Sep 27, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies defensive end Cashius Howell (9) reacts after sacking Auburn Tigers quarterback Jackson Arnold (not pictured) during the fourth quarter at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Is Cashius Howell The Next Von Miller?

Originally posted on Texas A&M Aggies on SI
By Aaron Raley | Last updated Oct 18, 2025 10:06 AM ET

When Texas A&M defensive end Cashius Howell said that not being named to the Preseason All-SEC team right before the season was going to give him a little "extra motivation" for the 2025 season, very few could have guessed that it would mean him being the Southeastern Conference's sack leader halfway through the season.

That's exactly what has happened, however, as Howell currently sits with eight sacks and 14 tackles, with three of those sacks coming on three consecutive plays early in the season against Utah State.

And just a couple of weeks ago during Texas A&M's win over Mississippi State, Howell tormented quarterback Blake Shapen, scoring three more sacks, as well as a pass deflection, the first Aggie to record multiple three-sack games in a single season since Von Miller accomplished the feat in 2009.

Cashius Howell? Or Von Miller 2.0?

Since Howell transferred to College Station from Bowling Green before the 2024 season, he has been a hassle to handle on the defensive line for his opposition, scoring 12.5 sacks and letting himself shine as a leader of the A&M defense, earning him comparisons to Miller, a former No. 2 overall draft pick in 2011, which Howell called "a blessing."

Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

"Von Miller was a great player that came through here," Howell said Wednesday in an interview. "It's obviously a blessing to be able to be compared to someone that has done it at every level and is currently still in the league, thriving and doing his thing, and it means a lot to be able to be in those same types of conversations as him."

Howell also opened up on starting at Bowling Green, navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic, and fighting the chip on his shoulder as he entered college play.

"I kind of fell behind in my recruitment, BG was probably, towards the end of my recruitment, the only school that was recruiting me, so that's kinda how I ended up there," Howell said. "I always knew that deep down I could always play at the highest level, I just haven't been able to get the platform or the offers that I wanted, so like you said, it keeps a chip on my shoulder and it allows me to go to the places that I'm trying to go."

Now that Howell is in an environment where those skills can be put to good use in College Station, he's nothing but grateful for the opportunity presented to him.

"It's all praise to God as to how I got here, and after going through my recruitment and going from not being recruited to being recruited, it's definitely a good feeling to know that hard work pays off and it just makes you want to continue working hard and to see what else you can achieve."

Howell will see how much he can achieve in Fayetteville this Saturday when the Aggies take on the Arkansas Razorbacks.

This article first appeared on Texas A&M Aggies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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