Dec 27, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko reacts against the Southern California Trojans in the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Texas A&M Aggies 'Gaining Serious Traction' for 5-Star Edge Rusher

Originally posted on Texas A&M Aggies on SI
By Aaron Raley | Last updated Jun 9, 2025 12:25 PM ET

With Nic Scourton and Shemar Stewart now off to the NFL, Mike Elko and the Texas A&M Aggies are now on the hunt for their next big defensive ends.

After adding Samuel M'Pemba and T.J. Searcy via the transfer portal, the team could be one step closer to finishing their edge rushing puzzle, as Anthony "Tank" Jones could be leaning towards the Aggies as his college selection. Per reports from Sam Spiegelman of Rivals, Texas A&M is "gaining serious traction" for Jones.

Jones, a five-star edge rusher out of St. Paul's Episcopal in Mobile, AL, paid an official visit to College Station this past Thursday, June 5.

The connection between the Maroon and White and Jones began picking up steam over Jones' visits to campus, and he had nothing but positive remarks to say about the environment in College Station.

"The energy that they bring and the culture there just fits me," Jones told Sam Spiegelman of Rivals.

To say that adding Jones to the defensive front would be an understatement. The 247Sports Composite Rankings have Jones ranked as the 15th-best overall player, the third-best edge rusher, and the second-best player out of the state of Alabama.

As of now, in addition to the Texas A&M Aggies, there is also a possibility of Jones committing to the Miami Hurricanes, LSU Tigers, or one of his home state schools with the Auburn Tigers or Alabama Crimson Tide.

The Aggies totaled 25 sacks in the 2024 season, which came to an average of 2.1 sacks per game, which tied them for 55th-best in the nation, well behind the 4.1 sacks that the Ole Miss Rebels tacked per game that led the country.

The addition of Jones should give a jolt of life to the Aggie sack production, which was expected to see a rise after Scourton, who led the Big Ten in sacks in 2023 during his time with Purdue, but didn't quite live up to expectations.

Whether they upgrade their defense with Jones or not, the replacements for the "Wrecking Crew" defense for the Aggies looks to rolling right along and on schedule following the departures of the NFL talent.

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

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