From Wrecking Crew products Marcus Buckley and Keith Mitchell to more recent greats like All-American Von Miller, Aggies have been causing havoc in opponents’ backfields for generations.
However, the much-criticized 2013 Aggie defense recorded only 21 sacks, down from 31 in 2012. A&M had no definitive threat off the edge as it did in 2012 when Damontre Moore recorded 12.5 sacks en route to consensus All-American status.
This year, the Aggies may have found their next great pass rusher in the form of true freshman defensive end Myles Garrett. The 6-foot-5, 255 pound Garrett posted 20.5 sacks his senior year of high school and was rated the No. 1 recruit in the 2013 class by 247Sports. Garrett has wasted no time in making his presence felt for the Aggies, tying the A&M record for most sacks in a season by a freshman at 5.5 after totaling 2.5 against Rice. Here’s the catch — it took Garrett only three games.
Garrett now shares the record with former A&M players Sam Adams and Moore, who was selected in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft after earning First Team All-SEC honors in 2012. Adams had a 14-year NFL career from 1994 to 2007 and was part of the 2000 Baltimore Ravens squad that won the Super Bowl.
After Garrett tied the record against the Owls, head coach Kevin Sumlin said that joining such company bodes well for the rest of Garrett’s career.
“The future’s bright for that young man, I would guess,” Sumlin said. “Those other two guys — one’s playing and one played a long time. Three games in, he’s tied that freshman record so he continues to get better, and what he’s finding out too is that people have recognized that and the protections are changing. We’re going to have to move him around a little bit to help him, but he’s definitely a guy that really creates some havoc, particularly in passing situations.”
While Garrett aims to surpass the record he has tied, he has another milestone in his sights.
The SEC does not keep track of records by class, however it is believed that the record for sacks by a freshman stands at eight and is held by Jadaveon Clowney, former South Carolina defensive end and No. 1 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. Just 2.5 sacks away from tying Clowney, Garrett may be poised to rewrite the record books in a big way.
“He’s still a work in progress,” said defensive coordinator Mark Snyder. “He’s still got a lot of work to do, but boy is he talented.”
Garrett’s teammates have certainly taken notice of his performance on the field, and sophomore defensive lineman Jay Arnold said it’s hard not to admire his skills.
“Myles is an incredible athlete,” Arnold said. “At times it’s hard not to get caught up and just watch him work out there as impressive as he is.”
As impressive as Garrett is on the field, his teammates say his demeanor off the field is equally impressive.
“Myles is a really smart guy as well,” Arnold said. “He’s not one of those guys that just relies on his talent. He makes sure to learn the play book and he works really hard in the weight room.”
Sophomore linebacker Jordan Mastrogiovanni said players like Garrett don’t come along often..
“He’s just a freak specimen that you don’t come across very often,” Mastrogiovanni said. “He’s a really hard worker. He’s dedicated, committed, doesn’t really get caught up in anything off the field. He’s such a humble guy. He’s really not cocky at all — I feel like I can walk up to him whenever and joke around with him. I really like him, he’s easy to hang around. He’s just a really humble guy with just a lot more talent than the average person has.”