WATCH: Texas A&M’s Five-Star Plus+ DL David Hicks dominating UA All-American practices

As Under Armour All-America Game practices continued this weekend in Orlando, Florida, around 100 of the nation’s top football prospects from the 2023 recruiting cycle were at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports. Texas A&M has two signees participating in the event, and one in particular, David Hicks, is drawing “oohs” and “ahhs”.

The All-American game is to be played on January 3 at 4 P.M. central (5 P.M. Eastern) at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

Five-Star Plus+ defensive lineman David Hicks and Top-100 cornerback Bravion Rogers both earned the honors of being an Under Armour All-American. It was Hicks that did not wait long at all to show why he was named as such and why he is ranked as the No. 1 defensive lineman in the On3 consensus rankings.

Hicks was mentioned in Charles Powers performers of the day, saying, “Hicks bullied opposing offensive linemen, planting several blockers on the ground over the course of the day.”

Getting praise on social media

On3’s Corey Bender of Gators Online tweeted a video of Hicks battling Florida offensive line signee Roderick Kearney, who is ranked as the No. 5 interior offensive lineman in the class. The 1-on-1 rep was hardly a contest as Hicks used his brute strength to long arm Kearney back into the pad, which represented the quarterback.

Kearney did not have a chance once Hicks locked his arm and began to push forward.

Texas A&M signee David Hicks Jr. vs. #Gators signee Roderick Kearney.

Hicks has been absolutely dominant so far. Very powerful. pic.twitter.com/ChzS8LvcMF

— Corey Bender (@Corey_Bender) December 31, 2022

Hicks officially put pen to paper and inked with Texas A&M on Friday, December 21. It marked the second year in a row that the Aggies signed the No. 1 defensive lineman in the nation.

The 6-foot-4, 270-pound Hicks is the No. 7 overall prospect and No. 1 defensive lineman in the 2023 class, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 1 player in Texas. 

Hicks currently has an On3 NIL Valuation of $322K. The On3 NIL Valuation is an index that looks to set the standard market value for both high school and college-level athletes. The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.

David Hicks Scouting Summary

Physically-developed defensive lineman with advanced power along with length and quickness. Possesses a big frame with a muscled build and an 80-inch wingspan at 6-foot-4. Has brute strength which he pairs with initial quickness to create steady disruption along the line of scrimmage. Consistently shows quick and powerful hands at the point of attack with some advanced pass rush technique for a young defensive lineman. Very much a power player at this point in his development, but plays with some nuance and technical skill. Working at both defensive end and defensive tackle as a junior at a powerhouse program in Texas’ highest classification. A strong, but not elite athlete. Turned in dominant showings at college camps prior to his junior season.