AggieYell.com's training camp preview of the 2021 Texas A&M football team continues with the defensive ends.
Returning from the spring
Super senior Micheal Clemons; 14 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 4 sacks in 5 games in 2020
Junior DeMarvin Leal; 37 tackles, 7 TFL, 2.5 sacks, 8 QB hurries, 1 INT, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery in 10 games
Redshirt junior Tyree Johnson; 23 tackles, 6 TFL, 4 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 4 QB hurries in 10 games
Redshirt freshman Donell Harris; 1 tackle in 2 games
Redshirt freshman Fadil Diggs; 2 tackles in 1 game
Redshirt freshman Braedon Mowry; Did not play in 2020
Redshirt junior RJ Orebo; did not play in 2020
Freshman Elijah Jeudy
Freshman Jahzion Harris
New arrivals
The situation
The Aggies have one of, if not the, best defensive end groups in the country. What's truly frightening it's anchored by three excellent upperclassmen who are backed up by younger players with massive upsides. In other words, they won't be going away anytime soon.
Leal, a preseason All-American, leads the pack. He was dominant against the run last year and came very close to big sack numbers. This year, he probably won't be close, he'll get there. Clemons looks like an absolute monster and was on his way to stacking up All-SEC totals last year before he got hurt. If he can stay healthy, something he's had trouble with, he could be devastating across from Leal.
When Clemons went down, Johnson stepped in and picked up where he left off. Johnson picked up 4 sacks in the second half of the season and, as he does, dominated the bowl game.
The 2020 recruiting class forms the base of the next wave of ends, and all showed their stuff in the Maroon & White Game. Harris had two tackles and a sack; Mowry had a sack and Diggs had 3 tackles and a fumble recovery. Not to be outdone, the 2021 early enrollees had a sack (Harris) and a fumble recovery (Jeudy) of their own.
Oh, and Turner is supposed to be the best of the bunch.
2021 is going to be the year opponents fear Leal, Clemons and Johnson. That will change in 2022, but the quality of the players getting after opposing quarterbacks won't.
Projected depth chart
DE:
Starter: Leal
Backup: Turner
Third string: Diggs
DE:
Starter: Clemons
Backup: Johnson
Third string: Harris
