Spring preview: LB

AggieYell.com’s look at the 2026 Texas A&M football team as they enter spring practice continues with the linebackers.

Returning players

Senior Daymion Sanford

2025 stats: 57 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, 1 interception

Junior Jordan Lockhart

2025 stars: 12 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 1 sack

Sophomore Noah Mikhail

2025 stats: 16 tackles, 2.5 TFL

Redshirt freshman Kelvion Riggins

2025 stats: Did not play 

Departures

Junior Taurean York (NFL Draft)

2025 stats: 73 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery

Senior Scooby Williams (Eligibility expired)

2025 stats: 19 tackles, 4 TFL, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, 1 INT

Redshirt sophomore Tristan Jernigan (transferred to Cal)

2025 stats: 3 tackles, 1 TFL

Arrivals

Senior Ray Coney (transferred from Tulsa)

2025 stats: 129 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble

Freshman Tank King 

2024 stats at Port Arthur Memorial: 141 tackles, 23 TFL, 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles

Freshman Qui Beck

2024 stats at Carthage: 102 tackles, 21 TFLs, 6 sacks 

Freshman Tamarion Watkins

2025 stats at Rock Hill, S.C., Northwestern: 80 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 3 interceptions, 2 touchdowns

Freshman Storm Miller

2025 stats at Strongsville, Ohio, High: 110 tackles, 24 TFL, 11 sacks

Key questions

• Can Coney learn the system quickly enough to replace York?
• What will the roles be for Lockhart and Mikhail?
• Just how deep is this group?

In terms of sheer numbers, this is the deepest linebacker group Texas A&M has had in a long time. In terms of experience…it’s still not too shabby. If there’s one caveat, it’s that it all depends on Coney’s adjustment after transferring from Tulsa.

Coney is a tackling machine. York led the Aggies last year with 76 tackles — Coney had 89 solo tackles, the most in college football. He’s proven he can find the ball and dispose of the person holding it. At 6-foot-2 and 240 pounds, he’s going to be a lot tougher for a lineman or tight end to take out of a play than York was. But York excelled at understanding the defense, relaying play calls and making pre-snap adjustments. Coney has to figure out the lingo of a new scheme and how the coaches want him to play before the season starts. He should be able to, but stranger things have happened.

Sanford and Coney are very likely the starters for this season, but Mikhail and Lockhart will certainly play. Lockhart moved in as the primary backup linebacker last year, and Mikhail burst onto the scene at midseason and started taking snaps from veterans. There’s no reason to think that, as a sophomore, he won’t at least repeat his performance from last year. There’s a very good chance he’s a lot better.

The A&M coaching staff will likely try to keep the freshmen off the field this season to allow them to muscle up and figure out the college game. All four of them are pretty light, at least according to the current roster. King is listed at 210 pounds, Beck and Miller 215 and Watkins (a former safety) is listed at 201. If they’re going to play any this year, they’ll have to not only earn the playing time, but bulk up in order to survive it.