Texas A&M's 48-20 win over Arizona State was defined by the defense's fourth-quarter heroics, as sophomore Edge Marco Jones and senior cornerback Julio Humphrey recorded two pick-six touchdowns that ignited a 24-point fourth quarter, and combined with starting quarterback Marcel Reed's three touchdowns, the Aggies made the winning plays necessary to leave Kyle Field at 2-0 on the year.
In the trenches, Northwestern transfer Edge Anto Saka has been impressive, recording several pressures against ASU, and is by far the best pure pass rusher on the roster, outside of Marco Jones and T.J. Searcy, who produced a combined eight pressures on Saturday.
Entering his final season, senior defensive tackle DJ Hicks has quietly had an impressive start to the
year, earning notable Pro Football Focus defensive grades against Missouri State (77.5) and ASU (73.0), combined with 67-plus run defense grades in both games, and was also in the green as a tackler and pass rusher (70.1) on Saturday.
Hicks' job isn't necessarily to rack up sacks, but to generate pressure; he recorded his first against the Sun Devils and was consistently in the backfield, winning most of his battles and helping the rest of the defensive line impact ASU QB Cutter Boley, especially in the second half.
Hicks's ability to tackle in space during the 2023 and 2024 seasons was an issue that has since been remedied, leading to Texas A&M's run defense showing promise in the first two games, holding the Sun Devils to yards, and ultimately shutting them down in the second half.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M senior DL is quietly having a great start to the season
