Texas A&M's 2026 linebacker corps took a hit when senior Daymion Sanford went down with a lower-body injury that could sideline him for the first half of the season. But the Aggies may have found the perfect solution in transfer Ray Coney, a 6'2", 240-pound tackling machine from Tulsa who's quickly becoming one of the most important additions to the roster.
Coney's journey to College Station is a story of steady growth. After starting his college career at East Tennessee State, his sideline-to-sideline athleticism and instincts earned him a shot at Tulsa, where he exploded onto the scene with a team-high 128 tackles, 41 solo stops, two sacks, and two pass deflections in just one season with the Golden Hurricanes.
The timing couldn't be better for the Aggies. With Taurean York declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft after three stellar seasons, Texas A&M needed a veteran presence with size to shore up a run defense that struggled late last year. While Coney wasn't the biggest name in the transfer portal, his production was impossible to ignore. Pro Football Focus graded him elite against the run (86.9) and solid as a pass rusher (75.2), numbers that translate directly to the field.
What makes Coney such a crucial piece? His ability to consistently stop the run takes pressure off sophomore linebacker Noah Mikhail, allowing the young star to develop naturally without being forced to carry the load in Sanford's absence. After a slow start this spring, Coney finished looking like the program's next starting middle linebacker, needing only to sharpen his eyes in coverage.
247Sports' Tony Catalina put it best: "Texas A&M hit a home run with the addition of LB Ray Coney. His film at Tulsa was stellar. He's super athletic, his football IQ is off the charts, and he truly played sideline to sideline. Really saw it start to click for him in the spring too. I expect big things in 2026."
For a defense looking to reload, Coney might just be the missing piece that turns a question mark into an exclamation point.