No. 3 Texas A&M (8-0, 5-0 SEC) will take on No. 19 Missouri on Saturday afternoon in Columbia, as the Aggies will look to continue their winning ways and stay undefeated before consecutive home games against South Carolina and Samford. One of the main reasons for this success? In head coach Mike Elko’s second season, Texas A&M’s defensive line has taken the jump from good to elite.
Through ten weeks of play, the Aggies have produced 32 sacks, led by senior edge Cashius Howell’s 10 sacks and 30-plus pressures, while transfer defensive end Dayon Hayes has looked the part with 15 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and a forced fumble, and is second on the team in pressures.
Combined with a defensive tackle rotation that has seen vast improvement from Albert Regis and DJ Hicks, paired with Iowa State transfer Tyler Onyedim’s impressive versatility, the Aggies should and will continue to be considered the most complete team in college football outside of Ohio State and Indiana.
Defensive line coaches Tony Jerod-Eddie and Sean Spencer, who have been consistent vocal leaders, deserve a bulk of the credit for how the D-line has performed. During Monday’s press conference, Mike Elko praised Sean Spencer’s impact on the entire roster, who, like S&C Tommy Moffitt, has emphasized physicality on every down.
“He does a really good job with the culture and the energy in the room.”
“We’ve got three really good football coaches in that room, and they, collectively, do a really, really good job with their piece of the culture and physicality that we’re looking for.”
In the last four SEC games, Texas A&M’s defensive line recorded 18 sacks in the last four SEC games against Mississippi State, Florida, Arkansas, and LSU.
D-Line living in the backfield💪#GigEmpic.twitter.com/RVEoHoE6P9
— Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball) November 4, 2025
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M HC Mike Elko praises DL coach’s impact on team’s culture
