Before Daylon Mack came back into the fold, Texas A&M had a strong class. Mack’s signing cemented it as one of the best in the nation — right around the top 10, according to the major recruiting services. The big defensive tackle is not only the lynchpin of the Aggies’ 2015 class, he’s also the freshman with the chance to make the biggest impact in the SEC in 2015.

The No. 6 player in the ESPN 300, Mack brings an element to the Aggies defense that’s been missing for the last two years. While there’s  young talent already on the roster and more coming in with Mack — fellow DT Kingsley KeKe, defensive end James Lockhart and others — the Gladewater, Texas native is something special.

For a player listed at 6-foot-1 and 330 pounds, Mack moves exceptionally well. He’s shown explosive quickness and strength and has the ability to blow up the middle of an offensive line.

There’s a good chance that Mack can be a powerful two-way lineman, one capable of terrorizing quarterbacks and standing up running backs in the hole. He’ll certainly require some careful attention from offensive lines.

That’s welcome news for the rest of Texas A&M’s defensive line, Myles Garrett, Daeshon Hall and Alonzo Williams. Garrett especially fell victim to the lack of a fellow dominant presence on the line. In SEC play, teams were able to set their sights on the slender freshman and attack him with multiple blockers, wearing him down by season’s end.

Opening up opportunities for his fellow linemen could be Mack’s biggest impact as a freshman. Whether or not he puts up big sack or tackle-for-loss totals, when Mack is on the field he’s going to suck up blockers. With his skillset, already advanced for an 18 year old, Mack seems like the perfect fit for the Aggies defense.

He joins a talented teammate in the middle, rising senior Williams, one of the top returning defensive tackles in the conference. The two of them are very different players — Williams a long, lanky defensive tackle who makes plays on ball-carriers past the line of scrimmage while also getting after the quarterback — and working together should benefit both.

After a bit of drama in his recruiting process, Mack ended up just where he started out, and he landed with a defensive coordinator that knows exactly how to take advantage of his ability.