Texas A&M Newcomer Preview: Ray Coney raises the Aggies' ceiling drastically

After an impressive campaign on the field this past season, Texas A&M is set to lose three-year starting linebacker Taurean York to the NFL Draft, along with Scooby Williams, who missed the majority of the season due to injuries and had no remaining eligibility to return to College Station.

Head coach Mike Elko responded by bringing in a new voice to lead the position group, hiring former Arkansas defensive coordinator Travis Williams as the program’s new linebackers coach after Kentucky hired away former linebackers coach and defensive coordinator Jay Bateman.

While there has been significant turnover at the position, the overall talent level in the room has arguably improved. The Aggies signed four linebackers in their most recent recruiting class and also added another through the transfer portal who is expected to step in and contribute immediately next season.

The addition of linebackers coach Travis Williams was a significant one for Texas A&M. While he won’t be contributing on the field himself, he is a hire that many inside the program are extremely excited about and one they believe could have a major impact on the maroon and white moving forward.

Williams previously spent time as the defensive coordinator at UCF before being hired by Sam Pittman at Arkansas. During his time in Orlando, he helped elevate the Knights’ defense into a top-40 unit nationally and built one of the country’s most effective red zone defenses, finishing with the fifth-best mark in his final season there.

After Arkansas announced the firing of Pittman, Williams and much of the defensive staff in Fayetteville were let go, creating an opportunity for Texas A&M to pursue him. Landing Williams was far from easy, however, as multiple programs across the Southeastern Conference and beyond were aggressively working to add him to their staffs.

In the end, Texas A&M secured the hire, bringing in a coach widely regarded within the industry as a “major up-and-comer” who could play a key role in both player development and recruiting at the linebacker position.

Arkansas insider and HawgBeat contributor Daniel Fair spoke on Williams’ time in Fayetteville and what he’ll bring to College Station:

“The biggest area that Williams is going to help you out in is in the recruiting department. The guy relates to players really well and they seem to gravitate to his energy. His better pulls were four-star guys like Bradley Shaw and Tavion Wallace; the former is going to be a key part of Arkansas’ linebacker room next year and Wallace was highly-regarded across the SEC coming out of high school and found a landing spot in Kentucky.

With Williams, you’re going to get a guy that is pretty relentless on the recruiting trail. Even at Arkansas, which has had its recruiting struggles, he was regularly the point man on a lot of the big-time recruits they landed. Wallace is probably the best example of that, just because he was able to pull a guy from the state of Georgia that the Bulldogs really wanted. That kind of stuff just doesn’t happen often at a place like Arkansas, so being at a place like Texas A&M would, I imagine, make him an even more formidable threat on the recruiting trail.”

In Mike Elko’s first full recruiting class at Texas A&M, the Aggies signed just two linebackers in the 2025 cycle. Four-star Noah Mikhail and three-star Kelvion Riggins were the only additions at the position through high school recruiting and the transfer portal in that class.

The approach changed significantly in the 2026 cycle, where Texas A&M signed four linebackers to bolster the room.

One of the more hard-fought recruitments was for 2026 Rock Hill (SC) Northwestern four-star linebacker Tamarion Watkins. The Aggies had to fend off late pushes from Miami and in-state South Carolina, both of which worked to flip Watkins until the very end of the cycle before he ultimately signed with Texas A&M.

Watkins showcased impressive versatility during his senior season, seeing snaps both at linebacker and in the secondary. Former defensive coordinator Jay Bateman even told AggieYell that Watkins reminded him of Fred Warner, a comparison rooted in the rangy play style and instincts that some on the Aggies’ staff saw when evaluating him.

The highest-rated signee of the group was Carthage (TX) four-star linebacker Da’Quives Beck, who chose Texas A&M over Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. A two-time state champion and teammate of KJ Edwards, Beck built a strong reputation across Texas with his physical style of play and effectiveness against the run. While still somewhat raw in certain areas, he carries significant upside and fits naturally into the Aggies’ linebacker system.

Another major pickup came in 2026 Strongsville (OH) four-star linebacker Storm Miller. Texas A&M secured his commitment early after hosting him for a summer visit, beating out in-state Ohio State in the process.

Miller brings an extremely high motor and impressive athleticism to the position and is expected to continue to develop under new linebackers coach Travis Williams in the coming years. Already known as a physical and disruptive defender in the run game, he continues to develop into a more complete, every-down linebacker. His head coach, Justin Trusnik, spoke highly of Miller’s potential to Lettermen Row:

“I’ve had a chance to work with him over the last couple of years just at the defensive end and linebacker position. I think some of the things that stand out are he’s a leader and just the way he works, it’s 100% every which way possible. Those are the first two things I always look at — are you a leader and are you doing everything right? He does that, but when he hits the field, he’s got the intangibles. I always tell him you’re about four years earlier than I had it. I didn’t have it until late in my college career, but just being explosive and flying to the ball and all those things.”

The final addition was 2026 Port Arthur (TX) Memorial four-star linebacker Tank King, the only in-state signee at the position. His recruitment was another battle, as Notre Dame continued pushing for his commitment right up until signing day, led by head coach Marcus Freeman.

King brings a versatile skill set and a strong 6-foot-3, 215-pound frame to College Station. He has received glowing reviews from sources across Texas for his athleticism and all-around playmaking ability. After an impressive senior season, he is viewed as a player capable of competing for meaningful snaps early in his career with Texas A&M.

When it comes to portal acquisitions, there may be none more important for Texas A&M than the addition of Ray Coney. The former Tulsa linebacker quickly shut down his recruitment after visiting College Station, choosing the Aggies shortly thereafter.

A four-year veteran, Coney has produced at nearly every level outside of the Power Four so far in his career. Head coach Mike Elko has already stated publicly that he believes Coney is capable of making the jump to the next level this season, particularly as he steps into a linebacker room that previously lacked a proven veteran presence following the departure of Taurean York.

Coney finished his most recent season with 128 tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble for Tulsa. According to Pro Football Focus, he was ranked as the No. 30 linebacker nationally in 2025. He also graded inside the top 100 nationally in both run defense and pass coverage while posting strong pass-rush win rates at the position.

Projected to start alongside Daymion Sanford next season, Coney gives Texas A&M another dependable run defender and experienced presence in a front seven that will feature several new starters. His experience also puts him in contention to serve as one of the on-field defensive play-callers, something he handled at previous stops during his college career.

While York and Scooby Williams were important contributors over the past two seasons, it’s easy to understand why many believe the overall production at linebacker could actually improve next year with the combination of new talent and veteran experience now entering the room.