Texas A&M is gearing up for Year 1 of the Mike Elko era.

One of the Aggies’ biggest wins of the winter period was landing former Purdue defensive lineman Nic Scourton out of the transfer portal. Scourton was amongst the best pass rushers in the Big Ten last season, totaling 10 sacks in 2023.

On Friday, ESPN published a story focusing on the “most intriguing newcomers” and “position battles to watch” at numerous top programs from around the country. Scourton earned the nod as A&M’s newcomer to watch for.

Here’s some analysis from ESPN’s Chris Low:

Scourton played his high school football in nearby Bryan, Texas, but the Aggies didn’t offer. Since then, he’s transformed his body and added more than 50 pounds. Elko, who was Texas A&M’s defensive coordinator at the time, is eager to see what this version of Scourton can do in the SEC. The Aggies lost more than half of the players who accounted for their 42 sacks from last season. Scourton, paired with returning senior defensive lineman Shemar Turner, should help fill that void.

Indeed, Elko acknowledged in a recent interview that he considered offering Scourton out of high school but never pulled the trigger due to his size.

“When we were recruiting him, he was mad at me because we didn’t offer him out of high school,” Elko said. “I told him if I knew he was going to look like this 3 years later, it would have made my job a lot easier.”

Scourton ultimately ended up in West Lafayette and turned into a very strong player with NFL aspirations. He’ll now headline a Texas A&M pass rush that’s hoping to make waves in the SEC in 2024.

Fans who want to bet on Texas A&M’s 2024 regular season win total can do so at FanDuel! The Aggies’ win total is currently set at 8.5 wins. The Aggies are also +290 to make the College Football Playoff this season.

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