Texas A&M Aggies ready to take advantage of Auburn Tigers one massive weakness as Mike Elko’s team kicks off SEC play
Aggies pass rush should completely clobber Jackson Arnold and his sack issues
The Texas A&M Aggies have to be chomping at the bit to face off against the Auburn Tigers in Week 5 after seeing what Oklahoma’s pass rush did to Jackson Arnold.
Mike Elko’s defense has been imperfect thus far, giving up a few too many big plays and points, but the one area where they have maintained down to down dominance every single week has been with their pass rush. Even when they haven’t gotten home for sacks, the pressures still break through and often force a negative play for opposing offenses.
That strength of Texas A&M’s is exactly what they’ll need to completely clobber the Auburn Tigers this week.
Texas A&M Aggies pass rush should easily destroy Jackson Arnold and his horrible sack problem
For those of you who may not have tuned into the Auburn vs. Oklahoma game in Week 4, Jackson Arnold was sacked 10+ times. He was pressured 14 or 15 times (depending on the charting service you trust). Auburn simply could not do a single thing to protect their quarterback and this has become quite the trend for Jackson Arnold–not necessarily the offensive line.
His internal clock is off, holding the ball far too long. He frequently misses blitzing linebackers and defensive backs. Arnold is currently posting a 52% pressure to sack rate, which is three times the current FBS average. This was already a massive weakness of his when he was still playing for Oklahoma as he took 36 sacks a year ago. He already has 17 sacks through four games in 2025. Texas A&M’s pass rush should feast on his ineptitude against pressure.
It’s not just the complete incompetence of Auburn’s quarterback Jackson Arnold that should have Texas A&M fans confident in their defense’s chances to bounce back after allowing 41 points to Notre Dame a week ago.
They have one of the best, most elite, game-wrecking pass rushers in the country with Cashius Howell. The fifth-year senior had already racked up around 80 pass rush pressures and 14 sacks over the last two seasons prior to this year, but he’s on an even more impressive pace now.
He’s already posted three sacks, double-digit pressures, a pass broken up at the line, and several tackles. And with moves like you can see on the post below, Howell is a tough beat for any offensive lineman in the nation. He can swim, counter, and win with speed or power. Howell is a force on the defensive front.
Texas A&M’s pass rush success hasn’t just been their one star player either. Eight different players already have a sack so far for the Aggies this year. 12 players have multiple pass rush pressures. 13 players already have double-digit pass rush snaps too, thanks to their deep defensive rotation.
Don’t be surprised if DJ Hicks, T.J. Searcy, or Dayon Hayes also have a huge breakout game given the Auburn Tigers’ complete inability to handle opposing pass rush. If so, this game could be a huge (and surprisingly easy) win for the Aggies.
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