During the first seven practices of Texas A&M's preseason, Northwestern transfer Edge Anto Saka continues to look like one of the most important offseason acquisitions under third-year coach Mike Elko, while senior defensive tackle DJ Hicks is very close to reaching his elite potential going into his final season in College Station. A former five-star recruit in the 2023 recruiting class, Hicks earned his starting spot during the 2024 season, but was still ways away from taking the proverbial "next step" as a consistent run defender and reliable interior pass rusher. However, Hicks made significant strides during the Aggies' historic 2025 season, recording a career-high 26 tackles, four sacks, and 15 pressures. Hicks' rare combination of NFL-level size, strength, and twitch athleticism made him a potential second- or third-round selection in the 2027 NFL Draft, as playing alongside Anto Saka, transfer nose tackle CJ Mims, and a larger linebacker rotation with transfer Ray Coney, senior Daymion Sanford, and rising sophomore Noah Mikhail should help Hicks win a majority of his 1-on-1 matchups. This week, NFL Draft analyst Anthony Russo stated that DJ Hicks is a "strong candidate" to be a breakout player for the Aggies this season, which isn't new if Aggies Wire is part of your weekly Texas A&M sports intake. Russo went on to praise Hicks' first step off the LOS and solid hand placement as two traits that, with more refinement, should result in the former blue-chip recruit becoming one of the more feared interior defenders this season. During SEC Media Days last month, Mike Elko proclaimed that the 2026 season is also "DJ Hicks' time," and I couldn't agree more.
DJ Hicks (5) is definitely still putting it altogether but his first step off the line of scrimmage combined with his athleticism, natural hand placement and stack and shed ability make him a strong candidate to be a breakout player for Texas A&M pic.twitter.com/QMI7j5UZjN — Anthony Russo (@Anthony_Russo97) August 14, 2026
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty. This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M senior DL is a 'strong candidate' to breakout in 2026