Texas A&M football's DC, players discuss fall camp progress
· Yahoo Sports
Fall camp is winding down for college football teams across the nation, which means kickoff for the 2026 season is rapidly approaching.
That includes the Texas A&M Aggies, who open the campaign against the Missouri State Bears on Saturday, Sept. 5. Head coach Mike Elko is entering his third season at the helm of the Maroon and White, after leading his team to the program's first 11-0 start since 1992, before closing the year with the Aggies' first College Football Playoff appearance.
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Despite much roster and coaching staff turnover in the offseason, Texas A&M has the talent and experience to exceed expectations and achieve more historic feats this year.
Here are some quotes from defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill, defensive back Jordan Shaw and running back Jamarion Morrow in their media appearance after Tuesday's practice:
Hemphill explains how Shaw has proven himself in fall camp
"He's just very consistent, just consistent every day," Hemphill said. "He comes out, he's the same Jordan Shaw (and) he does his job. He's been super consistent."
Hemphill discusses the defense's progress during fall camp and the areas in which the unit can improve
"The run fits. We're getting better at those and I think the overall execution just needs to continue to get better every day," Hemphill said.
Hemphill talks about what the Aggies must do for a successful season
"Number one, we've got to stop the run consistently. Number two, we've got to take the ball away. Number three, we've got to disrupt the passer," Hemphill said. "We can never let a quarterback just sit back there and feel comfortable throwing the ball.
Hemphill on why everything runs through the success up front
"Everything starts up front. It doesn't matter what coverage you play, if you can't rush the passer they're going to find it," Hemphill said. "I really think from stopping the run, making people one-dimensional, rushing the passer, everything starts up front."
Hemphill discusses what he's seen from the Aggie linebacking corps
"Losing Daymion (Sanford) for a couple months was the worst thing in the world for me, but then on the flip side of that, it made some other guys have to step up. It really lit a fire under some of the younger guys, which is a really good thing for the program. (I'm) very happy with the progress of the linebackers," Hemphill said.
Shaw's points of emphasis this offseason
"This offseason I've just been trying to really learn the playbook in and out, get bigger (and) just be more vocal on the field so I can be a leader and push my teammates," Shaw said.
Shaw gives his thoughts on this year's secondary and what's stood out to him the most about the unit entering the 2026 season
"I'm definitely confident in this secondary. I feel like we've got a lot of pieces," Shaw said. "Rickey (Gibson III) for sure, he had an amazing camp. He had a pick I think every day. Chance Collins is a young guy (and) he had a pick every day. Julian Humprey had a good camp, (but) I feel like everybody in the secondary has been doing good.
Shaw on what brought him to Texas A&M
"I just feel like the coaches were genuine here. When I came on my visit, Elko wasn't like all the other coaches. I could tell it was deeper than football, he cared about me as a person," Shaw said. "I felt like it was a good fit for me. SEC is the best conference you can play in, so I wanted to showcase my talents on the biggest stage you can."
Morrow speaks on his increased role in the Aggie offense
"I would say mentally, just taking on a bigger role this year. I was just a freshman last year, now I'm an older guy in the room. Just taking on a bigger role (and) trying to understand situations that I'll be in, that I wouldn't be in last year." Morrow said.
Morrow gives his evaluation of the Texas A&M running back room
"I would say we got a lot of explosive guys. We got Carsyn Baker, a lot of them younger guys, they're explosive. We got a group and we know what we can do, I'm just trying to find my place in that. We all can make plays," Morrow said.
Morrow on his takeaways from working under new offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins
"(My) biggest takeaway is just the mentality that he has. His mentality is a little bit different than what I'm use to at offensive coordinator," Morrow said.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M football's DC, players discuss fall camp progress