DCTF ranks 2 Texas A&M players as Top 10 linebackers in Texas

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Texas A&M’s 2026 defense will now be led by first-year defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill, while third-year head coach Mike Elko will continue to serve as the defensive play caller for the second consecutive season, and among the 17 offseason transfer additions, former Tulsa linebacker Ray Coney looks like a immediate impact player who is primed for a career season, even after recording over 100 tackles last season.

Elko and his defensive staff hope that the additions from the transfer portal and 2026 signing class, combined with the returning talent, result in more consistent play in the secondary, and, most importantly, the run defense, which struggled down the stretch of the season, especially during the first round College Football Playoff home loss to Miami.

After star linebacker Taurean York, who had been the program’s starting middle linebacker since his 2023 freshman season, declared for the 2026 NFL Draft, leaving incoming senior LB Daymion Sanford as the lone returning starter.

Named SEC Player of the Week twice last season, Sanford is one of the better coverage linebackers, and paired with Coney’s added size and background as a consistent run defender, the Aggies’ starting linebacker rotation looks to be in great shape.

Throughout the week, Dave Campbell’s Texas Football writer Mike Craven has been ranking the best college players in Texas at every position group, this time focused on the top Texas-based linebackers, placing Ray Coney at No. 3 and Daymion Sanford at No. 5.

After recording 129 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks, Ray Coney is slated for another big year, but will inevitably have his “welcome to the SEC” moment like most former Group of 5 transfers.

Coney was tied for 10th in the country in tackles last season with a staggering 129, earning First-Team All-American Conference honors at Tulsa. Coney began his career at East Tennessee State and arrives in College Station with 273 career tackles, including 21 for loss and eight sacks. He’s played in 35 games during his college career and will help the Aggies replace production from the departing linebackers Taurean York and Scooby Williams. 

Sanford’s ascendance was only surprising to those who did not observe the work he put in during the offseason with S&C coach Tommy Moffitt, producing 57 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and an interception while starting most of the year at WLB.

Sanford was a part-time starter over the last two years who is expected to slide into a full-time starting spot alongside Coney for the Wrecking Crew in 2026. He registered at least seven tackles in five games last year, including on the road against Notre Dame and in the CFP against Miami. His 9.5 tackles for loss rank third on this list. Sanford was a four-star prospect out of Katy Paetow. 

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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: DCTF ranks two Texas A&M players as Top 10 linebackers in Texas

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