Texas A&M will travel to face Notre Dame on Saturday night. Both teams are currently ranked inside the top twenty. There will be a ton of draft-eligible prospects to keep an eye on during this game.
The Bengals recently selected an edge player from the Aggies with Shemar Stewart. Could they look to do so again?
One of my favorite prospects is edge rusher Cashius Howell. I currently view Howell as a top fifty prospect for the entire draft class. He is a former transfer from Bowling Green. This will be his second season with Texas A&M. He has 18.5 career sacks entering the game, including three from last week. He has a highly advanced pass rush arsenal, quickness off the snap, and bend around the corner.
Another player on that defensive line will be Albert Regis. Regis is a high level run defender with natural leverage and active hands. Even though he is only 6’1”, he batted down a highly impressive seven passes in 2024.
Linebacker Taurean York is another draft-eligible player for the Aggies defense. York has been a starter all three seasons he has been on campus. He has already produced over 150 tackles and 6 sacks in his career. While he will be considered undersized at only 6’0 235 lbs., he plays much bigger than that on the field. He possesses sideline-to-sideline range, has elite reaction speed, and is a reliable tackler with an under 8% missed tackle rate for the entire 2024 season last year.
The last player I want to mention on the defensive side of the ball for Texas A&M is Will Lee III. He has excellent length, fluidity in his hips, and great ball skills. Last season, he was among the leaders in college football with twelve passes defensed.
On the offensive side of the ball, they have three guys who are likely to play offensive guard in the NFL. Trey Zuhn III plays left tackle in college, but is likely to kick inside to guard due to his arm length (reported less than 32”). Zuhn III does have good quickness off the snap. He has been a four-year starter on the offensive line for the Aggies.
Chase Bisontis is another multi-year starter who plays left guard. He has great athleticism for the position. He fires out of his stance and attacks as a run blocker. He has done an excellent job recognizing and picking up stunts and blitzes. He will need to play a bit more under control at times, and not always be looking for a kill shot. He misses his intended target too often due to that.
Ar’maj Reed-Adams is the third member of the offensive line to keep an eye out for on Saturday. He is an absolute mauler in the run game. This is a guy who loves to finish blocks. He will need to cut down on the penalties this year. He had eleven on the season in 2024.
Flipping over to the Notre Dame side of things, they have several intriguing prospects of their own. Al Golden could be looking to bring in some more of his guys from the defensive side of the ball over the next couple of years.
Drayk Bowen is a linebacker prospect who had actually been a dual-sport athlete prior to this past year. He was part of the baseball team at Notre Dame for his first two years on campus. After a breakout 2024 season, he decided to focus on just football. He would likely be a top 100 prospect on the gridiron if he were to declare after the season. Bowen had three forced fumbles during the 2024 season.
Cam Taylor-Britt had a rough opening game for the Cincinnati Bengals. He is also scheduled to become a free agent after the season. The defense could be primed to select a cornerback within the first few rounds.
Christian Gray is a draft-eligible cornerback prospect for Notre Dame. He has quick enough feet to mirror opposing receivers. He recorded three interceptions during the 2024 season. He will have to cut down on turnovers this season. He was penalized six times in 2024.
Xavier Watts was linked to the Bengals in the lead-up to the draft this year. He surprisingly lasted until the third round, ultimately selected by the Atlanta Falcons. Watts was highly impressive in his debut game with six tackles and two passes defensed. Whenever Adon Schuler ends up declaring, I would expect him to also be mentioned as a possibility for reuniting with defensive coordinator Al Golden. Schuler is only in his redshirt sophomore season. He has already played a lot of impressive football for the Fighting Irish.
On the offensive side of the ball, Notre Dame has the best running back prospect in the country. Jeremiyah Love forces a lot of missed tackles (62 last year), has a knack for the end zone (19 total), and did not record a single fumble on the 2024 season. I expect Love to be a top twenty prospect for the draft next year.
Some other draft-eligible prospects in this game for Notre Dame are Malachi Fields (WR), Jaden Greathouse (WR), Eli Raridon (TE), Aamil Wagner (RT), Donovan Hinish (DT), and Jaylen Sneed (LB).
Other draft-eligible prospects for Texas A&M include KC Concepcion (WR), Le’Veon Moss (RB), DJ Hicks (DT), Scooby Williams (LB), Dalton Brooks (S), and Tyreek Chappell (CB).
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