With the hiring of John Chavis this offseason, there are no more excuses for Texas A&M’s defense. The Aggies finished dead last in the SEC in total defense the last two years, and anything close to that would me a major disappointment with one of the most vaunted defensive minds in the country in charge now.

There are mitigating factors to Chavis’ excellence, though. While Texas A&M has recruited well, the Aggies are nowhere near the most talented defensive teams in the conference. On top of that, the unit’s job is made more difficult by Kevin Sumlin’s offense’s sheer efficiency. The Aggies finished last in the SEC the last two years while boasting the conference’s best passing offense in both 2013 and 2014, numbers that aren’t likely to shift much in 2015.

What would be realistic to expect out of the Aggies defense this fall?

Pass defense

Last year: 234.8 yards per game (13th in SEC), 56.1 completion percentage (8th), 35 sacks (t-3rd)

The Aggies sack total is buoyed in part by the early season games during which Texas A&M looked like a world beater; only about a third of their sacks came against SEC opponents. Chavis should help make the pass rush more consistent with a simplified scheme that sends both defensive ends after the quarterback.

The back end of the defense is a little more troublesome after losing three starters. DeVante Harris was one of the most problematic corners in the league last year, getting beaten with regularity, and he might not have the size to play in Chavis’ press coverage scheme despite packing on a few pounds. Safety Armani Watts was fine in coverage last year, but struggled to tackle guys in front of him (like the rest of A&M’s departed secondary).

The Aggies will be counting on development from players like Victor Davis, Tavares Garner and Nick Harvey, while newcomer Justin Evans will have to have an immediate impact at safety.

Having a strong defensive line will help mask some deficiencies in the back of the defense, but it could take a year or two for the secondary to fully meet the standards Chavis’ defenses have met in the past.

Realistic rankings expectations: 8th in pass yards per game, 6th in completion percentage, 3rd in sacks

Run defense

Last year: 216 yards per game (14th), 5.01 yards per carry (13th), 76 tackles for loss (9th)

This was the Aggies biggest problem last year, thanks to a variety of issues. The defensive line had a few decent run stoppers in Julien Obioha and Alonzo Williams, but after that the players willing to stick their nose in the fray were limited. Aggies linebackers were often moving side-to-side instead of downhill, something Chavis will work to correct, and the defensive backfield was filled with awful tacklers.

Is there reason for hope? Moving Julien Obioha inside for some time at defensive tackle to play alongside Williams and freshman Daylon Mack should give the Aggies a versatile group at the point of attack.

What about behind them? The Aggies are thin on experience at linebacker after losing Justin Bass and Tommy Sanders, while Jordan Mastrogiovanni left the team. Shaan Washington is a solid player, while Otaro Alaka emerged toward the end of his freshman year. A.J. Hilliard returns after missing nearly the entire season after coming out of fall camp last year as the starter.

The Aggies will have to be better in 2015 — there’s nowhere to go but up — but until they can develop depth in the linebacking corps, it’s going to be hard to rank among the best in the SEC.

Realistic rankings expectations: 9th in rush yards per game, 10th in yards per carry, 8th in tackles for loss