Texas A&M Aggies: Transfer Poised to Replace Cashius Howell in 2026 1
For the Texas A&M Aggies to make a deep College Football Playoff run, the pass rush needs to be at its A-game after losing Cashius Howell to the 2026 NFL Draft. Howell enjoyed a strong lone season with the Aggies, totaling 11.5 sacks and earning First-Team All-SEC, SEC Defensive Player of the Year, and First-Team All-American honors. One candidate to fill the void is incoming transfer Anto Saka.
Saka spent his first four college seasons with the Northwestern Wildcats. He enjoyed a solid redshirt junior campaign, totaling 13 tackles, four tackles for loss, 30 pressures, a 16.7% pass-rush win rate, three sacks, and two forced fumbles across 11 starts, earning a Big Ten Honorable Mention. He was ranked as the seventh-best EDGE rusher and the 42nd-best transfer, per On3.
Northwestern Wildcats, Anto SakaNorthwestern Wildcats, Anto Saka
Nov 25, 2023; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Northwestern Wildcats defensive lineman Anto Saka (42) takes down Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback John Paddock (4) during the second half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Anto Saka had a strong spring and has followed that up with an impressive start to fall camp. According to Pete Nakos of On3, Saka is expected to serve as the Aggies’ top pass rusher, effectively replacing Cashius Howell. If the Northwestern transfer can match Howell’s production, Texas A&M could be a legitimate threat in the SEC.
Northwestern transfer EDGE Anto Saka is expected to emerge as a top pass rusher for Texas A&M.
A source also told @On3 that wide receiver Terry Bussey has had a really strong summer.
More intel: https://t.co/lRle5GyTmU https://t.co/JrgiJXd7zV pic.twitter.com/nxMoCKHeh0
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos) August 7, 2026
Saka wants to make the opposing team “quit”
“In my mind, every time I step on that field and line up against an offensive lineman, in my head I’m going, ‘I want to make you quit today. I want to own you today.’ That’s my mindset, and I love to play with that power. People see me as a finesse guy, and I can do that.
“I can use my speed off the edge, but in my mind, I want to win by going through you. I want to show that I’m the dominant athlete there. You can see that on tape and how I play. I hustle like no other. My heart and physicality are what make me the player I am,” Saka said, via Billy Liucci of TexAgs.
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