Texas A&M Football: 10 Bold Predictions for the Aggies in SEC play

Embed from Getty Images

No. 4 – Otaro Alaka will make some serious noise in SEC play.

While the linebacker position has always been a question for Texas A&M, senior Otaro Alaka has been a staple in the defense since he stepped onto campus in 2014. His freshman year, although he wasn’t a starter, he jump started the defense in ways that they didn’t even know they needed. He finished with 33 tackles, including 21 solo hits in 12 games- five starts. He also earned defensive MVP honors in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl after recording seven tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss against West Virginia. And that was just his freshman year.

His sophomore season was not as excellent as the first. It ended before it really began due to a season ending injury. The loss was felt throughout the Aggie defense and the unit wasn’t the same the rest of the season.

Last season, Alaka finished third on the team in tackles with 74 in total including 30 solo stops. He registered nine tackles for loss including two sacks. He had more than five tackles in nine of his thirteen starts at linebacker for the Aggies.

This season? Oh, he’s just the highest graded linebacker in the SEC. He sits at 19 total tackles already this season, one of which was for loss. My bold prediction for Alaka? He will make some serious noise in the SEC. I see him being one of, if not the most important part of the Aggie defense as the season continues to wear on.