No. 3 Texas A&M (11-0, 7-0 SEC) enters Rivalry Week vs. the No. 16-ranked Texas Longhorns (8-3, 5-2 SEC) with everything on the line, including a spot in the SEC Championship Game, which would be the program’s first appearance since joining the conference before the 2012 season.
After defeating Samford 48-0 on Saturday afternoon, head coach Mike Elko opted to rest his starters on both sides of the ball, including senior edge Cashius Howell, who leads the SEC with 11.5 sacks and 30-plus pressures, and is now a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Award, and, now, a finalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award, joining Ohio State safety Caleb Downs and Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez.
Howell’s ascendance as one of college football’s premier pass rushers, outside of Texas sophomore edge Colin Simmons, has been quite the journey for the former Bowling Green standout, who, outside of Mike Elko, received little attention from the SEC within the transfer portal before the 2024 season.
However, the potential was always there, as Howell’s 15.5 sacks in three seasons with the Falcons should have garnered more attention. Still, after recording 40 tackles, four sacks, and seven pass deflections last season, Howell’s growth in the weight room after working with S&C coach Tommy Moffitt has paid off.
According to Pro Football Focus, Howell enters Week 14 with an 83.5 defensive grade, 72.2 run defense grade, and a prolific 91.9 pass rush grade.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M senior Edge is a finalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award
Reporting by Cameron Ohnysty, Aggies Wire / Aggies Wire
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