COLLEGE STATION — Ahead of the 2025-26 season kicking off, Texas A&M football head coach Mike Elko made a bold draft proclamation.
The most Aggies ever selected in the NFL draft came in 2019, when nine A&M stars were drafted. However, the Aggies’ head coach thinks this year’s class could surpass that total.
“When you look at the current roster, we project to have more NFL draft picks on this (2025) football team than we have had in quite a long time,” Elko said May 21. “I think you can see anywhere from 10 to 12 Aggies get their name called next year in the NFL Draft.”
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MORE: Texas A&M spring game 2026: Recap, highlights as defenses shine, linebacker injured
Fast-forward to the present day, and A&M set a school record with 13 invitees to the NFL combine, bringing Elko’s prediction well within reach.
Here are five Texas A&M football players to watch in the 2026 NFL draft:
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5 Texas A&M players to watch for in 2026 NFL Draft
KC Concepcion, WR
Wide receiver KC Concepcion has seen his stock rise since the conclusion of the season. Following his lone year with the Aggies, after which he was named the 2025 Paul Hornung Award winner as the most versatile player in major college football, he has crushed the draft process. He did not participate in testing at the NFL combine, but did look smooth in on-field drills. He also showed his personality a bit, most recently writing a heartfelt message via The Players’ Tribune.
The North Carolina native has dealt with a stutter all his life and has been more open and honest about the struggle since entering the NFL spotlight. Watch out for a team that needs a shifty wide receiver who can work inside and out and be a weapon in the return game.
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Cashius Howell, edge
Perhaps the most talented member of the A&M draft class, Cashius Howell is fresh off a consensus All-American season in which he led the conference in sacks (11½).
The Kansas City native exploded onto the national scene after being a rotational pass rusher in 2024. He started his career in the Mid-American Conference with Bowling Green. After being an all-conference selection there, the 6-foot-3 pass rusher tallied 15½ sacks, 22½ tackles for loss and two forced fumbles during his time with the Aggies. Then he ran well at the scouting combine, offsetting concern about his relatively short arms.
The 2025 SEC defensive player of the year could be a fit for teams looking for a standup end in a 3-4 defense or as a pure pass rusher in a 4-3 scheme. Howell has flashed elite athletic skills in his pass rush arsenal and plays with a tremendous motor in the run game. Most mocks have him as a late first-round or early second-round pick.
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Cashius Howell #9 of the Texas A&M Aggies reacts during the fourth quarter against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Kyle Field on November 15, 2025 in College Station. (Photo by Maria Lysaker/Getty Images)
Maria Lysaker/Getty Images
Chase Bisontis, OL
Although Concepcion and Howell have been fringe first-round picks pretty much the entire draft process, offensive lineman Chase Bisontis has pushed his draft stock much higher since the season ended. In fact, some draftniks have him as the first A&M player selected this year.
The 6-foot-5, 315-pound guard appeared in 36 games for the Aggies over three seasons and became a stalwart on an offensive line that was considered for the Joe Moore Award in 2025.
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Bistonis is viewed as a “tough, well-schooled guard” by NFL analyst Lance Zierlein. He continues to say the New Jersey native “brings heavy hands, good footwork and plus core strength to the table.”
Texas A&M defensive tackle Tyler Onyedim (11) celebrates a forced fumble during the round one College Football Playoff game against Miami at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Tyler Onyedim, DL
A sleeper in the class, A&M defensive lineman Tyler Onyedim was a crucial transfer portal addition for the Aggies this offseason and continued to show his value well into the draft process.
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Onyedim had a great week in Frisco at the East-West Shrine Bowl and is viewed as a potentially early Day 3 pick. The 6-foot-4, 290-pound run-stuffer had a career year in 2025, finishing with 48 tackles, 2½ sacks and 8½ tackles for loss.
He spent his four seasons with Iowa State, tallying 90 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and three sacks.
Trey Zuhn III, OL
A true leader in every sense, Trey Zuhn III was a fixture on the A&M offensive line for five seasons. At 6-foot-6, 315 pounds, Zuhn appeared in 54 games for the Aggies, was a two-year captain and played both tackle and center throughout his career.
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Zuhn’s interior experiment in 2025, when he played center, was perhaps a sign of foresight on the program’s part. The plan was to get him reps at a position many in NFL circles believe will be his home at the professional level.
With the Colorado native having tape proving across the offensive line, he is seen as a potential early Day 3 pick who could play tackle, but might be drafted as a guard.
Reach Texas A&M beat reporter Tony Catalina via email at Anthony.Catalina@statesman.com.
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