Las Vegas Bowl Overnight Sensation: Cashius Howell, Defensive End

Each Monday during the 2024 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 steady contributor among the defensive line all season, Texas A&M's junior edge rusher Cashius Howell flashed in the 2024 SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl.

The first-year Aggie recorded five tackles, six pressures, a sack for a loss of 13 yards and a momentum-shifting interception in the Aggies' 35-31 loss to Southern California on Friday night.

With All-SEC selections Nic Scourton and Shemar Stewart, along with Shemar Turner, opting out and declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft, Howell saw an opportunity.

The Bowling Green transfer made his presence felt early on. To spoil USC's second possession of the game, Howell flew off the edge to chase down Trojan quarterback Jayden Maiava and sack him for a loss of 13 — his fourth of the season.

Katie Smith, TexAgs

Howell’s third quarter takeaway was the first of his colliegate career.

Howell continued to badger USC's signal-caller. In the third quarter, the Kansas City native went untouched off the right side, deflecting Maiava's pass and catching it, placing A&M on USC's 9-yard line.

Just one tackle away from scoring six, the A&M offense took care of it with a touchdown just three plays later.

Up 24-7, USC rattled off three straight touchdown drives to take the lead. Heavily utilizing the passing game, A&M's depleted secondary had no answers.

Despite Howell and the defensive line defending the run well in the second half, USC kept taking shots downfield. The Trojans averaged 2.8 yards on 13 carries compared to 226 yards through the air.

Continuing to exploit the Aggies' weaknesses, USC drove right into A&M territory and the endzone with seconds to spare, delivering a go-ahead touchdown to win the game.

Playing in 89 percent of A&M's defensive snaps, Mike Elko & Co. looked to Howell to step in as a run-stopper and a disruptor off the edge. He did just that.

However, A&M's backend woes down the stretch proved to be crippling.

In Howell's last three games, the defensive lineman played his best ball, recording 5.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a pick in that stretch.

"My confidence level is probably as high as it's ever been," Howell said postgame. "Coming from Bowling Green and being an under-recruited high school kid, there was a lot of doubt. 'Can I do this? Can I play at this level?' It's good to know now I am making plays and doing what I need to do."

Despite the disappointing final result, this isn't the last A&M fans will see of Howell, who possesses another year of eligibility.

"I definitely trust in Elko's plan and his vision," Howell said. "It's up to us as the players to rally together and get some type of leadership going."

Howell's uptick in production gave the Aggies a late-season look at the contributions to come next season.

Howell's stats vs. Southern California
Tackles: 5
Solo Tackles: 3
Sacks: 1
Interceptions: 1
Pass Break Ups: 1

Howell's 2024 stats
Tackles: 40
Solo Tackles: 26
Sacks: 4
TFLs: 8.5
Interceptions: 1
Pass Break Ups: 7
Quarterback Hurries: 8
Forced Fumbles: 1