ESPN names Texas A&M's 'X factor' ahead of the 2026 season

Just hours after Texas A&M's 10-3 loss to Miami in the first round of the College Football Playoff, coach Mike Elko , entering his third season at the helm, only had the next 24 hours to reflect on what should have been the program's first CFP victory, knowing that the Aggies would lose more than 20 combined players to the transfer portal and the 2026 NFL Draft.

Elko quickly made several key staff changes, led by WR coach Holmon Wiggins being elevated to offensive coordinator, and Lyle Hemphill taking over as defensive coordinator after Collin Klein departed for the Kansas State head coach position, while Jay Bateman regained his defensive play-calling duties after accepting a lateral position as Kentucky's defensive coordinator.

This week, ESPN Texas A&M reporter Dave Wilson named Texas A&M's 2026 defensive line as the team's "X factor" that, according to the site, "could go a long way in determining whether the season will be a success or a disappointment." while the offensive line, which will feature four new starters, who have also been a solid choice, it's understandable why Wilson went this route.

"The Aggies had three defensive linemen picked in the first three rounds of this year's NFL draft, including All-American edge rusher Cashius Howell, so line coach Elijah Robinson has a bit of a rebuild on his hands. The position is still stacked, however, with former five-star DJ Hicks returning for his senior year at defensive tackle, and the addition of five D-linemen in the transfer portal. Mike Elko found success with transfers Howell, who arrived from Bowling Green and, in the previous season, Nic Scourton from Purdue. This year's version is Anto Saka, an extremely athletic rush lineman who had 12 sacks in three seasons at Northwestern. But the Aggies also have high hopes for 2025 recruit Marco Jones, who played in 13 games last year with 2.5 sacks."

Before a record 10 players were selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, Elko and his staff landed 17 players from the transfer portal, while 65% of the 2025 roster opted to return, including starting quarterback Marcel Reed. Along the defensive line, unanimous All-American Edge Cashius Howell, who led the SEC with 11.5 sacks last season, was selected in the second round by the Cincinnati Bengals, leaving a massive hole in the Aggies' pass rush unit.

Seldom known by casual college football fans, the addition of former Northwestern Edge Anto Saka , who recorded 12 sacks in three seasons with the Wildcats, could end up being one of the most impactful offseason moves in the SEC, as the 6'4", 255-pound Baltimore native is a freakish athlete with high, high NFL upside.

However, the return of former five-star and senior defensive tackle DJ Hicks was critical after starting DTs Albert Regis and Tyler Onyedim were selected in the third round of the draft, leading Elko to add productive nose tackle CJ Mims and undervalued Illinois transfer DL Angelo McCullom . As Wilson noted, sophomore Edge Marco Jones is in line to star at the Jack position, and is on the path towards stardom in Elko's defense.

Defensive line coaches Elijah Robinson and Tony Jerod-Eddie will have their work cut out for them, but given the talented and added depth from the 2025 and 2026 signing class, both coaches will be heavily judged if this unit struggles, especially against the run.

This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: ESPN names Texas A&M's 'X factor' ahead of the 2026 season

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