Mike Elko met with the media today for his opening press conference ahead of fall camp, signaling the start of football season is well and truly almost here. With just over a month to go until the Aggies kick off against Missouri State, there are quite a few questions that this A&M team has to answer, but the good news is that they are— with few exceptions— spoiled for choice.
One of the areas where they have only a few good options, though, is that of linebacker. Tulsa transfer Ray Coney is a tackling machine, but he’s never played at this level, and though there are high hopes for a guy like Noah Mikhail, there’s simply not a lot there that’s proven— and the same could be said of a guy like Jordan Lockhart.
The issues here stem from the fact that team captain Daymion Sanford went down with a horrible-looking injury in the spring game back in April, leading most to assume that he wouldn’t be back for some time— or even be out for the season. Every single sign since that point, however, has been an unabashed positive for the the Aggies— and now, Elko has hit us with news that would have been considered unimaginably and unrealistically positive even weeks ago.
Mike Elko reports that Daymion Sanford is “on course” for opener after horrific injury
While Elko had hinted that Sanford would be back earlier in the season than many expected, most thought it may be game five or six before he made an appearance. However, in his comments today, Elko mentioned that no. 27 for the maroon and white is set to be back for that first game against the Missouri State Bears:
Texas A&M coach Mike Elko said LB Daymion Sanford is "on course" to play in the season opener vs. Missouri State on Sept. 5, but added he will be worked back throughout preseason camp and they'll see how he progresses. He also said he doesn't think anyone will miss all of camp.
— Carter Karels (@CarterKarels) August 4, 2026
This is unbelievable given how bad Sanford’s injury looked. When he was carted off in the spring game, most fans were beginning to look at the linebacker depth chart and worry for how the upcoming season would look on defense.
Now, though, it seems like Sanford will be back in action earlier than anyone anticipated. There’s a long recovery process that has to happen for a guy to get back in game shape from an injury like this, but it’s looking more and more like he’ll be pretty much at that point in time for the Aggies’ first big game of the year against Arizona State.
The real relief here is that he should be well-entrenched in the lineup by the time the LSU game comes about, as facing off with that Kiffin offense will be tough on the linebackers— but Sanford being back as the 1A will help everyone else slot into the position they’re supposed to be in.
This is great news from Mike Elko— news that puts a hugely positive spin on where this Aggie season might go. Without any major injuries to start off the year, Texas A&M will enter 2026 at full power— and that’s just what they’ll need for a fast start with an eye on the playoff.
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