When Texas A&M first joined the SEC, they brought with them a brand of football the conference had not seen before: a fast-paced high-flying offense that revolutionized the league. That style has slowly faded away from the Aggies, and though they’re trying to revive it with the addition of OC Noel Mazzone, it’s never really been synonymous with Texas A&M football – defense has.

With the addition of DC John Chavis, the Aggies are returning to their roots and as such, here’s a look at the team’s top 10 players coming out of spring practice, beginning with a defense that appears to be the team’s strength heading into the 2016 season.

Defense

DE Daeshon Hall: Second on the team last season in tackles for loss (14.5) and sacks (7.0), Hall makes up a tandem that is perhaps the best in college football at getting to the quarterback. Hall recorded 54 tackles last season and forced two fumbles. He only looks to get better in his senior year.

DE Myles Garrett: The SEC leader in tackles for loss (19.5) and sacks (12.5), Garrett was among the nation’s elite in both categories last season as a sophomore. It’s a scary thought that he still has endless upside, but Garrett will only get better with another year of experience under his belt.

WLB Shaan Washington: Second on the team in tackles (81) last season, Washington will be a senior leader on defense for the Aggies in 2016. He recorded 7.5 tackles for loss, broke up 4 passes and had 3 quarterback hurries a year ago. He’ll only get better under Chavis’ tutelage.

FS Armani Watts: The team leader in tackles (126) last season as a sophomore, including 83 solo, Watts is among the team leaders in the secondary. With 6.0 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles, and an interception, Watts has a nose for the football and in 2016 should become a household name if he isn’t already.

SS Justin Evans: Third on the team in tackles (78) a year ago, Evans moves into a position of senior leadership in 2016 for what is shaping up to be one of the strongest secondaries in the SEC and the nation.

NICK Donovan Wilson: Yet another standout in the secondary, Wilson was already making a name for himself last season as a sophomore. His numbers and his strengths should only improve with experience. Wilson recorded 63 tackles last season, including 8.5 for loss. He came up with 2 sacks, a team-high 5 interceptions (returning one for a touchdown) and forced 3 fumbles.

Offense

WR Josh Reynolds: There’s no question the strength of the Aggies’ offense is its receivers. As a junior last season, Reynolds finished in the top five in the SEC averaging 75.6 receiving yards per game. He was second on the team with 907 yards on 51 pass receptions and 5 touchdowns.

Slot Ricky Seals-Jones: As a sophomore last season, Seals-Jones finished third on the team with 560 yards on 45 pass receptions and 4 touchdowns. He looks to be a threat once again this season and should be among the many beneficiaries of Mazzone’s up-tempo offense.

Slot Christian Kirk: Rarely does a freshman make as big an impact as Kirk did last season. But Aggies fans have sort of grown accustomed to freshmen taking over, especially on offense. Kirk did it all in his debut. In addition to leading the team with 1,009 yards and 7 touchdowns on 80 receptions, Kirk also averaged 24.4 yards on 14 punt returns (taking two of those for touchdowns) and 19.3 yards on 20 kickoff returns.