Detailing important departures from Texas A&M's top 2025 opponents
Putting a puzzle together is easy if all the pieces are available.
But a missing piece or two prevents the picture from being completed.
Likewise, every college football program is trying to put together the pieces of a championship team.
Adding pieces is important. But for some, the pieces lost could be too much to overcome.
With that in mind, here’s a look at the major teams on Texas A&M’s 2025 schedule and the pieces they’ve lost from last season’s starting lineup through completion of eligibility, early entry to the NFL Draft or entering the transfer portal.
We’re defining starters as players who were in the starting lineup for at least half of the 12 regular-season games.
Some teams won’t worry about losing certain starters because the “backups” were better. For example, Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons technically did not qualify as a starter. Still, he led the Longhorns with nine sacks. Some also believe Texas will upgrade at quarterback with Arch Manning taking over for Quinn Ewers.
But other teams will have major holes to fill. LSU, for instance, faces a major task of replacing All-SEC tackles Will Campbell and Emory Jones, who opted for the draft.
Also, Notre Dame’s defense doesn’t project to be as strong because of the departures of safety Xavier Watts, linebacker Jack Kiser and defensive linemen Howard Cross III and Rylie Mills.
Even a loss of multiple starters doesn’t necessarily mean a team will struggle in 2025, especially with the transfer portal available to restock rosters.
The following provides a guideline of what A&M’s top opponents must replace:
Arkansas
Starters lost: Offense 6, Defense 6
Completed eligibility: WR Tyrone Broden, WR Andrew Armstrong, DB Doneiko Slaughter, DL Eric Gregory, DB Jayden Johnson
NFL Draft early entries: DE Landon Jackson
Transfer portal: WR Isaiah Sategna (Oklahoma), TE Luke Hasz (Ole Miss), OL Addison Nichols (SMU), OL Joshua Braun (Kentucky), DE Nico Davillier (UCLA), S TJ Metcalf (Missouri)
Auburn
Starters lost: Offense 4, Defense 7
Completed eligibility: TE Rivaldo Fairweather, WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith, QB Payton Thorne, RB Jarquez Hunter, S Jerrin Thompson, LB Dorian Mausi, LB Jalen McLeod, LB Eugene Asante, DL Philip Blidi, DL Isaiah Raikes
NFL Draft early entries: None
Transfer portal: S Caleb Wooden (Arkansas)
Florida
Starters lost: Offense 4, Defense 7
Completed eligibility: RB Montrell Johnson, WR Chimere Dike, WR Elijhah Badger, CB Jason Marshall Jr., DL Cam Jackson, S Trikweze Bridges
NFL Draft early entries: LB Shemar James
Transfer portal: WR Marcus Burke (UCF), EDGE T.J. Searcy (Texas A&M), CB Ja’Keem Jackson (LSU), EDGE Jack Pyburn (LSU)
LSU
Starters lost: Offense 7, Defense 8
Completed eligibility: WR Kyren Lacy, G Miles Frazier, G Garrett Dellinger, LB Greg Penn, DE Saivon Jones, DE Bradyn Swinson, DT Gio Paez, DE Paris Shand, CB Zy Alexander, S Major Burns
NFL Draft early entries: OT Will Campbell, OT Emory Jones, TE Mason Taylor
Transfer portal: WR CJ Daniels (Miami), S Sage Ryan (Ole Miss)
Mississippi State
Starters lost: Offense 6, Defense 5
Completed eligibility: OL Ethan Miner, OL Grant Jackson, OL Marlon Martinez, DL Sulaiman Kpaka, DL De’Monte Russell, S Corey Ellington
NFL Draft early entries: LB Stone Blanton
Transfer portal: WR Kevin Coleman Jr. (Missouri), QB Michael Van Buren Jr. (LSU), OL Makylan Pounders (Louisville), CB Brice Pollock (Texas Tech)
Missouri
Starters lost: Offense 7, Defense 4
Completed eligibility: WR Theo Wease Jr., QB Brady Cook, OL Marcus Bryant, OL Cam’Ron Johnson, RB Nate Noel, DE Johnny Walker Jr., DB Joseph Charleston, DT Kristian Williams
NFL Draft early entries: WR Luther Burden III
Transfer portal: None
Notre Dame
Starters lost: Offense 7, Defense 7
Completed eligibility: QB Riley Leonard, WR Beaux Collins, WR Kris Mitchell, TE Mitchell Evans, S Xavier Watts, S Jordan Clark, LB Jack Kiser, DL Howard Cross III, DE R.J. Oben, DT Rylie Mills
NFL Draft early entries: CB Benjamin Morrison
Transfer portal: OL Sam Pendleton (Tennessee), OL Rocco Spindler (Nebraska), G Pat Coogan (Indiana)
South Carolina
Starters lost: Offense 5, Defense 8
Completed eligibility: OL Kamaar Bell, OL Vershon Lee, OL Torricelli Simpkins III, TE Joshua Simon, LB Debo Williams, LB Demetrius Knight Jr., DB O’Donnell Fortune, DE Kyle Kennard, DT Tonka Hemingway, DL Alex Huntley
NFL Draft early entries: RB Raheim Sanders, S Nick Emmanwori, DT T.J. Sanders
Transfer portal: None
Texas
Starters lost: Ofense. 8, Defense 6
Completed eligibility: OL Jake Majors, TE Gunnar Helm, DB Andrew Mukuba, DB Jahdae Barron, DL Vernon Broughton, DL Barryn Sorrell, DE Alfred Collins, LB David Gbenda
NFL Draft early entries: QB Quinn Ewers, OT Cameron Williams, G Hayden Conner, OT Kelvin Banks Jr., WR Matthew Golden, WR Isaiah Bond
Transfer portal: None
