Texas A&M (11-1, 7-1 SEC) is just six days away from hosting Miami (FL) (10-2) in the first round of the College Football Playoff, as both teams are headed to the tournament for the first time in program history, and will meet for the third time in the last three seasons.

On paper, both teams are highly similar, possessing NFL talent on both sides of the ball, and their starting quarterbacks, Marcel Reed and Carson Beck, each threw for 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions during the regular season, connecting with elite playmakers.

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For the Hurricanes, freshman wideout Malachi Toney is a nightmare matchup. At the same time, Texas A&M transfer wide receivers KC Concepcion and Mario Craver combined for over 1,700 yards and 15 total touchdowns, and are a mismatch for every secondary they’ve faced this season. With Craver expected to return next season, Concepcion will likely declare for the NFL Draft.

On defense, Texas A&M edge Cashius Howell and Miami defensive lineman Rueben Bain are both considered top 10 prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft, and have a chance to solidify their standing as elite pass rushers on Saturday afternoon. Either way, both players are headed to the draft regardless of the outcome.

This week, Pro Football Focus’s Trevor Sikkema released his latest 2026 Mock Draft, projecting Cashius Howell as the 6th overall pick to the Washington Commanders, who would join former Texas A&M and future Hall of Fame defensive end Von Miller for at least one season.

The Commanders defense is in a bad place right now, and it starts up front. Howell will face plenty of skepticism about his draft range, given his very short arms for the position, yet he has earned pass-rush grades above 90.0 in three straight seasons, with win rates above 19.0% over that same span.

Concepcion, who finished his first season in College Station with 57 receptions and a team-high 886 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns, paired with two punt return scores, is the perfect addition for any team looking for a Day 1 starting slot receiver and punt returner. According to Sikkema, the San Francisco 49ers will be looking to replace Debo Samuels for the first time in two seasons.

Without Deebo Samuel, it feels like the 49ers are missing that go-to yards after catch receiver. They are using running back Christian McCaffrey a lot for that, but it’s not quite the same as scheming things up for a receiver. Concepcion is averaging more than 7.0 yards after the catch this year and has that kind of acceleration and athleticism.

For the Aggies to have any shot at making it to the quarterfinals against No. 2 Ohio State, both Conecpcion and Howell will need to play their best football.

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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Two Texas A&M starters projected as first-round NFL Draft picks