Texas A&M Aggies DC Jay Bateman Announced As Broyles Award Nominee

The Broyles Award is given to the best assistant coach in college football.

Oct 26, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies linebacker Taurean York (21) reacts after catching the ball for an interception in the fourth quarter against the LSU Tigers at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images. / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

In the first season with an all-new coaching staff, the No. 20 Texas A&M Aggies have another coach that could be bringing individual hardware back to Aggieland after the season concludes.

Defensive coordinator Jay Bateman, who came over from Florida after being the Gators' interior linebackers coach, was announced as a nominee for the Broyles Award, given annually to the best assistant coach in college football.

The defensive tandem of Mike Elko and Jay Bateman have kept the Aggies as one of the fiercest defenses in the country, allowing an average of 128.4 rushing yards per game, which included only 24 yards on the ground that they allowed to the LSU Tigers in their comeback win last month. This came after a slow start on the Aggie rush defense that saw them allow almost 200 yards a game after the first two games of the season.

The Aggie defense has been led by defensive end Nic Scourton, who leads the Aggies with five sacks, and linebacker Taurean York, the A&M tackles leader with 65. Defensive backs B.J. Mayes and Marcus Ratcliffe both lead the team with three interceptions apiece, and all were major parts of the late victory against Arkansas after Scourton strip-sacked Taylen Green on the would-be game-winning drive, and York and Mayes both picked off Garrett Nussmeier to prevent any hope of an LSU comeback after the Tigers had been up by 10 points going into halftime.

The defensive success all comes without defensive back Tyreek Chappell, who was expected to take on a nickelback role in Elko's new defensive schemes, but suffered an injury in the Notre Dame game and has been sidelined for essentially the entire season.

The final challenge for Bateman comes Saturday when he sets the defensive schemes for the first Lone Star Showdown in 13 years.

The Aggies and Longhorns kick off from Kyle Field at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

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