Texas A&M’s Marco Jones is looking to blossom into an even better player than he was last year with the Maroon and White.

As a defensive end listed at 6-foot-5 and one of the defense's veterans, he made the most of his playing time a year ago by learning from the players and coaching staff around him, and his moment to rise is now here.

He logged a total of 10 solo tackles last year and was able to get to the opposing team’s quarterback for 2.5 sacks. He ideally would like to increase those numbers as his major role in this year’s system will be on full display in Mike Elko’s scheme.

At his fall camp media availability ahead of the Week 1 matchup against Missouri State, he told the media about how he feels about where he's at in the process so far.

“I'm always striving to be better and be the best version of myself, but overall, I feel like I've grown a really solid amount,” Jones said.

Tweaks & Enhancements

The Dublin, California native appeared in 13 games last year, where he tallied 278 snaps, 21 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss. His responsibilities he took on last year are now greater, and that has come with a few slight adjustments that he has made in his game to excel at what he is doing, and this was one he mentioned.

“Overall, for me, something that has improved is lowering my pad level and staying in a more athletic base more often,” Jones said. “Last year, I would play too high, which causes certain things.”

Contact has always been something Jones has had throughout his career. He is a tackling machine with a sharp mind that can locate the football and make the necessary play. One of the other departments Jones states was a topic of discussion was turnovers and how that is a priority to develop even more success.

“For us, we really like and have been talking about creating turnovers,” Jones noted. “We didn't have as many as we would've liked last year, so that's something we've made big strides in.”

Despite him not creating any turnovers last year, he still believes that the trajectory that this unit is on right now is trending in the right direction and is set to make plenty of noise.

“I think we're right on pace,” Jones said. “As long as you keep your head down and work hard, you'll be in the right spot. Things happen from week to week, and we know it's going to be a dogfight. It's always a dogfight in the SEC.”

Sign up to our free newsletterand follow us on Facebook, Xand Instagramfor the latest news.