Texas A&M Post Spring Depth Chart: Turnover on the Interior Defensive Line

The defense won't look too different from last season under new coordinator D.J. Durkin, but some of the faces up front will be new.

The Texas A&M Aggies football team had quite a bit of turnover from its 8-4 team in 2021. Most of that turnover was on the defensive side of the ball, but just as was the case last season, the defense is still expected to be the strength of the club.

Gone are four defensive linemen from 2021's rotation, as Jayden Peavy, Tyree Johnson, DeMarvin Leal, and Michael Clemons have moved on. All four will be tough to replace and keep A&M's defensive line one of the best in the SEC.

Even with those losses, the defense probably has fewer questions moving toward the fall than the rest of the team. Coach Jimbo Fisher and his recruiting staff have landed what's called the best recruiting class in the history of college football, and many of those elite players are on the defensive side of the ball.

While the front four is going to remain the strength of the unit, not all players who will be on campus in the fall are here now. Because of that, we're only accounting for those who are here, and not those on their way later in the year.

So who might line up to start the season at defensive tackle?

Stick with AllAggies.com as we break down the A&M spring football depth chart outlook.

McKinnley Jackson

Jackson's 6-2, 335-pound frame enables him to blow up plays on the interior, and his knack for timing off the ball leads him to regularly end up in the backfield. He enters his third season with the Aggies and should be an important part of the defense.

Isaiah Raikes

Raikes is 6-1, 327-pounds, but his strength makes up for his height. That frame helps him gain leverage on opponents and quickly find his way to the backfield and he's extremely athletic. Next season will be his third with A&M.

Shemar Turner

At 6-4, 285-pounds, Turner will be in his second year with the Aggies and should prove to be more valuable than in years past.  He's strong and can dominate offensive linemen with his ability to get off the ball. 

Albert Regis

Although come the fall, there will probably be players ahead of him, Regis is on campus and healthy, one of the few to remain healthy through the spring. His 6-1, 305-pound frame appears undersized, but he plays much larger.

With the way A&M recruited last year, there will be a number of options on the defensive line, including incoming player Walter Nolen. But other options are already here, but injured, like Adarioius Jones.

Fall practice will certainly make the depth chart clearer, as everyone will be present and accounted for, and Fisher will have all the rotations and options at his disposal. 

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