Texas A&M's 2026 defense earns another 'honorable mention' from On3

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Texas A&M's defense didn't require a major overhaul this season to improve its porous run defense, which helped lead to back-to-back losses against Texas at the end of the regular season and a 10-3 home loss to Miami in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

Among the 17 transfer portal additions this offseason, more than half came on defense, and On3's Crain & Cone don't see this unit as Top 10 worthy, but gave the Aggies an honorable mention alongside Alabama and the Iowa Hawkeyes.

After a record 10 players were selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, including unanimous All-American Edge Cashius Howell and defensive tackles Albert Regis and Tyler Onyedim, third-year coach Mike Elko was fully prepared to seek out and acquire veteran options from the transfer portal, which led to landing former Northwestern Edge Anto Saka, North Carolina transfer DL CJ Mims, and former Illinois DT Angelo McCullom.

Combined with senior defensive tackle DJ Hicks and senior defensive end T.J. Searcy, Texas A&M's defensive line doesn't lack NFL talent or necessary depth. In the secondary, only starting cornerback Will Lee III departed after being selected in the fourth round by the Carolina Panthers, while his counterpart, Dezz Ricks, along with senior CB Julio Humphrey and transfer cornerback Rickey Gibson, will fill out the starting corner rotation.

Seniors Marcus Ratcliffe and Dalton Brooks are considered the top safety duo in the SEC, which now includes Colorado transfer Tawfiq Byard, who did not allow a passing touchdown with the Buffaloes last season.

Lastly, Texas A&M's linebacker rotation took a hit after senior Daymion Sanford suffered a fibula injury during the Maroon & White spring game, but after appearing at SEC Media Days without a walking boot, Sanford stated that he expects to return "soon," which could mean after three or four games. In his place, former Tulsa LB Ray Coney recorded 128 tackles last season, while rising sophomore Noah Mikhail has beefed up this offseason and is ready to earn a starting role.

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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M's 2026 defense earns another 'honorable mention' from On3

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