Texas A&M Football: 4 Players to Watch Under New DC John Chavis

The Texas A&M football team has one of the best defensive coordinators in the country on the coaching staff in John Chavis. There are a number of Aggies who will benefit from the new defense that Chavis will install in Aggieland for the 2015 season.

There are specific attributes that stand out about Chavis' defense. His defenses at LSU and Tennessee featured playmaking defensive ends, solid play from the middle linebacker and opportunistic defensive backs. 

Chavis likes to play mainly man coverage in the secondary and is known for regularly deploying nickel and dime packages on the back end. He prefers taller defensive backs who can knock a receiver off his route at the line of scrimmage. 

The Aggies already have some players like this on campus and are recruiting more. It will be interesting to see how much better certain players look in Chavis' system than they did in former coordinator Mark Snyder's defense. 

This is a look at a few players on defense who should benefit the most from Chavis' system. 

DE Daeshon Hall

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Daeshon Hall is a 6'6", 260-pound defensive end for the Aggies who is a rising junior. He had a solid sophomore campaign, posting 29 total tackles with six for loss and 4.5 sacks. 

In Chavis' defense, the defensive ends are major playmakers. Danielle Hunter and Jermauria Rasco were the starting defensive ends on Chavis' LSU defense in 2014, and both had over 70 tackles on the season.

Hall was not able to work out his upper body before the 2014 season because he was recovering from surgeries to both shoulders during the offseason. He should benefit from a healthy year spent in the weight room.

Julien Obioha started at strong-side defensive end for the Aggies in 2014. Hall's height is a better fit for what Chavis is looking for in his defensive ends than Obioha (6'4''). Hall has a higher ceiling because of his size and quickness. Do not be surprised to see Hall pass Obioha on the depth chart and end up the starter on the strong side in 2015.  

CB Victor Davis

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Victor Davis will be a redshirt sophomore cornerback in 2015. He started the first few games of the 2014 season at cornerback while De'Vante Harris recovered from an injury. 

Davis is a 6'0", 190-pound athlete. He has tremendous size for a cornerback and is the prototype for what Chavis wants at the position. Davis is a physical corner and should excel in a scheme that emphasizes man coverage. 

Davis had 19 tackles in 2014 and showed he is not afraid to play the run. He is also physical enough to jam a receiver at the line of scrimmage. 

Chavis wants long, strong cornerbacks who make plays. Davis should fit right into that mold. Aggies fans should not be surprised if Davis starts the entire season at corner and puts up 50 tackles with three or four interceptions. 

MLB Otaro Alaka

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Few players on the Aggies defense possess the potential for a breakout season like Otaro Alaka does. The 6'3", 225-pound rising sophomore from Houston, Texas is a future star at linebacker for the Aggies. 

Alaka started the last five games of the Aggies' 2014 season at middle linebacker. He registered 33 tackles with 3.5 tackles for loss. Alaka showed tremendous instincts and the ability to play off blocks and find the ball-carrier. 

The two leading tacklers for LSU in 2014 under Chavis were linebackers Kwon Alexander and Kendell Beckwith. Aggies fans should expect Alaka to lead the Aggies in tackles in 2015. 

Alaka is only scratching the surface of the kind of football player he can be. Do not be surprised to see him earn All-SEC honors in Chavis' scheme. 

S Justin Evans

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Chavis likes to deploy his dime, or "Mustang," package on defense, in which he puts six defensive backs on the field against spread teams. Since the Aggies face eight teams on their 2015 schedule that will use some form of the spread on offense, Aggies fans should expect to see the "Mustang" package a lot. 

This should bode well for incoming junior college safety Justin Evans. The 6'0", 195-pound athlete has tremendous potential at safety. His highlights show a player with great range who knows how to break on the ball and make a play. 

The Aggies return two very capable safeties in Armani Watts and Donovan Wilson. With Evans' ability to defend the pass, do not be surprised to see Chavis employ him as an extra defensive back in his nickel packages. 

Evans should see a lot of action when Chavis goes to six defensive backs in his "Mustang" package. He is a player who will push for a starting spot in the secondary but could end up among the team leaders in tackles even if he does not start a game all year.