Texas A&M was the last SEC team to start fall camp, so John Chavis hasn’t had a ton of time to get to know his players.

The little time he’s had appears to be positive, though, as Aggies defenders are singing his praises.

Sophomore defensive end Myles Garrett, an All-American candidate who looks to thrive under Chavis, said he feels the defense is poised to force more turnovers and have more big plays under the new defensive coordinator.

“I felt like our defense wasn’t set for me to attack as much,” Garrett told reporters last week. “Now that Coach Chavis has come here, we’re just going at the ball full-speed.”

Chavis also seems open to giving newcomers a chance, saying that he’s excited about the Aggies’ young defensive talent while comparing it to past teams he joined at Tennessee and LSU.

Julien Obioha isn’t one of the young newcomers that Chavis is referring to, but the senior defensive lineman will be an integral part of the Aggies defense. He’s seen some bad defensive performances during his time at College Station and, as Obioha told the Houston Chronicle, Chavis is setting lofting goals for the Texas A&M defense:

“Coach Chavis said, ‘We’re here to win championships. We have the talent and pieces to do it right now,'” Obioha said this summer.

Turns out those pieces required some shuffling to fit Chavis’ idea of a championship puzzle. One required snagging senior running back Brandon Williams from the other side of the ball to try to play cornerback, one of the defense’s biggest needs.

The secondary is clearly an area in which the Aggies need to improve. Chavis was renowned for producing premier defensive backs at LSU and is trying to challenge the Aggies secondary. He said the cornerbacks in particular have responded well.

“They’re going to be challenged every play,” Chavis said. “They’re practicing against some of the best receivers in the league and they’ve taken to it.”

Chavis even hosted a barbeque for defensive players at his home.

“I wanted to spend some time with you away from the offense,” Chavis told his players. “I want you to enjoy yourself, relax and have fun.”

It seems like Chavis has taken to Texas cuisine quite quickly. Even better for Aggies fans, Texas A&M players have taken quickly to Chavis.