Nic Scourton (Purdue): Starting defensive end

Cashius Howell (Bowling Green): Backup defensive end

Will Lee (Kansas State): Starting cornerback

BJ Mayes (UAB): Possible starting cornerback

Dezz Ricks (Alabama): Possible starting cornerback

Trey Jones (Central Michigan): Starting strong safety

Donovan Saunders (Cal Poly): Backup cornerback

Rodas Johnson (Wisconsin): Backup defensive tackle

Cyrus Allen (Louisiana Tech): Backup wide receiver

Tre Watson (Fresno State): Starting tight end

EJ Smith (Stanford): Third down back

Marcus Ratcliffe (San Diego State): Backup free safety

Solomon DeShields (Pitt): Possible starting linebacker

Scooby Williams (Florida): Possible starting linebacker

Jaydon Hill (Florida): Possible starting nickel

Jared Zirkel (Georgia): Backup place kicker, kickoff specialist

Jake Bostick (Iowa): Backup wide receiver

Garret Miller (Purdue): TBD; did not practice this summer

Koli Faaiu (Utah): Starting center

Shane Calhoun (East Carolina): Backup tight end

Ar'maj Reed-Adams (Kansas): Starting right tackle

Josh Celiscar (UCF): Third team defensive end

Jabre Barber (Troy): TBD; missed summer due to injury

By and large, the Aggies hit on a high percentage of players the added through the portal. Scourton, obviously, is the prize, but they added four-fifths of their cornerback rotation through the portal as well. Faaiu has moved into the starting lineup and Reed-Adams has become an indispensable part of the offensive line. Allen will play a lot. Williams and DeShields are in a fight with Daymion Sanford to see who will start next to Taurean York, but both will play. Jones looks like he will start next to Bryce Anderson, and Ratcliffe will back him up. Barber would likely be in the receiver rotation had he not gotten hurt late in the spring. Johnson has earned the trust of defensive coordinator Jay Bateman and will play a lot. Hill is still in a fight with Tyreek Chappell for the nickel job, and it may be an uphill battle for him, but he's going to play too. Zirkel was beaten out by Randy Bond, but his strong leg will probably mean he's the guy out there for kickoffs. Smith will be the third down back, and Calhoun will likely be in the initial two-deep at tight end.

The only players who aren't hurt but also aren't likely to play -- for now -- are Bostick and Celiscar. The move of Terry Bussey to receiver may have pushed Bostick out of the rotation, and Celiscar hasn't panned out (yet) the way the staff had hoped. But he still brings needed size at defensive end.

While more big names may have left than arrived, this group of transfers has made A&M a more complete team.

Evan Stewart (Oregon): Starting wide receiver

Walter Nolen (Ole Miss): Starting defensive tackle

Jacoby Mathews: Unsigned

Deuce Harmon (SMU): Backup cornerback

Jardin Gilbert (LSU): Starting safety

Tony Grimes (UNLV): Starting corner

Bryce Foster (Kansas): Backup center

Colton Thomasson (Baylor): Third team right tackle

Fadil Diggs (Syracuse): Starting defensive end

Isaiah Raikes (Auburn): Starting defensive tackle

Max Johnson (UNC): Starting quarterback

Jake Johnson (UNC): Third team tight end

LT Overton (Alabama): Backup BANDIT

Jordan Anthony (Arkansas): Third team wide receiver

JD Davis (Louisville): Backup linebacker

Jordan Spasojevic-Moko (Charlotte): Starting right guard

Remington Strickland (TCU): Backup right guard

Sam McCall (Georgia State): Backup cornerback

Naquil Betrand (Alabama): Third team left tackle

Raymond Cottrell (West Florida): The wide receiver committed to Kentucky, then left after the spring.

Fernando Garza (Sam Houston): Third team tight end

Jerry Johnson III (Cal): Not listed on the depth chart

Ethan Moczulski (Illinois): Backup placekicker

Some of these players left because they wanted more NIL compensation. Some just wanted to be elsewhere. Some were pushed out the door. Some were two of the three. But, overall, the sting factor from these departures isn't as high as it could have been -- by a long shot.

Stewart could do big things at Oregon, but he didn't do much at A&M. Nolen would have started had he stayed, but the Aggies still have a ton of depth at defensive tackle that they may not have had otherwise. Diggs was replaced by Scourton. Overton was replaced by Howell, who is a better fit for this scheme. Raikes would be in the rotation had he stayed, but wouldn't start. Gilbert's goose was cooked after his half-hearted and costly effort against Miami. Mathews didn't like the new expectations of Mike Elko and Tommy Moffitt and finds himself without a chair. Grimes? We'll never know.

Nothing will be sure until everyone steps on the field, but at this point, it looks like the Aggies quietly and efficiently came out ahead by getting solid football players -- and some stars -- that filled out the depth chart in a fashion we haven't seen in some time. And the toxicity level appears to be way down, to boot.

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