Texas A&M Football: 5 players to watch this Spring

A good portion of this list includes rising seniors, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Texas A&M’s defense was an underrated strength at times in 2017. The development needs to continue into 2018, starting with the run defense and pass rush.

Both the defensive line and linebacking corps play the key role in picking up the pace for the run defense and pass rush. The talent is there, and players like rising senior weakside linebacker Otaro Alaka have one more chance to step into the spotlight.

As one of the sack leaders for the Aggies last year, Alaka has the inside step to reaching at least the eight sack mark in 2018. Alaka’s specialty is blowing up players in the backfield, with 5.5 sacks and 12.0 tackles for loss last year.

Moreover, Alaka is among the most experienced players along Texas A&M’s defense. He’s suited up in at least three games for the Aggies every year since 2014. He’ll suit up for them one more time around and look to have his overall best performance during his five-year college career.