Aggies bring 5-star D-lineman into the fold
Texas A&M had a brawl on its hands to hold off Oklahoma and Oregon to land defensive end David Hicks, but in the end, the 5-star defensive lineman stayed true to his commitment.
2022 stats: 62 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, 6 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries
Chose A&M over: Oklahoma, Oregon, Michigan State, Miami, Alabama and many more
Hicks ended up as the nation's top defensive end prospect and the number 5 player in the nation for the 2023 class, giving an indication of what he's capable of. He was thought to be a heavy Oklahoma lean, then stunned many when he committed to the Aggies at the end of September. He fits the the bill for A&M when it comes to filling the role of a big defensive end, as he's now closer to 270 pounds.
Projected 2023 role: In the defensive end rotation
Film study
Hicks is a prototype for what the Aggies want in a defensive lineman. He has the size and strength to play inside, but has the speed and agility to play defensive end.
The power in his game is just ridiculous. Paetow plays in one of the better 6-A leagues around Houston, and he absolutely dominates opposing offensive linemen. His bull rush is absolutely exceptional; he gets his hands on a lineman and simply drives them back into the backfield. This is the stuff we saw on the senior film of Shemar Stewart and, before him, Myles Garrett.
His overall strength is also extremely impressive. You'll see highlights where opponents attempt to cut him at the knees, and he just bounces off and shoves them down. When you can power your way through double-teams, you've got SEC-caliber strength.
There are a lot of guys who are strong, though. Not many of them can combine that with quickness, and Hicks does. He can cut through interior linemen to get up the middle or slide out and evade tackles on the edge. And once he gets moving, his speed is, to put it mildly, plus for a player of his size.
I wish we saw some secondary moves in his film, but I'm not overly worried about it. We're talking about a player who is extremely smart in general and has a high football IQ. With the coaching of Terry Price and Elijah Robinson, they'll get it squared away.
A&M already has some outstanding talent on the defensive line, and young players at defensive end, where I see him playing. But they clearly have no fear in utilizing them if they've got the talent, and Hicks has that. I could see him jumping into a deep rotation at defensive end as soon as next season with the Aggies, even with all the 4- and 5-stars already on campus.