O'Neal didn't play much in 2018 until the Taxslayer Bowl, but he made the most of that opportunity. He tallied 4.5 tackles, a tackle for loss, a pass broken up and an interception in a performance that had A&M fans excited for the future. He picked up where he left off this spring with a strong performance, including forcing and recovering a fumble in the Maroon & White Game. The Aggies have been looking for a safety who can make big plays consistently since Armani Watts left, and O'Neal has already shown flashes he may be that guy.

Tucker continues to confound coaches and observers with his uneven performance. After a very good second half in 2017, Tucker struggled mightily for much of 2018 to the point he lost his job. He won it back in practices leading up to the bowl game, then put in a solid performance against N.C. State. Back with the first team this spring, he was good in many practices but struggled in the spring game. Consistency is what Tucker needs badly. If he remains up and down, he won't be on the field much longer as Brian Williams and Demani Richardson are now on campus.

Carper may be a backup again this year, but leaving it at that would understate his value. He's got the size and speed to play both safety positions when needed, and has also played linebacker in certain sets against spread offenses. Coach Jimbo Fisher mentioned this spring that defensive coordinator Mike Elko was looking for different ways to utilize Carper, so don't be surprise if he's a Jack of all Trades this year.

Pryor was inserted into the starting lineup as A&M searched for answers to a porous secondary last year,, and played decently. He racked up 22 of his 34 tackles in the final three games, but was back on the bench by the time the bowl game rolled around. Pryor is a player the coaches know can be steady, but hasn't shown much more than that. It's also possible he could see time at linebacker, an experiment that began last year but was scrapped when the need for him at safety was greater.

A special teams demon, Johnson may be one of the best in the SEC in that role. But his role on the defense is still being defined. He's probably faster than any safety, but is still a bit undersized. If he can bulk up a little and keep that speed, he could be one to watch.

Elam started to play more and more as last season went on, and was essentially splitting the snaps at nickel with Deshawn Capers-Smith by the end of the year. Elko appears to want some players with height, length and a little bit of speed at the nickel, and Elam fits that bill. But he'll have some competition to keep the job.

Chattman hasn't played a down in two years, which has been a source of disappointment to two coaching staffs as he's shown promise. After working out at corner for most of the past two years, he's now being looked at as a potential nickel and depth at safety. He's shown pretty good coverage skills the last two years and certainly has the size at 6-foot-5; we'll have to see how he adjusts to playing closer to the line of scrimmage.