Texas A&M Football

HEIGHT: 6'3"

WEIGHT: 290

HAND: 10¼”

ARM: 33⅝”

WINGSPAN: 81⅛”

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POSITIVES

— Good size and length for an NFL defensive tackle.

— Quick off the ball and accelerates off the line well to get penetration when one-gapping.

— When he lifts his hands straight up from the ground and keeps them tight, he has the strength to win at the point of attack and get extension on blocks.

— Solid athlete to help avoid getting reached in the running game or set up pass-rush moves.

— Has decent swim and hump moves to catch offensive linemen leaning.

— Good pass-rush motor.

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NEGATIVES

— Plays with high pad level and often has a narrow base when taking on blocks, resulting in him getting washed inside against down blocks and double teams.

— Poor use of hands, inconsistent with how quickly he gets his hands up and often has wide placement to expose his chest as a run defender and pass-rusher.

— Bull rush is ineffective due to high pad level and sub-par leg drive after contact.

— Lacks a go-to pass-rush move he can win with when offensive linemen use proper technique.

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NOTES

— Born Jan. 14, 2003

— A 5-star recruit in the 2021 class, per 247Sports

— Injuries: 2025 (Stress fracture in foot, had rod inserted, missed Senior Bowl), 2024 (Torn labrum in shoulder, offseason surgery, Shin, offseason surgery), 2022 (Undisclosed, missed 1 game)

— 2023: Second-Team All-SEC

— 2021: Freshman All-SEC Team

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OVERALL

Shemar Turner is a developmental prospect who could become a solid 3-technique defensive tackle in a penetrating, one-gap type of defense. He's big, strong and athletic with some impressive traits.

However, Turner's technique needs a lot of work. He plays with high pad level and is often late and wide when shooting his hands, exposing his chest and leading to inconsistencies against the run. That gets exposed the most against double teams and combo blocks as he'll get pushed out of his gap when taking on two offensive linemen.

Additionally, those issues impact the effectiveness of his bull rush and restrict his pass-rush arsenal. He does have a couple of moves, like a swim or hump, that he can catch offensive linemen leaning with, but he's often ineffective against linemen who have good technique, which will be an issue at the next level.

That being said, Turner has an impressive get-off that he can get penetration with and be disruptive when his hands and pad level are right. He's a ball of clay, but a good defensive line coach could mold him into a quality NFL defensive tackle.

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GRADE: 6.8 (Potential Role Player — 6th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 130

POSITION RANK: DL13

PRO COMPARISON: Sebastian Joseph-Day

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder

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Prospect workout numbers, measurables (40-yard dash, hand size, etc.) and 2024 statistics will be added at a later date.

Texas A&M defensive lineman Shemar Stewart announced Monday he's entering the 2025 NFL draft.

Texas A & M edge rusher Shemar Stewart, a potential first-round pick in April, announced he is leaving school and entering the NFL Draft. pic.twitter.com/I0e9dBx4wS

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 9, 2024

Stewart has 31 tackles, 1.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss as a junior with the Aggies. He missed the cut for the top 100 prospects in Bleacher Report's 2025 big board, while he's 33rd overall on ESPN.com.

Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus has Stewart as the fourth-best edge defender in 2025, praising his "top-tier explosiveness" and citing his "imposing" 6'6", 290-pound frame.

Stewart's production doesn't jump off the page. In his three years at A&M, he has 65 tackles and 4.5 sacks. Teammate Nic Scourton, by comparison, had 10 sacks as a sophomore at Purdue in 2023 and collected another five in his first year with the Aggies.

Still, ESPN's Field Yates said that Stewart "has some really impressive traits that scouts feel will allow him to develop into a high-level rusher in the NFL." Pre-draft showcases such as the NFL Scouting Combine and Texas A&M's pro day are occasions where the Miami native could really shine.

Stewart will have some stiff competition at his position, though. Tennessee's James Pearce Jr. is sixth overall on B/R's big board with Scourton coming in at No. 16. Penn State's Abdul Carter (No. 24), Georgia's Mykel Williams (No. 27) and Ohio State's JT Tuimoloau (No. 38) are all in the first-round conversation as well.

Georgia is hoping to win its second SEC championship in three years. The Bulldogs have already punched their ticket to the conference title game (Dec. 7 in Atlanta), but they don't yet know who they'll be facing.

That will be decided on Saturday night in College Station, Texas.

Texas A&M is set to host Texas at Kyle Field, with the winner advancing to play Georgia in the SEC Championship Game the following week. The stakes will be high in the first meeting between the Aggies and the Longhorns since 2011.

ESPN's College GameDay is heading to College Station ahead of the big matchup. The popular kickoff show, which was also held at Texas A&M's campus on Aug. 31, will air from 9 a.m.-noon ET on ESPN and ESPNU.

Before getting into more on the Texas-Texas A&M matchup, here's the full Top 25 slate for Week 14 (the final week of the 2024 regular season), along with predictions for each contest.

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Week 14 Top 25 Schedule, Predictions

Friday, Nov. 29

Oregon State at No. 11 Boise State, noon ET, Fox

Oklahoma State at No. 25 Colorado, noon ET, ABC

Mississippi State at No. 14 Ole Miss, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC

Georgia Tech at No. 7 Georgia, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC

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Saturday, Nov. 30

Michigan at No. 2 Ohio State, noon ET, Fox

No. 8 Tennessee at Vanderbilt, noon ET, ABC

No. 15 South Carolina at No. 12 Clemson, noon ET, ESPN

No. 23 Illinois at Northwestern, noon ET, Big Ten Network

Maryland at No. 4 Penn State, 3:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network

No. 5 Notre Dame at USC, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS

No. 6 Miami at Syracuse, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

California at No. 9 SMU, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2

Auburn at No. 13 Alabama, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC

No. 16 Arizona State at Arizona, 3:30 p.m. ET, Fox

Arkansas at No. 21 Missouri, 3:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network

Purdue at No. 10 Indiana, 7 p.m. ET, FS1

Washington at No. 1 Oregon, 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC

No. 3 Texas at No. 20 Texas A&M, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC

No. 24 Kansas State at No. 18 Iowa State, 7:30 p.m. ET, Fox

Nevada at No. 22 UNLV, 8 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network

Houston at No. 19 BYU, 10:15 p.m. ET, ESPN

Picks in bold.

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Texas-Texas A&M Preview

From 1915-2011, Texas and Texas A&M played every season, part of a conference rivalry between the two programs (first in the Southwest Conference, then in the Big 12). Then, the Aggies departed for the SEC.

Now, the Longhorns are also in the SEC. Thus, the in-state rivalry featuring the two schools will be reignited on Saturday night at Kyle Field, with a conference championship game berth on the line.

Through 118 meetings between these programs, Texas leads the all-time series 76-37-5. The Longhorns are also the favorite to win on Saturday, considering they're 10-1 this season with only a loss to Georgia (a 30-15 defeat on Oct. 19).

Meanwhile, Texas A&M has struggled a bit of late. After a 7-1 start, the Aggies have since lost a pair of SEC road matchups in a three-game span, falling 44-20 at South Carolina on Nov. 2 and losing 43-41 in four overtimes at Auburn this past Saturday.

On paper, Texas looks like the better team. But Texas A&M won't be an easy opponent, especially because it could still win its way to the SEC Championship Game, a conference title and the College Football Playoff.

Longhorns junior quarterback Quinn Ewers has been dealing with an ankle injury this week, so he could be a bit banged up if he's under center on Saturday. But he's been putting up big numbers in recent weeks, having thrown nine touchdown passes and zero interceptions over his past three games.

The Aggies' offense has had success keeping the ball on the ground this season. Their 208.4 rushing yards per game rank second in the SEC. However, junior running back Le'Veon Moss is out for the season due to a leg injury, leaving junior Amari Daniels (640 rushing yards) to lead the charge.

Although it's been more than a decade since Texas and Texas A&M have faced off, the players understand the history of the rivalry. And everybody knows what to expect from the atmosphere.

"That place is going to be rocking," Texas senior cornerback Jahdae Barron said, per Jim Vertuno and Kristie Rieken of the Associated Press. "It's good to go on the road and play in hostile environments."

It could be the Longhorns' toughest test yet, one that prepares them for the CFP, which is where they'll likely to end up. However, their path becomes much clearer with a win at Texas A&M, so they won't be able to look too far ahead.

Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko slipped up while trying to say his team's focus is on Saturday's game against Auburn rather than the following weekend's rivalry matchup with Texas.

"I don't think it's an issue," Elko said Tuesday about his team's focus. "I think, when you're in the situation that we're in, it's easy to focus on the task at hand. I think those big games, earlier in the year, maybe you look ahead. If we didn't have at stake what's at stake, maybe you would worry about it. I think our focus is single-handedly on Texas."

Elko then corrected himself: "I mean, on Auburn, right now."

Mike Elko was asked about the difficulty of keeping his team focused on Auburn with the November 30th rivalry game vs Texas just around the corner:

“Our focus is single-handedly on Texas…I mean Auburn…” 🫣

🎥 Texas A&M Athletics pic.twitter.com/SOZkS9etal

— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) November 19, 2024

Texas A&M kicks off a Saturday night road game at unranked Auburn at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Aggies are one of five two-loss teams in the SEC and could boost their championship game odds with a win.

Texas A&M (6-2 overall, 5-1 SEC) currently stands alongside Texas as the only two SEC teams with a single conference loss.

Should the Aggies lose on Sunday to an SEC opponent in Auburn (4-6 overall, 1-5 SEC) the championship game spot could come down to tiebreakers with the other two-loss teams.

Auburn will enter the game as the clear underdog, having claimed just one in-conference win at Kentucky and losing three prior games to ranked opponents in Oklahoma, Georgia and Missouri.

The Tigers are coming off a 48-14 blowout victory over Louisiana-Monroe last weekend during which starting quarterback Payton Thorne threw for five touchdowns and no interceptions. The team now has bowl eligibility to play for over their final two games against Texas A&M and at Alabama.

Should Thorne, who has struggled with picks this season, have another strong passing game, Auburn has a shot at upsetting Texas A&M in part because of the team's defense. The Tigers have been holding opponents to an average of 312 total yards per game, good for 12th in the FBS.

Whatever Saturday's result, No. 15 Texas A&M's season could still come down to next weekend's clash with No. 3 Texas (9-1 overall, 5-1 SEC.) But with other teams like Georgia poised to win out on tiebreakers should the Aggies drop in SEC play, Texas A&M will hope to win against the Tigers before taking on their in-state rivals at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

HEIGHT: 6'3"

WEIGHT: 190

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POSITIVES

— Excellent length and size with long arms and solid frame.

— Long strider who shows good quick twitch. Flashes a very good burst when transitioning out of breaks.

— Very good change of direction for his size, with the paired ability to sink his hips. Even shows the balance to stick with double moves.

— Moves his feet well in press, getting hands-on and riding receivers downfield.

— Shows great reaction and ball skills to play the quarterback and ball.

— Uses his size to his advantage when tackling. Good physical tackler.

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NEGATIVES

— Occasionally hops into his breaks, causing him to be slower or getting stuck when transitioning.

— Slow transitioning when pressed with speed due to him stepping in the bucket and allowing separation.

— Can get too handsy at times, pulling and tugging receivers. May lead to penalties at the next level.

— Can lose sight of threats or jump routes in zone, leaving open receivers.

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NOTES

— Born April 9, 2003

— 2-star recruit in the 2021 class, per 247Sports

— 2024: Transferred from Kansas State to Texas A&M

— 2023: All-Big 12 Honorable Mention after transferring from Iowa Western CC to Kansas State

— 2022: NJCAA First Team All-American

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OVERALL

Will Lee III is a long, athletic cornerback prospect with ideal size and length at 6'3" and 190 pounds. His combination of length, quickness, and ability to change direction makes him an intriguing option for NFL teams looking for a physical and versatile corner.

His long strides, paired with his good burst and smooth transitions, allow him to stay in phase with receivers. His press coverage skills stand out, as he uses his feet well to mirror receivers and his hands to disrupt timing at the line of scrimmage; while also showing fluid hips to flip and quickly get in phase. However, he can occasionally hop into breaks, slowing his transition and can become handsy, leading to penalties. When playing the ball, he shows the ball skills necessary to locate and attack, paired with the body control to put himself in position to make a play.

Lee is a strong and physical tackler who excels in run support. He uses his length and size effectively to engage and shed blockers, showing a willingness to be involved in the physical aspect of the game. Lee consistently takes on runners with aggression and secures tackles with authority. While he occasionally plays with a nonchalant demeanor, his strength and physicality provide him with the tools to be a reliable run defender, particularly when he maintains focus and effort.

Will Lee III projects as an early-round pick with the potential to make an impact early in his NFL career. His size, length, and athleticism make him a dream prospect for any organization. With improved consistency in his technique and mental approach, Lee has the tools to develop into an All-Pro cornerback.

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GRADE: 7.8 (Potential Impact Player — 2nd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 26

POSITION RANK: CB4

PRO COMPARISON: Eli Apple

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Cory Giddings

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Prospect workout numbers, measurables (40-yard dash, hand size, etc.) and 2024 statistics will be added at a later date.

HEIGHT: 6'3"

WEIGHT: 257

HAND: 10"

ARM: 33"

WINGSPAN: 80⅞” 

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40-YARD DASH: N/A

3-CONE: N/A

SHUTTLE: N/A

VERTICAL: N/A

BROAD: N/A

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POSITIVES

— Good size with a thick build coupled with impressive athleticism and quickness for his size.

— Shows solid physicality at the point of attack and has pop in his hands. Has long arms to help get extension on blocks.

— Shows a nice rip move to get penetration when slanting.

— Has good block recognition against the run and puts himself in a good position to take on blocks.

— As a pass-rusher, he has a nasty spin move where he uses his quickness and long arms to knock the offensive lineman's hands down and win.

— When bull rushing, he has the size, strength and power to collapse the pocket against solid offensive tackles.

— Shows active hands and a good motor when rushing the passer.

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NEGATIVES

— Acceleration off the line of scrimmage is sub-par, hurting his ability to turn speed to power as a pass-rusher.

— Doesn't play with good leverage, especially out of a two-point stance, which can cause him issues setting the edge and as a bull-rusher against better competition.

— Struggles to sink his hips and fight back against pressure as a run defender; will occasionally get washed inside.

— Below-average bend to turn a tight corner at the top of the rush.

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NOTES

— Born Aug. 25, 2004

— 4-star recruit in the 2022 class, per 247Sports

— Transferred from Purdue ahead of the 2024 season

— Led BIG Ten in sacks (10) in 2023

— 2023 Second-Team All-Big Ten

— 2023 (Undisclosed, missed 1 game)

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OVERALL

A big part of Nic Scourton's appeal is his combination of size, strength, and athleticism. To put it in perspective, he has the frame of a more traditional hand-in-the-ground defensive end, but both Texas A&M and Purdue lined him up as a standup outside linebacker and had him drop into coverage on several occasions.

That being said, Scourton's future in the NFL is brighter as a true defensive end. He has the size, strength and length to be an effective run defender, but his pad level can be an issue against better competition. So, having him start from a lower/three-point stance versus standing up can help solve that problem.

That should also improve his bull rush and thus help make him a more effective and consistent pass rusher. Additionally, he does show promise to develop some finesse moves as he sets up his pass-rush moves well during the stem phase of the rush and shows impressive quickness, especially for his size.

On top of that, Scourton already has a nasty spin move that can beat offensive tackles. He also has active hands to help add to his pass-rush arsenal and a good motor to get coverage sacks.

Between his pro-ready body and impressive movement skills, it's easy to see why NFL teams like Scourton.

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GRADE: 7.8 (Potential Impact Player — 2nd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 36

POSITION RANK: EDGE6

PRO COMPARISON: Cameron Jordan

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder

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Prospect workout numbers, measurables (40-yard dash, hand size, etc.) and 2024 statistics will be added at a later date.

With ESPN's College Gameday setting up camp at College Station for the showdown between Notre Dame and Texas A&M this weekend, it's only fitting that Aggies legend Johnny Manziel gets the call to be the celebrity guest picker.

Manziel announced on Thursday that he will be joining Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, Nick Saban and Desmond Howard on set to pick the Week 1 games in college football.

We are fired up to have @JManziel2 as our Week 1 guest picker in College Station‼️ pic.twitter.com/BO2NmlHnga

— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) August 29, 2024

Manziel will be the second celebrity guest picker of the season. WWE superstar Sheamus joined the crew in Ireland last week for the Georgia Tech-Florida State matchup to make picks.

College Gameday is making its first trip to College Station since 2018 when the Aggies were hosting No. 2 Clemson. This weekend will see No. 20 Texas A&M looking to pull off an upset against No. 7 Notre Dame.

Saturday marks the first meeting between the Aggies and Fighting Irish since 2001. Notre Dame has a slight 3-2 edge in the all-time series between the two programs.

Maniel is one of the best quarterbacks Texas A&M has ever had. He ranks third all-time in passing yards (7,820) and passing touchdowns (63) in 26 starts over two seasons in 2012 and 2013.

Johnny Football became the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy when he received the award in 2012. He also won the Davey O'Brien Award and SEC Offensive Player of the Year that same season.

Former Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher is taking a patient approach as he looks to return to the college football landscape in 2025.

"I'll be watching a lot of film this year and see if there the right opportunity for me to get back into it next season," Fisher said during a Monday ESPN Radio appearance (via ESPN's Peter Burns).

"There is only so much you can hunt and fish before you want to get back in," he added.

Fisher was fired by Texas A&M in Nov. 2023 after the Aggies won six of their first 10 games of the season.

Per ESPN's Pete Thamel, the move cost the Aggies more than $76 million to buy out Fisher's deal. He was later replaced by former Duke head coach Mike Elko.

Fisher joined Texas A&M prior to the 2018 season. The Aggies finished with a winning record in each of his first four years with the team, including a 9-1 mark during the shortened 2020 season.

Texas A&M slipped to 5-7 in 2022 to go along with a mere 2-6 record in the SEC. Despite an overall record improvement in 2023, the Aggies only won four of their eight contests against SEC opponents. The result was especially disappointing after the program secured the No. 1 2022 recruiting class in the country (per 247Sports).

Before his tenure at Texas A&M, Fisher went on an immensely successful eight-year run at Florida State. He accumulated a record of 83-23 with the Seminoles, winning the BCS national championship in 2013 and wrapping up an undefeated season.

Florida State earned another College Football Playoff appearance in the following year before ultimately losing to Oregon in the Rose Bowl.

Fisher's success at Florida State could convince a team to hire him despite his struggles with the Aggies, and it appears that the 58-year-old is already looking for new opportunities.

Texas A&M football took to social media on Thursday to reveal the new black jerseys they will be wearing during the 2024 college football season.

The Aggies released a hype video unveiling the jerseys, which are somewhat reminiscent of threads they wore in 2012 and 2015:

◾️ ◾️ ◾️ ◾️#GigEm pic.twitter.com/NlhlJoMLr6

— Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball) August 15, 2024

Texas A&M also posted multiple photos of their latest jersey, which was produced by Adidas:

Oh yeah, you can buy them 𝐧𝐨𝐰

🔗 https://t.co/GXiDWUOmIk#GigEm | @adidasFballUS pic.twitter.com/JE8wKrQXtW

— Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball) August 15, 2024

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬.#GigEm | @adidasFballUS pic.twitter.com/K643tNqu6u

— Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball) August 15, 2024

It marks a significant departure from Texas A&M's normal look since the Aggies have almost exclusively worn maroon and white since last utilizing black jerseys in 2015.

The introduction of a new jersey ahead of the 2024 season makes sense due to the fact that Texas A&M football is entering a new era.

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10 questions, one life. Tap in to play Streaks, B/R's daily sports trivia game.

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Following the firing of head coach Jimbo Fisher after six largely disappointing seasons in College Station, Mike Elko has taken over as the team's new coach.

The 47-year-old Elko was the defensive coordinator at Texas A&M from 2018 to 2021, and he is fresh off a two-year stint as the head coach at Duke where he posted a 16-9 record.

With a record of 5-7 in 2022, the Aggies posted their first losing season since 2009. They bounced back to some degree last season with a 7-6 mark, but it was still far from where most expected them to be when they joined the SEC in 2012 and later hired Fisher.

Entering 2024, Texas A&M is in search of its first season with double-digit wins since 2012, and much of that will rest on the shoulders of quarterback Conner Weigman.

Weigman was off to a great start last season, throwing for 979 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions, and rushing for two more touchdowns through four games, but he suffered a season-ending ankle injury.

If Weigman can stay healthy in 2024, the Aggies have a chance to be a contending team in the stacked SEC.