Olin Buchanan

Coming in at No. 8 on the 25 Players in 25 Days list is redshirt junior cornerback Dezz Ricks. Ricks is the lone returning cornerback from last season and is entering his third year with the Aggies. He is part of what Elko has described as a secondary that is one of the best since 2018.

Along the defensive line and at linebacker, Texas A&M lost four of six starters to professional futures, which means a big part of the offseason is adequately replacing those names. For Texas A&M's front six to succeed, there is no shortage of options at Mike Elko's disposal.

Coming in at No. 7 on the 25 Players in 25 Days countdown is team captain and returning safety Dalton Brooks. The Shiner, Texas native returns for his fourth season at A&M after playing in 12 games last season, recording 62 tackles, 6.5 TFL, four sacks and one interception.

A former five-star signee from small-town East Texas, wide receiver Terry Bussey is now a junior at Texas A&M, and the strides he has made since the end of last season should help him bolster the Maroon & White's incredibly talented receiving corps.

The Fightin' Texas Aggies braved the triple-digit temperatures on Saturday morning as "family day" represented the Maroon & White's 14th August practice. Olin Buchanan discusses his key observations from the full two-hour session.

Earning the highest rank of a defensive player, interior defensive lineman DJ Hicks is expected to make major contributions in his senior season. With 37 career games under his belt, Hicks comes in at #4 on our 25 Players in 25 Days list.

Texas A&M's secondary has an often-overlooked fifth member in nickelback Jordan Shaw. The returning senior began making a name for himself last season, posting 18 tackles, with 2.5 going for lost yardage, and holding Miami's Malachi Toney to just five catches for 22 yards.

Bringing in a new dimension to the Aggie receiver room, graduate transfer Isaiah Horton is #3 on our 25 Players in 25 Days list. In 44 career games at Miami and Alabama, the 6-foot-4 Nashville, TN native hauled in 112 receptions for 1,301 yards with 14 touchdowns.

In 2025, Texas A&M ranked No. 18 in total defense as Mike Elko's reputation for fielding stout units on that side of the ball continues to grow. Despite losing a handful of starters from last year's defense, defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill has reasons to believe the Aggies will again be strong.

Listed at #2 on the 25 Players in 25 Days Countdown is QB1 Marcel Reed. Coming off a redshirt sophomore season with 13 starts and leading A&M to a first-round playoff berth, Reed returns as an experienced QB with high hopes of taking the next step and leading A&M to success.