HOOVER, Ala. — Texas A&M brought three linemen to SEC Media Days this week, and not one of them was named Myles Garrett.

An outsider may have suspected coach Kevin Sumlin feared for his safety at the Riverchase Galleria, as if the three oversized individuals accompanying him were body guards.

Hold that image in contrast with last year’s Aggies football team, which got bludgeoned along the line of scrimmage during a 2-5 finish to the regular season.

The run defense put up as much fight as Mahatma Gandhi. Despite a bevy of future NFL picks along the offensive line, that group got hammered by physical players like Arkansas’ Trey Flowers and Alabama’s Jonathan Allen.

As the Aggies try to claw up the standings in the hardscrabble SEC West, coach Kevin Sumlin didn’t mince words when explaining the Aggies’ need to get more physical at the point of attack on offense and defense.

“We weren’t very physical last year and we needed to be,” Sumlin said. “That was really the goal in the offseason, to become a more physical team and being able to run the ball in a big-time league when we want to and when we need to. And then to be able to hold up defensively and stop that type of attack.”

A few yards away, the 335-pound Germain Ifedi talked to another hoard of media members. The offensive tackle aims to become Texas A&M’s fourth consecutive first-round pick at the position.

New defensive coordinator John “The Chief” Chavis brings an aggressive, attacking mentality to the Aggies, which will help. But the more significant hire may turn out to be importing Dave Christensen from Utah, where he served as offensive coordinator.

Christensen now will oversee the Aggies offensive line, implementing wider splits, more pulling guards and more power formations in the running game. The team wants to utilize the size and power of Tra Carson out of the backfield.

All of those changes also will allow the defense to get better looks in practice and not be overwhelmed by elite SEC running games against teams like Alabama, Auburn and LSU. The Aggies gave up 216 rushing yards per game last year, last in the SEC.

“We’ve had to change our practice style,” Sumlin said. “Adding some gap scheme runs and some power runs that we need not only for us offensively to be better and be able to run when we want to and need to, but also to help our defense in the manner that we practice and have a physical aspect to our football team that I think we were lacking last year.

“I think we came into the SEC with an attitude that, hey, we want to win right now, and the best way to do that is by scoring points and then building off of that with recruiting and generating excitement and doing those things. … Now let’s take the next step.”