Tennessee Volunteers Coach Josh Heupel Praises Texas A&M Aggies’ 'Physically Gifted' Front 4

With a chance to reset their losing streak on the road against the Tennessee Volunteers, the Texas A&M Aggies will be looking to put their best foot forward on both sides of the ball. And according to Josh Heupel, defensively, that's a scary sight.

As much as the Texas A&M Aggies might like to pride themselves on the praise they receive from opposing SEC coaches, there isn't any room for that ahead of a matchup so important to their season, and quite possibly their coach. 

That didn't stop Jimbo Fisher from giving Tennessee high praise prior to the Aggies' road test, or Volunteers coach Josh Heupel from doing the same, especially regarding Texas A&M's defense.

"They've gotten after the quarterback," Heupel began. "They do that through scheme and pressure, but a lot of it is just with their front four." 

The Aggies' front four in question? Jackson McKinnley, Shemar Turner, Fadil Diggs and Walter Nolen. Combined, those four have tallied 11.5 sacks, which isn't counting linebacker duo Edgerrin Cooper and Chris Russell Jr., who have eight.

As a whole, Texas A&M leads the SEC in sacks with 26, making opposing offensive lines work for all 60 minutes of the clock — something Heupel is all too aware of.

Oct 7, 2023; College Station, Texas, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe (4) scrambles with the ball as Texas A&M Aggies defensive back Bryce Anderson (1) applies defensive pressure during the second quarter at Kyle Field / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

"They do it not just on third downs, [but] on normal downs, too," Heupel said. Those guys are physically gifted. They're big, strong, physical but they're extremely athletic. They bend well, they use their hands well. I think it's really important in this one that you protect the quarterback extremely well. Give him a chance to get the ball out." 

So far this season, Volunteers quarterback Joe Milton III has thrown for 1,164 yards and nine touchdowns, completing 63.1 percent of his passes in the process. On the ground, Milton III has found the end zone four times, but despite only tallying 139 yards on the season, the Aggies will need to watch him on "and short" situations to avoid keeping their defense on the field longer than necessary. 

"The line of scrimmage is going to be extremely important," Heupel said. "That's something I talked about with our football team here today. Both sides of the line of scrimmage effect the way that the game is played, so we've got to do a great job." 

As the Aggies look to bounce back from their heartbreaking loss to Alabama a week ago, playing hard on both sides of the ball will be crucial in earning a road win, especially against a high-powered Volunteers offense. 

To this point, Texas A&M has shown it has the weapons and the potential on defense. Other teams — Heupel's being no exception — have noticed it, and focus their preparation on it. Now, the next step is for the Aggies to execute and prove that they can overpower anyone in their way, regardless of preparation. 

If they do that, suddenly a road upset against a ranked opponent isn't so far-fetched.