Texas A&M's rebuilt defense picked up three national nods this week.
Linebacker Ray Coney was named to the preseason watch list for the Butkus Award, given annually to the nation's best collegiate linebacker, the Butkus Foundation announced Thursday. Two days earlier, defensive tackle DJ Hicks and edge rusher Anto Saka were named to the watch list for the Lombardi Award, presented by the Rotary Club of Houston to linemen and linebackers.
All details below are from Texas A&M's athletics department announcements.
Coney, the tackle machine
Coney arrives in Aggieland for his senior season by way of East Tennessee State and Tulsa, where he was a team captain last year. In 2025 he started all 12 games and led Tulsa's defense with 129 tackles, adding 7.5 tackles for loss and two sacks, with 10 or more tackles in eight different games.
His three-year career line: 273 tackles in 35 games.
The Butkus list runs 51 players, a tribute to the No. 51 Dick Butkus wore. Semifinalists are named Oct. 28, finalists Nov. 20, and the winner is revealed the week of Dec. 7.
Hicks and Saka, inside and outside
Hicks, a senior from Katy, played all 13 games for the Aggies in 2025, recording 26 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and three sacks, with a season-high four tackles in three of the biggest games on the schedule: Notre Dame, LSU and Miami.
