Pro Football Focus ranks Texas A&M's 2025 linebacker unit in the Top 10 nationally
Pro Football Focus ranks Texas A&M's 2025 linebacker unit in the Top 10 nationally
One of the strengths of Texas A&M's 2025 roster is finally being recognized this offseason, and credit to Pro Football Focus for being one of the first outlets to rank the entire Aggie linebacker corps as one of the top ten units nationally. Coming in at No. 6 in PFF's Top 10 college linebacker units, Texas A&M came in at No. 6 as Notre Dame (No. 5), Georgia (No. 4), Notre Dame (No. 3), LSU (No. 2) and Texas at No. 1 are the only teams considered "better" overall.
After previewing the unit last month, I have been very high on the group since the start of the offseason, knowing that junior Taurean York and senior Scooby Williams will be leading the way. Still, the depth is even intriguing with junior Daymon Sanford, Tristan Jernigan, and Jordan Lockhart all bringing their strengths to the middle of the defense.
According to the author, PFF analyst Max Chadwick has Taurean York as his second-ranked linebacker in all of college football, noting that his nation-leading 59 run-defense stops, combined with his improvement in coverage, make him a top 2026 NFL Draft prospect with enormous potential.
While Chadwick did not mention Jernigan or Lockhart, who will likely receive the least snaps between York, Williams, and Sanford, he did point out freshman LB Noah Mickhail, whose role in 2025 is unknown, but his skill is undeniable.
"Scooby Williams is back for his redshirt senior campaign after starting next to York last season. His 82.0 run-defense grade was 11th among SEC linebackers. Daymion Sanford also returns and was fourth among SEC linebackers with a 64.1 passer rating allowed in coverage. Noah Mickhail also enters College Station as the No. 9 linebacker recruit from the 2025 cycle."
Having two elite run-stoppers with York and Williams, combined with Sanford's elevated pass coverage, provides coach Mike Elko and his defensive staff plenty of leeway to get Mickhail on the field early in the season to test his readiness. Texas A&M's defense, outside of some depth issues at defensive tackle, is on track to be one of the top defenses in the SEC.
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.
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