Texas A&M's revamping of its cornerback unit continued Wednesday with Debione Renfro's unexpected announcement he would forego his senior season and enter the NFL Draft.
Renfro, a junior from Pearland, had been a key part of the A&M secondary for each of his three seasons with the Aggies. He played in 37 of the 39 games he was eligible for, missing the first games of 2019 due to a suspension.
Renfro was a surprise starter for much of his freshman season, and that year may have been his best. The former 3-star recruit racked up 54 tackles, forced three fumbles with one recovery and broke up five passes in 2017. His numbers dropped in 2018, to 37 tackles and was third on the team with five pass breakups.
With the arrival of Elijah Blades in 2019, Renfro lost his starting job while suspended but still played a great deal. When Blades went down with a shoulder injury, Renfro regained his starting spot for 6 of the 11 games this year. He ended 2019 with 33 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, a half a sack and a fumble recovery.
How will the Aggies replace him?
They have plenty of options and it's no guarantee Renfro would have started in 2020, which makes his move all the more surprising. Blades is certainly an odds-on favorite to take a starting job, and newcomers Brian George, Jaylon Jones and Josh Moten could all compete for not only Renfro's old spot, but with Myles Jones for his starting job as well. Erick Young, who moved to safety during the 2019 season when the Aggies were short-handed at the position, could return to corner for his sophomore year.
The A&M cornerback room is getting filled with serious talent, and the competition among the group will commence this spring with nearly everyone already on campus.
