2020 Texas A&M Football Position Breakdown: Linebackers
Apr 16, 2020 | Football
With fans counting down to the 2020 Texas A&M Football season, we are breaking down each position group for the highly anticipated season.
Returning Starters: Anthony Hines III, Buddy Johnson
Starters Lost: none
Lettermen Returning: Ke’Shun Brown, Aaron Hansford, Keeath Magee II, Ikenna Okeke, Chris Russell Jr., Braden White, Andre White Jr.
Newcomers: Edgerrin Cooper, Antonio Doyle Jr.
The one-two punch of Buddy Johnson and Anthony Hines III at the linebacker position returns in 2020. Johnson led the defense in his first year as a starter with 77 tackles a season ago, adding 9.5 tackles for loss, which was good for third on the team. The rising senior served as a team captain for nine of A&M’s 13 games in 2019. After seeing the field in 12 games in each of his first two seasons, Johnson played in and started all 13 contests as a junior. Hines made an impactful return from injury in 2019, after being forced to miss his true sophomore season due to injury. The 2017 Freshman All-SEC Team honoree picked up right where he left off. Hines started all 13 games as a sophomore and was second on the team with 73 tackles. He leads all returning defensive players with 10.5 tackles for loss last season.
A&M saw Aaron Hansford and Andre White Jr. make their debuts on defense in 2019, after Hansford made the move to the defensive side of the ball in his third year on the field and White began his college career. The duo tallied 15 tackles and 2.0 sacks apiece on the year. Hansford played in all 13 games, earning the start at LSU, while White saw the field in 11 games.
The Aggies added Edgerrin Cooper and Antonio Doyle, Jr., to the linebacker unit in their 2020 signing class. Cooper was a four-star prospect and a top-10 player in the state of Louisiana according to ESPN, Rivals and 247 Sports. As a junior at Covington High School, Cooper tallied 85 tackles, 10 for loss, as well as a sack and forced fumble. Doyle boasted a four-star rating and was ranked as a top-five player in the state of Missouri by the three major outlets. He was named an Army All-American and the 2019 Metro League Player of the Year. In his final season at Lutheran North High School, Doyle had 73 tackles, 12 for loss, and three sacks.
