6 Texas A&M Aggies Players to Watch in Lone Star Showdown

The Texas A&M Aggies are a talented bunch on both sides of the ball.

Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) hands the ball off to running back Amari Daniels (5) during warm ups before Auburn Tigers take on Texas A&M Aggies at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. / Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Texas Longhorns are set to head to College Station to take on the Texas A&M Aggies for one of the most anticipated games of the College Football season to date.

Not only does Saturday mark the first time the two teams have met in 13 years, but the winner of the game earns the right to go to Atlanta for the SEC Championship to take on the Georgia Bulldogs.

Oh, and a bid for the College Football Playoff is also on the line.

So are the Longhorns up to the task? The environment will play a major factor in that.

That said, the Aggies are also a very talented team in their own right, and have plenty of players who could make a difference in the outcome.

With that in mind, here are six Aggies the Longhorns will have to make sure and keep an eye on when take the field on Saturday night.

1. EDGE Nic Scourton

The title for best edge rusher in the SEC might belong to an Aggie.

Nic Scourton spent his first two seasons at Purdue, entering college having barely turned 18. By his second year with the Boilermakers he had turned into a stud, registering 50 tackles and a Big Ten-leading 10 sacks. The Bryan, Texas native decided he wanted to look for an upgrade in schools and entered his name into the transfer portal.

Scourton has gotten it done in the Power 5 scene already, registering two sacks against Michigan and 3.5 tackles for loss against Virginia Tech in 2023.

This season, Scourton has 31 tackles, five sacks and a forced fumble.

He is likely a first round pick in the NFL Draft this spring.

2. QB Marcel Reed

It is likely that Marcel Reed did not expect to be the starting quarterback for the Lone Star Showdown when this season started. However, thanks to the struggles of Conner Weigman, Reed was inserted into the starting lineup and the Aggies haven't looked back.

He has not been perfect, leading the Aggies to a 1-2 record (4-2 overall this season) as the full-time starter. But he is going to be one of the most dangerous players on the field.

So far this season Reed has completed 60 percent of his passes for 1,426 yards, 12 touchdowns, and three interceptions. However, what makes Reed so dangerous is his legs, where he is third on the team in rushing with 93 carries for 441 yards and six scores.

If the Horns are going to slow down the Aggies offense, it needs to start with the QB.

3. DT Shemar Turner

Shemar Turner is a rare player on this Texas A&M roster, standing as one of three projected starters who were top-100 recruits and stayed in College Station for more than two years. While big names like Walter Nolen and LT Overton transferred away, Turner has quietly turned himself into one of the best players on this Texas A&M team.

The school's top recruit in 2021, Turner has fallen under the radar after the 2022 class made such big waves. Turner was a top-10 player in the state in '21 and has improved every year in college. In 2023, Turner improved from .5 sacks to 6, while adding 10.5 tackles for loss on the interior defensive line.

This season, Turner has 33 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble.

Turner is A&M's version of Byron Murphy, a large and athletic player who finds his way into the backfield.

Turner anchors a defensive line that features four upperclassmen, loads of talent, and quality depth. This unit is arguably top-three in the SEC, and Turner is a major part of that.

4. WR Noah Thomas

A massive target on the outside, Noah Thomas is the Aggies' leading receiver, stands 6-foot-6, and weighs in at 200 pounds.

Suffice it to say, he could provide a major mismatch against the Texas corners, especially in the red zone. For reference, Jahdae Barron is 5-foot-11, while Malik Muhammad stands 6 feet tall.

So far this season, Thomas has 31 catches for 514 yards and six touchdowns and is coming off of arguably his most impressive game of the season against Auburn, in which he caught five passes for 124 yards and two scores

5. LB Taurean York

If there is an unquestioned leader of the Aggies team, linebacker Taurean York would be the top candidate.

York was just a three-star in 2023 yet played all 13 games, learning from future NFL linebacker Edgerrin Cooper. York was second on the team with 74 tackles, all as a freshman, and showed an innate ability to get into the opposing backfield.

This season, York has 65 total tackles and 1.5 sacks with an interception.

York joined Texas' Anthony Hill for two of the three linebacker spots on the 2023 Freshman All-American team, earning him a trip to the SEC Media Days this offseason. York showed his personality to the press, speaking on how personal this renewed rivalry is with Texas and noting that Kyle Field was the hardest place to play in the country.

The front seven in College Station will make or break this matchup, and York will be looking to be a game-breaker when Texas rolls into town.

6. RB/WR/KR Terry Bussey

We thought about putting starting running back Amari Daniels here, and he is certainly deserving of the spot.

That said, the game breaking ability that Terry Bussey possesses could very well end up being the difference in the game for Texas A&M.

Bussey does it all for Texas A&M, lining up at running back, receiver, returning punts and kicks, and even taking wildcat QB snaps.

And since the injury to star back Le'Veon Moss, he has become more and more involved in the offense.

He is will be one to watch for both the Texas defense and special teams come Saturday.

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