Published Jan 6, 2024
Aggies add veteran left tackle
Mark Passwaters  •  AggieYell
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This transfer commitment and analysis is brought to you by Branch & Dhillon, P.C.!

Texas A&M added some needed depth at the offensive tackle position with the commitment of veteran left tackle Derrick Graham of Troy.

Graham, who will be a redshirt junior in 2024, started all 14 games for Troy this past season. He played in all 12 of their games last year, largely as a sixth lineman in run blocking situations.

According to ProFootballFocus, Graham allowed 3 sacks in 523 dropbacks, giving him a pass blocking score of 71.8. That was enough for him to pick up numerous Power 5 offers when he went into the transfer portal, and he took visits to Missouri, Ohio State and Pitt. But the trip to College Station this weekend was enough to convince him to commit.

What it means for the Aggies

This may not be the biggest attention-getter amongst A&M's transfers, but it's a very important one. With the move of Chase Bisontis to guard, the Aggies only had three experienced tackles: Trey Zuhn, Deuce Fatheree and Dametrious Crownover. That left redshirt freshman Colton Thomasson and true freshmen Blake Ivy and Ashton Funk as the primary backups -- not the best option for a team looking to make some noise next season.

Whether Graham starts if everyone's healthy is a question that remains to be answered, but his presence helps the line immensely. One way or the other, the Aggies know they'll have someone reliable covering Conner Weigman's blind side.