AggieYell.com's look at the 2025 Texas A&M football team during spring practice continues with a look at the defensive line.
Returning players
Senior defensive end Cashius Howell (40 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 7 passes broken up and 1 interception in 2024)
Senior defensive tackle Albert Regis (36 tackles, 3 TFL, .5 sacks, 6 passes broken up)
Junior defensive tackle DJ Hicks (17 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks)
Junior defensive end/JACK Rylan Kennedy (20 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 4 passes broken up)
Redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Jaydon Scarlett (2 tackles)
Redshirt freshman defensie end Solomon Williams (4 tackles, 1.5 TFL)
Redshirt freshman defensive tackle Dealyn Evans (No stats in 2024)
Redshirt freshman defensive end Kendall Jackson (1 tackle)
Transfers in
Redshirt senior defensive end Dayon Hayes (16 tackles, 2 sacks in four games at Colorado)
Junior defensive end TJ Searcy (34 tackles, 4 TFL, 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, one fumble recovery at Florida)
Defensive tackle Tyler Onyedim (35 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1 fumble recovery at Iowa State)
Redshirt sophomore Sam M'Pemba (no stats at Georgia)
Incoming freshmen
Spring goals
• Find a fourth defensive tackle
• Integrate the transfers
• Get Howell used to playing defensive end full-time
• Get the freshmen defensive tackles acclimated as quickly as possible
The spotlight's on...
Even though the development of Evans at defensive tackle is vital, the answer is Howell. A&M's best pass rusher in the second half of 2024 is moving to be a full-time defensive end and is up to a solid 255 pounds. He wreaked havoc in the Las Vegas Bowl and, if he plays at that level this season, he's an All-SEC player in the making -- and just what the Aggies need at defensive end.
Analysis
While the defensive line may lack the big names it had last year, it could still be a strong group. Howell and Hicks bring great athleticism; Regis brings plenty of experience and Hayes and Searcy have been successful at other bigtime programs.
One thing the Aggies lacked last year, in spite of having Nic Scourton, Shemar Stewart and Shemar Turner, was a consistent pass rush. This year, they've traded in size at end for speed, with Howell, Kennedy, Hayes and Searcy, all of whom are at least 30 pounds lighter than the listed weights of Scourton and Stewart from last year. They also had more success getting the quarterback -- both Searcy and Hayes had more sacks than Stewart last year, and Hayes did so in one-third of a season.
The big question on the outside is, what can the Aggies get out of Jones and M'Pemba? Jones arrived at 250 pounds and has had his share of "wow" moments in spring practice, while M'Pemba was a top-10 player nationally for a reason. If their speed can be utilized at the JACK position (or at end), then A&M could really have something.
The question in the inside is really simple: do they have enough depth? The Aggies know they have Regis, Hicks and Onyedim for their rotation, but someone else really needs to step up. The first two options appear to be Evans, who is up to 310 pounds, and Sanders, who came in at an even bigger 315. Either way, they're going to be relying on talent instead of experience in the back half of the defensive tackle rotation.
Projected depth chart
DE:
Howell
Kennedy
DT:
Regis
Onyedim
DT:
Hicks
Evans
DE:
Hayes
Searcy
