Week Four's Overnight Sensation: Taurean York, Linebacker

Each Monday during the 2023 Texas A&M football season, we’ll identify a first or second-year Aggie player who delivered an exceptional performance over the weekend and earned the distinction of being the week’s ‘Overnight Sensation.’

A disruptor.

In today’s era of college football, recruiting rankings are all the rage.

Every program wants the five-stars. Every coach wants the prospects making highlight-reel plays. Every fanbase wants the most intimidating measurables and stats.

The No. 970-ranked player in a class can be left in the shadows.

That was until Texas A&M defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin struck gold by finding linebacker Taurean York in last year’s class.

With only five offers from Power 5 schools, York chose to further his playing career at Texas A&M — about an hour's drive away from his hometown of Temple, Texas.

Upon arrival in January, the freshman did not shy away from breaking down walls. 

All it took for York to transform from being the nearly thousandth prospect in the 2022 class to a starting linebacker in the Southeastern Conference was eight months. Not even a full year.

Talk about being disruptive.

Jamie Maury, TexAgs

Taurean York also led the Aggie defense with seven tackles in Week 2 at Miami.

His elite intuition is on display in more than one way. Just last year, his name was ignored and neglected.

With four starts to his name through only four games, York is forcing people to look.

His performance in Saturday’s 27-10 win over Auburn is just another example.

York’s name wasn’t at the bottom of any list. It was at the top of Texas A&M’s defensive stats, leading the Aggies in tackles for the second time this season.

The freshman posted a team-high 11 tackles, five of which were solo, along with his first sack (credited with half) and his first pair of TFLs.

“He’s only going to get better and better and better in what he does, and the reads he makes and alignments and assignments,” head coach Jimbo Fisher said postgame.

“The kid is a heck of a player and a very mature kid, and that’s what allows him to do it. Very happy for him. That’s the way he practices every day. The way he comes to work every day.”

York’s performance helped keep Auburn’s offense out of the end zone as A&M held the Tigers to just 200 total yards.

York, partnered with veteran linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, has also assisted the Aggies in holding opponents to just 10 third-down conversions on 49 attempts, the nation’s second-best third-down defense.

With an entire career ahead of him, the 12th Man has gotten just a small bite of what York is capable of doing, and just like savoring a York Peppermint Pattie, you can’t help but “get the sensation” when he takes the field.

York’s stats vs. Auburn
Tackles: 11
Solo Tackles: 5
QB Hurries: 0
Sacks: 0.5
TFLs: 2.0

York’s 2023 stats
Tackles: 22
Solo Tackles: 10
QB Hurries: 0
Sacks: 0.5
TFLs: 2.0