AggieYell.com's look at the 2020 Texas A&M football team by position group continues with the linebackers.
The cast
Buddy Johnson (team high 86 tackles, 8.5 TFL, 4 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 INT)
Aaron Hansford (49 tackles, 7 TFL, 3 sacks)
Andre White (32 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 1 INT, 1 fumble recovery)
Chris Russell (4 tackles, 1 blocked punt)
Analysis
When Anthony Hines opted out shortly before the season began, there was a concern that the linebacker unit might take a step back from 2019. Instead, the trio of Johnson, Hansford and White put together a season that was about as good as any by the linebackers in recent memory.
Johnson was a monster in his senior season, leading the team in both tackles, tackles for loss and forced fumbles. He drove a stake through LSU with a pick-six and helped save the day against Florida with a forced fumble. He was the leader of the defense and backed up his words with his play.
Hansford was one of the pleasant surprises of the year, ranking second on the team in tackles and tied for third in tackles for loss. After being largely used as a blitzer in 2019, Hansford proved he was capable of being an every down linebacker in 2020. Back for one more season in 2021, he'll be looked to as one of the leaders of the defense in the upcoming season.
White struggled mightily in the first handful of games, but turned things around after the Florida game. After especially strong showings against LSU, Tennessee and North Carolina in the Orange Bowl, there's ample reason to think White is ready to take over as a full-time starter.
Russell was the only other linebacker to see any semblance of significant playing time, backing up Johnson for an occasional series or two. He could be the third linebacker in a rotation like we saw last year, but there will be plenty of competition for that role starting in spring practice.
If the linebackers had real problems, it was with missed tackles early in the season and, especially, pass coverage. Opponents picked on them on occasion throughout the season and they never quite seemed to get it figured all the way out. Nevertheless, it was a very strong performance overall.
