physical safety to replace Trey Jones. At 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, Davis fills the need. I watched him a few times when he actually got out on defense, and he looked like he was stalking offensive players before hitting them hard. He may be overlooked now, but I don’t know if that will be the case by midseason.
10. G Blake Ivy
2024 stats: Played in one game
Why he’s on this list: Because someone is a play away at both guard spots. I almost went with Lamont Rogers, who I think is the starting left tackle in 2026, but Ivy may see the field earlier. With the departures of Kam Dewberry, TJ Shanahan and Aki Ogunbiyi, the Aggies have no experienced backups at guard (unless Mark Nabou or Koli Faaiu is shifted from center). Ivy has the size to play right now, he just needs the reps to see if he’s ready performance-wise.
