Texas A&M sent 13 players to the 2026 NFL Combine. Here is a rundown of each player that needs to be replaced as well as the possible replacements for each. Mike backer Taurean York was more dependable than splashy during his three year stint in Aggieland. He was oversized but not particularly fast. He didn't force many turnovers or break up many passes. However, he was always in the right place at the right time, reading blocks to spill runners for losses or popping up at the terminus of a receiver's route. He made sure everyone was in position pre snap and York cleaned up everyone's mess after the snap. No one had more stops and he had one of the lower missed tackle rates around.
The Aggies can go multiple ways to find someone to pair with returnee Daymion Sanford. They can use a transfer with experience similar to York's and they can go with more of an off the ball backer as opposed to a true Mike backer.
Tulsa transfer Ray Coney fills the bill on both counts. Coney is 240 pounds, so he is big enough to fight through blockers and take on the biggest backs. He has started for two years at two different schools, so he knows where to go and what to do from a technical standpoint. Like York, he doesn't miss many tackles and does things that don't show up on the stat sheet.
There are also two returnees from the roster in third year player Jordan Lockhart and second year man Noah Mikhail who offer different skill sets. Lockhart is probably more of a Mike from a physical point of view in terms of his size and game. He has the size to get people on the ground and doesn't miss many tackles. Lockhart has to rely on his knowledge of routes in order to cover people in the passing game much like York did. He has been in the defense for two seasons and so probably has better knowledge of the Mike's role and where his teammates are supposed to be relative to everyone else.
On the other hand, Mikhail is built more like an off the ball backer and is athletic with really good range and explosion. He learned on the job as the season went on, getting double digit snaps in three of his last six appearances and registering his highest grades from Pro Football Focus in four of his last five games. He didn't miss a single tackle all season and Mikhail averaged a stop every five plays as a run defender (a ratio that compares favorably with York).
Lockhart and Coney offer the game of a Mike backer who is a B gap to B gap player while Mikhail offers someone who can make stops outside the box versus the run and downfield against the pass. In addition, A&M didn't have much of a rotation at the position in 2025 once Scooby Williams was injured. It will be interesting to see not only which direction the Aggies go in spring ball but if they trend towards using all four players as opposed to a three man rotation with one player spending time at two spots.