Agim confident heading into senior season
Defensive tackle McTelvin Agim is confident heading into his final season as a Razorback, and he is the leader of an experienced defensive front for the Hogs.
Agim, a.k.a. Sosa, made a permanent move inside to defensive tackle after playing primarily at defensive end a season ago. The senior has embraced the move, as he has put on weight and feels more comfortable inside. For the Texarkana (Texas) native by way of Hope High School, getting to the quarterback and breaking up plays behind the line of scrimmage has come naturally from the tackle position. During fall camp, he focused on plugging gaps during practice and took the coaching really well.
“It definitely sunk in. It's going to be pretty sad for me. It's going to be a pretty sad game for me, but it's going to be fun at the end of the day. I get to put the Razorback on the side of my helmet for one more season. At the end of this season, I'm done. I just understand that I've got to take advantage of it because it's coming to an end,” Agim said Monday. “I feel more stout in what I'm doing. Last year, I came into camp second string even though I know I should have been a starter. It was like, we've got to see where you're going to play, so I basically had to take the bullet for the team. I was like, 'What is going on?' Now it's not as much uncertainty anymore.”
Last season, Sosa started in all 12 games for the Hogs. He racked up 45 tackles during his junior year, including 16 solo stops. He led the Razorbacks with 10 tackles for loss while making 4.5 sacks. He also forced three fumbles during the 2018 season.
Agim is one of four seniors set to start for the Razorbacks, including defensive tackle TJ Smith, defensive end Dorian Gerald and defensive end Gabe Richardson. They were wreaking havoc on the offense during fall camp, and they made the team better as a whole.
“It's great because I feel like it starts up front, so to have all those senior players and all of those guys with experience, I feel like it's going to be a great correlation with what you see on the field,” Sosa said.
Agim was named to the Preseason All-SEC Third Team and is on the Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List. The big man draws inspiration from his late grandmother.My biggest influence would be my grandmother,” Agim said. “She made it happen for us all the time. She was a double atee and she barely had eyesight, but she made it happen for us. She had an eighth-grade education and she always pushed education on me. I graduated college and I'm in a master's program right now and most likely going to finish. I don't like to start nothing I don't finish. I'm going to finish it. The things she set up for us, I still do today. I still got the behavior she taught me when I was a kid.
“Making sure I made a lot out of a little and make things stretch. I can get to $5 and make it stretch like three weeks, just from the life lessons my grandma taught me. I remember she used to make syrup from scratch from water and sugar. We used to have to boil our water or boil our water on the stove just to have hot water, or heat the house with the stove. She made it happen. She didn't make excuses. She passed away when I was in the seventh grade. I just try to be the best at everything I do. I'm not coming for second or third place. I'm going to be the best. If I'm doing it I want to be the best at it. Even if you flip burgers, be the best at it.”
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He is gonna have to make it happen, especially if he wants to further his career in football. Seems like he should have help keeping him away from double teams being dline is our strong suite defensively.
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