Aggies Defensive Star Lands on Butkus Watch List After Monster 129-Tackle Year

Texas A&M linebacker Ray Coney is already getting national attention before playing a snap for the Aggies.

The senior transfer was named Thursday to the preseason watch list for the 2026 Butkus Award, giving Mike Elko’s defense another veteran name to watch heading into the season.

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Coney arrives in College Station after producing huge numbers at Tulsa in 2025.

The 6-0 linebacker started all 12 games, served as a team captain and led the Golden Hurricane with 129 tackles. He also added 7.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, two pass breakups and a forced fumble.

Consistency may have been the most impressive part of his season.

Coney recorded at least 10 tackles in eight games, showing the kind of sideline-to-sideline production Texas A&M will hope carries directly into SEC play, and this doesn't appear to be one random breakout year.

Before Tulsa, Coney spent two seasons at East Tennessee State.

Across his three college seasons, the Fairfield, Ohio, native has appeared in 35 games with 273 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, eight sacks and seven quarterback hurries.

That’s a serious amount of experience for an Aggies defense that will be looking for proven production in the middle.

Now Coney has another target in front of him.

The Butkus Award annually recognizes the nation’s top linebacker, and this year’s preseason list includes 51 players, a nod to the No. 51 jersey made famous by Hall of Famer Dick Butkus.

Semifinalists are scheduled to be announced Oct. 28, followed by finalists on Nov. 20. The winner is expected to be revealed during the week of Dec. 7.

For Coney, making the preseason list is another sign of how far his college career has come.

He began outside the Power Four spotlight, developed at East Tennessee State, broke out at Tulsa and now enters his final season at one of the most demanding defensive programs in the SEC.

Texas A&M didn’t bring him in to simply provide depth.

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The Aggies added a linebacker who has already shown he can rack up tackles, play through traffic and handle leadership responsibilities.

If that production travels with him to College Station, Coney could become one of the most important pieces of Texas A&M’s defense - and remain in the Butkus Award conversation deep into the season.