Texas A&M has two players that have earned weekly SEC honors after the Mississippi State game, both on the defensive side of the ball. Cashius Howell earned the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week award, while Daymion Sanford was named as the Co-Defensive Player of the Week in the conference.
🏈 SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week: WK 6
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) October 6, 2025
👍 Cashius Howell@AggieFootball x #SECFB pic.twitter.com/aoDGzXlx5H
Howell had a massive game against the Bulldogs, registering another triple-sack performance against MSU after doing the same to Utah State earlier in the year. He's been as much as Aggie fans have hoped for this year and even more, displaying his pass-rush dominance and versatility in several matchups over the course of this season thus far.
Sanford is an exciting surprise for Texas A&M fans. Filling in for the injured Scooby Williams, he's been an absolute revelation at the linebacker spot for the Aggies, and has no doubt earned some increased playing time even when Scooby is back on the field.
Texas A&M's Daymion Sanford and Cashius Howell earn huge defensive honors after impressive showing vs Mississippi State
Sanford registered nine total tackles to go along with one sack and two TFLs in this game, not to mention the interception that led to Texas A&M's first score of the night. After that point, the offense finally uncorked and began to flow freely, so it's hard to not see that play as a big turning point for A&M against the Bulldogs.
Sanford committed to Texas A&M as a three-star, an uber-athletic teammate of DJ Hicks down at Katy Paetow. His measurables bumped him to four-star status by the time signing day rolled around, but he was still a developmental prospect by any measure.
This defensive staff has done a masterful job in developing him into the player he is today. With Williams headed for the NFL after this year, Sanford could step in as a worthy replacement from day one, and his ceiling in the 2026 season could be even higher than Williams this year.