"My main reason was coach (Elijah) Robinson and coach (Jimbo) Fisher," he said Wednesday. "Me and coach Robinson had a really close relationship … I called him my uncle. Coach Robinson was here, so I decided I’d just come."

Hicks, ranked the No. 3 player in the nation in the 2023 class, forced his way onto the field last season in spite of more experienced players on the roster at defensive tackle. He proved that he belonged, tallying 13 tackles, 2 tackles for loss and a sack.

"My first year, for me, it was difficult at first because there was a lot of adjusting," he said. "It was a lot faster (than high school); plays were a lot different ... I feel like, for me personally, I got a lot better from the first game to the bowl game."

Things got more difficult in the offseason as the two primary reasons for Hicks coming to Aggieland were gone. Fisher was fired in November and Robinson took the defensive coordinator job at Syracuse in December. It looked like the prognosticators were finally going to be right -- and then A&M hired its new coach.

"I was thinking about (transferring), but what compelled me to stay was coach Elko and my belief in coach Elko," he said. "Just the way the he coaches, and the way I talked to him when I was recruited. The way he is as a man, the way he develops men, that was the main reason that I had to stay here and see what he can do for my future and my teammates around me."

Hicks met Elko briefly before he left College Station to take the head coaching job at Duke in December 2021, but their conversation left a major impact.

"He was breaking the defense down for me and I just remember thinking how smart of a mind he was," Hicks said of Elko. "I’ve never talked to anyone that smart, and his defense is set up for you to succeed."

Hicks has hit it off with new defensive coordinator Jay Bateman and defensive line coach Sean Spencer, and has found a steadying influence in line coach Tony Jerod-Eddie, a holdover from Fisher's staff.

"I think the biggest changes have been the way the defense is run. We’ve got from more 3-down to more 4-down with coach Bateman," he explained. "Coach Spence, he’s a great guy. Coach Tony is always the same. He’s always gonna push you to be great. Coach Tony is a great man, great mentor to be under."

Hicks has seen a number of players from the 2023 team depart, including fellow defensive tackles McKinnley Jackson (NFL) and Walter Nolen (Ole Miss). Those players have been replaced by transfers like defensive end Nic Scourton (Purdue) and defensive tackle Rodas Johnson (Wisconsin), who will play key roles in the 2024 defense. Hicks knows his role will likely expand as well.

"We’ve had a lot of players we recruited from other schools who are great men and great players," he said. "We can do some special things."