Less than 24 hours after beating North Carolina in the 87th Capital One Orange Bowl, Texas A&M and coach Jimbo Fisher got some more good news: senior defensive tackle Jayden Peevy will be back in 2021.
Peevy, who just completed his first year as a starter, made his decision public on social media Sunday night.
Working next to Bobby Brown and McKinnley Jackson in 2020, Peevy put together a solid season. He had 6 tackles in the Orange Bowl and finished with 34 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, a sack, one pass broken up and a fumble recovery.
For his career, the 6-foot-7, 295-pound Peevy has tallied 94 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, the fumble recovery and has blocked four kicks. He has been highly productive during his team on the field, but with only one full year as a starter, his draft stock would significantly improve with the benefit of another season.
What it means for 2021
With Peevy's return, all eyes (in terms of the defensive line) turn to Bobby Brown. The first-team All-SEC junior has his own decision to make, though it seems right now that he will also return for 2021. Should Brown decide to come back, the Aggies will be absolutely loaded up front. At the defensive tackle spot, they'll have Peevy, Brown, Jackson, Derick Hunter, Isaiah Raikes and Dallas Walker back from this year's team, along with Adarious Jones returning after missing this season with a knee injury. Then they'll add newcomers Marcus Burris and Albert Regis and remain in the mix for highly-regarded 4-star Tywone Malone. The Aggies will have a ton of talent to rotate at the tackle position.
Expanding things to look at the rest of the defensive line shows a team that could have a level of depth that A&M has never seen before. DeMarvin Leal will return and is a possible preseason All-SEC selection; Tyree Johnson should start opposite him. Jeremiah Martin is coming off the best game of his career in the Orange Bowl, RJ Orebo will be back and freshmen Fadil Diggs, Donell Harris and Braedon Mowry are all slated to return. Then there will be a huge injection of talent, with 5-star Tunmise Adeleye and 4-stars Shemar Turner and Elijah Jeudy.
In short, Peevy's return helps stabilize a defensive line that will have a ton of depth and talent -- and now, a lot of experience.
