Through five preseason practices, several of Texas A&M’s 17 offseason transfer portal additions have continued to stand out, led by former Northwestern Edge Anto Saka, whose business-like persona and NFL traits make him the No. 1 newcomer to watch, outside of Tennessee transfer cornerback Rickey Gibson, going into the 2026 season-opener vs. Missouri State.
Standing 6’4″ and 255 pounds, Anto Saka’s lack of sack production during his final season with the Wildcats has been woefully overstated when comparing his 30 pressures, which is a much more important stat when grading a pass rusher, especially in the NFL. Saka’s combination of size, length, and elite strength landed him on Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List for the second time, which isn’t surprising one bit.
Still running under the radar heading into the new season, Saka’s focus is two-fold: help A&M’s defensive line match last season’s production after Cashius Howell, who led the SEC with 11.5 sacks last season, departed for the NFL, and become one of the conference’s most feared pass rushers and consistent run defenders.
On Tuesday, Saka and senior defensive tackle DJ Hicks landed on the prestigious Lombardi Award Watch List, which is well deserved given both players’ performances over the last five practices. After recording 26 tackles and 3 sacks last season, Hicks now weighs a healthy 293 pounds and is looking to fully unlock his athleticism, playing next to North Carolina transfer nose tackle CJ Mims.
Third-year coach Mike Elko and new defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill desperately need Saka and Hicks to become the team’s top pass rushers, especially Hicks, knowing that interior pressure always leads to the pocket collapsing and forcing opposing quarterbacks to make quick decisions.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Two Texas A&M defenders land on the Lombardi Award Watch List
Reporting by Cameron Ohnysty, Aggies Wire / Aggies Wire
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By Cameron Ohnysty, Aggies Wire | USA TODAY Network
