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A deep dive on Texas A&M’s defense reveals a deep line.
Like … really, really deep.
It’s so deep that one of the more overlooked players on the A&M defensive front may be outplaying them all.
Here’s the depth of the situation:
Everybody at Kyle Field saw defensive end Marco Jones post a sack and turn an interception into a touchdown last week vs. Arizona State. They also saw Anto Saka get a tackle for loss and pressure the quarterback.
In the season-opening victory over Missouri State, everyone saw Ryan Henderson come off the bench to get a sack and a fourth-down tackle for loss.
But so far, the most productive member of the defensive line has been T.J. Searcy, a 6-foot-5, 260-pound senior.
He’s third on the team with eight tackles. He leads the team with two quarterback pressures. He’s tied for second with 1.5 tackles for loss.
Remember that pick-six by Jones? It was Searcy who hit the quarterback’s arm and forced the football to float out of his hands.
That’s all especially impressive considering Searcy, who is excellent in run defense, has already equaled his season-high in quarterback pressures. It seems to be just a matter of time before he adds a sack.
He’s only managed four sacks in his career, but this year could be different.
“I tried to focus on (my rush) a little bit this offseason,” Searcy said on Tuesday. “That’s one thing I was trying to improve on. Just using my length and my power in my pass rush.
“Honestly, (I’m) just working hard. Every day I just work hard in practice. When I get in the game, it's the same thing.”
Putting in a lot of hard work pays dividends. But Searcy admits it’s not just hard work that’s boosted his production.
It’s also a byproduct of all that depth in the defensive line.
“When you get on the field, you give everything you’ve got,” Searcy said. “You know, as soon as you get a little bit tired, somebody else can come in and take you right out. I think having that depth just allows me to play as hard as I can every snap.”
That was coach Mike Elko’s plan.
Whether on the edges or in the interior line, Elko has always understood the value of depth, especially in September in Texas when Kyle Field’s playing surface can feel like a frying pan.
“When you talk about being a 260- to 300-pound guy playing in the Texas heat … If you have to play every snap for four quarters, that’s a challenge if you want to play at the level and standard that we want to play at,” Elko said. “The ability to rotate guys, the ability to keep guys fresh, the ability to kind of come in waves at offenses, I think, is something that we’ve always viewed as a weapon for us.
“We’ve done it a lot with six or seven (deep) has been kind of our number since I’ve been here in ‘18. This is the time where we’re really doing it with nine, 10 and maybe sometimes 11 guys.”
The SEC’s decision to add a ninth conference game to the schedule drove the value of depth up like oil prices.
“We had to build ourselves for that, too,” Elko said. “That’s going to be part of it because this is going to get real physical real fast. Playing nine SEC football games requires a lot of guys in the trenches to be ready to step up.”
Tackles DJ Hicks, CJ Mims, DJ Sanders, Landon Rink and Brandon Davis-Swain have been used in an effective rotation in the interior line.
Meanwhile, Sam M’Pemba, who forced a fumble vs. Arizona State, has also been a part of the productive rotation of defensive ends.
Nobody, though, has produced more than Searcy, which may come as a surprise to some.
Although a starter last season, Searcy was easily the most obscure player on the defensive line.
And even with his fast start, he may be overlooked because he may not make as many “flash” plays as Jones or Saka.
Elko said NFL scouts aren’t overlooking Searcy, though.
“Certainly. NFL scouts are very aware of who he is, and he certainly rated a lot higher with them than the way he’s talked about,” Elko said. “I think he’s a really, really talented player. He’s really long, really physical at the point of attack. He’s hard to move. He can rush the passer. He can create problems for the quarterback with his length. He’s just a really good football player.”
