Rink and Jones excited to 'go to war' as true freshmen at Texas A&M

In just 16 days, Landon Rink and Marco Jones will run through the Kyle Field tunnel as members of the Fightin' Texas Aggies. In an exclusive interview, the freshman defensive linemen spoke about their first fall camp experience, preparing for the 2025 season and more.

Key notes from Landon Rink

• Mike Elko's fall camp is something I’ve never experienced. There’s no time off. If you’re not going at it in practice, you’re taking notes, at meetings, in the ice tub, in the training room or doing something else to try to get better.
   
• This season feels like we have something to prove. I watched all the games last year, and we were right there. We want to make it all the way this year.
   
• My dad, Shane Rink, actually wanted me to come here ever since Texas A&M offered me. He knows the place and the people who make it special. He grew up with Sam Adams, who was kind of like an uncle to me as a kid, and he wanted me to see it for myself.
   
• The defensive tackle room is insane. I feel like we have the best defensive tackle room in the country. They’re better people than they are players. Albert Regis, Tyler Onyedim and DJ Hicks. I can talk to them for help. Onyedim was teaching me footwork yesterday. They are really good people to look up to.
   
• When I first got here, the techniques and everything were a bit overwhelming. It’s starting to become easy for me.
   
• My power clean from high school was 350 pounds in my senior year. It was pretty crazy. That was the last day of summer workouts, and it was the only record I didn’t have yet. It was held by Brock Wright, the Lions’ tight end. I missed 335 pounds, but decided to go up because I had already hit it. When I caught it, it was electric.
   
• Like I said, we’re hungry this year. I haven’t seen a team this driven in the offseason, spring or summer workouts. We’ve been going at it every day to make sure last year doesn’t happen again.
   
• Playing time doesn’t really factor right now. We’re mid-fall camp, but we just have to keep working.
   
• I’ve asked people what it feels like to play on Kyle Field, but I don’t think it will be like anything I’ve experienced before. Everyone is screaming, waving towels and with Power playing.

Key notes from Marco Jones

• Fall camp has been good. For me personally, I’m really getting better and working on the little details by pushing each other. This is the time when the team separates itself from being good and being great. We’re working on the little details to make sure we have a successful season.
   
• Camp has been good. We knew what it was coming into it. It’s what we came here to do, so it's not too bad. We lost some people's way of being a regular college student when we signed, but I’m all for it. I like it. It's obviously busy. It’s one of those things that helps you become a better player just by being able to focus more mentally and physically every minute of the day.
   
• For me, it was the coaching staff and culture that A&M has that brought me here. The 12th Man is unmatched. Also, the staff, Mike Elko, Sean Spencer, Tony Jerod-Eddie and Stan Watson. That whole staff is really elite in a different type of way than others out there.
   
• I learn every day. I'm able to get better every day because the guys are all older than me, they’ve all been through college football, and they're willing to help out. We are all super supportive of each other to be the best players we can be, so whenever they can help me with something or I can help with something, we all pitch in and do our best. You know we aren’t going to be able to make it without everybody.
   
• Cashius Howell has helped me since I got here, helping me hone in on the football side of things and being able to really understand the game more. I like to pick his brain a lot because he’s had a lot of success. I like to see how he attacks certain angles of the game.
   
• Also, coach Stan Watson is a football guy, through and through. He stays late and gets there early, same with coach Spencer. He's the same exact way, so those three guys really help me out.
   
• To be honest, I like staying in the house. We don’t have a whole lot of time, and my parents just got out here. If the Maroon & White Game ever comes up, people talk about it. I think it was a solid spring game for me, but there were still a lot of things to work on. The job’s not finished. It's just getting started.
   
• I think we push each other so much, but I can’t speak about last year's team. I know how hard we push each other, try to make each other better and give knowledge and tips so everyone can succeed. We know that to go where we want to go, everyone’s going to have to pitch in and do their best. I think by just going hard, we push each other, and competing is one of those things we are really good at doing.
   
• I'm super excited to be able to run out with all our brothers on the team, knowing how much work you put in for this one moment and get ready to go to war. I’m super excited for that. We’ve been here as fans and recruits, but it’s a lot different when you get on that field.