Texas A&M is Getting Exactly What it Expected From Ray Coney, and Then Some

The Texas A&M Aggies continue to chug along through the remainder of Fall Camp as the start of the 2026 season sits right around the corner.

For the Aggies, the 2026 season comes with plenty of changes, whether it be through major roster turnover and new faces looking to acclimate to the Texas A&M program or a new set of coordinators that look to grow in their new roles.

And for the Aggies, one of those new additions to the program is quickly making his name known and turning heads through Texas A&M's Fall Camp.

Ray Coney's Stock Begins to Rise

Tulsa Golden Hurricane linebacker Ray Coney — East Carolina Pirates quarterback Katin Houser (4) throws the ball against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane during the first half at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Aggies went into the transfer portal for several defensive players who could come into the squad in 2026 and make immediate impacts after losing many players to the NFL Draft or to eligibility exhaustion, especially along the front six.

One of the players head coach Mike Elko brought into the program was Tulsa transfer linebacker Ray Coney, who had a productive 2025 season. In his final season at Tulsa, Coney recorded 129 tackles (40 solo), the ninth-most in the country, and averaged over 10 tackles per game in 2025, while also tallying 7.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, two pass deflections, and a forced fumble.

And now with an offseason under his belt in the Texas A&M program, the veteran linebacker is turning heads as he received high praise from the Aggies' new defensive coordinator, Lyle Hemphill.

“He’s everything I thought he’d be,” Hemphill said last week. “He’s 6-1, he’s 240-plus, he’s loose and athletic, and he’s a thumper. You can see why he had the tackles he had."

Coney was a standout during his final season at Tulsa, which earned him several distinctions, a pair of major honors at the conference and national level, including a first-team All-AAC selection and a G5 second-team All-American honor.

Now the G5 standout will look to make the transition into the SEC and become a major contributor for the Texas A&M linebacker room and the defense as a whole, especially with the likely early-season absence of Daymion Sanford, who continues to work towards a return after an injury in the spring.

And so far so good with the linebacker as Coney has lived up to expectations and then some, according to Hemphill.

"When (the media) first asked me about him before spring practice, I really had no idea. All I knew was what I watched on tape. So you didn’t really see it," Hemphill said. “But now that he’s been here for a minute, he’s starting to figure it out. He’s going to be a hell of a player.”

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