Five Key Texas A&M Defenders Miami Must Prepare For
There might not be a more all-around talented defense that the Miami Hurricanes will have faced in the past few seasons than the 2022 Texas A&M Aggies. Yes, that includes the 2021 Alabama Crimson Tide defense.
While debatable just how much talent Texas A&M possesses, rest assured that Miami head coach Mario Cristobal and his entire offensive coaching staff have specific Aggies they do not want to allow to beat them.
Additionally, the Aggies have been called out by many media outlets, including SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum tearing into head coach Jimbo Fisher. The Aggies are going to be fired up when taking the field against the Hurricanes.
Here are five of the many Aggies that the Hurricanes need to be aware of when the offense takes to the field. It’s truly a loaded defensive depth chart.
* Denotes a returning starter.
*Safety Antonio Johnson
If there is but one player that Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke must essentially defeat, that would be Johnson. While not a sport with many head-to-head battles per se, Johnson proved to be the defensive catalyst for the Aggies. He not only led the A&M with 17 total tackles through the first two games of the season, but Johnson also recorded a tackle for loss and a sack.
A&M defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin has already shown that he will use Johnson in a variety of ways. That included bringing him down in the box to sniff out running plays and bring heat via blitzes. Johnson, a sure-fire future NFL player, should be considered the most likely A&M defender to make a game-changing play against Miami.
*Cornerback Tyreek Chappell
It’s rare for a true freshman to start at cornerback in the SEC West, but that’s what Chappell accomplished in 2021 with eight starts to his credit. When Miami passes the football, Chappell is one of the defensive backs that can challenge any receiver for the Hurricanes in one-on-one coverage.
There are plenty of talented cornerbacks for the Aggies, and Chappell’s actions to date might give him the edge to be considered the best of the group. Speed and change of direction skills are evident for the sophomore from Philadelphia, who already earned two pass breakups this season.
Additionally, he’s one of the SEC’s best young coverage cornerbacks because he proved to be physical when needed. He’s already shown he will aggressively tackle during screens and running plays.
Middle Linebacker Chris Russell, Jr.
After working his way up the depth chart the past three seasons, Russell is now the man in the middle for the Aggies. He’s already registered more tackles (16) in 2022 than he did combined in 2021 and 2020 (15). He’s proven to be capable of organizing A&M’s defensive front and essentially being the quarterback of the unit.
Through its first two games, Miami showed that it wanted to establish the running game from the outset of the contests. To do that against the Aggies, the Hurricanes must find and block Russell. Look for the 6-foot-2 and 235-pound senior to be one of the leading tacklers against Miami.
Weak Side Linebacker Edgerrin Cooper
After a sophomore season that earned Cooper 58 total tackles, including 37 solo, he’s on pace to surpass those totals after two games of the 2022 season. Cooper already registered 13 tackles, one tackle for loss, a pass breakup and two quarterback hurries. He only made one start last season, but he’s a mainstay in the lineup in 2022.
Case in point, Cooper recorded 10 total tackles against Appalachian State, with five solo tackles among them. He also had a quarterback pressure and is a valuable player in coverage. Cooper is essentially A&M’s jack-of-all-trades linebacker that impacted games from many different standpoints so far this season.
Defensive End Tunmise Adeleye
One of the most highly coveted recruits from the class of 2021, Adeleye is already making a major impact for A&M’s defense. He’s very active with his hands to move away from blockers, and he’s also a high-energy edge defender that possesses the ability to get home and sack the quarterback.
From all of the talented down linemen the Aggies possess, one could argue that Adeleye has the highest upside for any one game. Miami must be ready to account for him at any time he steps foot on the field. He produced four solo and one assisted tackle during the Appalachian State game.
As an additional note, 6-foot-2 and 325-pound nose guard McKinley Jackson could be inserted in the lineup after not playing the first two games. He’s an extremely powerful player that the Hurricanes interior offensive line would have to contend with, and probably double team quite often if he does indeed play.
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