Texas A&M linebacker Daymion Sanford is already back running after the lower-body injury that cut short his spring. Sanford, entering his senior season, said Wednesday at SEC Media Days that he has moved past the walking boot and surgery he underwent this summer, and he sounded confident about where he stands in the recovery process.
Sanford said the biggest challenge has been mental, not physical. “I think it’s going to be pretty difficult,” Sanford stated.
“But it’s more of a mindset thing that I’ve learned throughout this process. You have to celebrate the small wins every day and make yourself feel good.
So I’ve been celebrating the small wins, like being able to walk again, being able to get out of the brace, being able to run, stuff like that.”
He also pointed to the depth around him at linebacker, noting that transfer Ray Coney and rising sophomore Noah Mikhail are helping hold things down before he returns. Sanford said Mike Elko has been steady through the process as well.
Before turning to his own rehab, Sanford was asked to name a defensive player on the roster who could be flying under the radar heading into the 2026 season. His answer was Illinois transfer defensive tackle Angelo McCullom.
McCullom is expected to back up North Carolina transfer CJ Mims at nose tackle. Last season, McCullom played in 12 games at nose tackle, finishing with 19 tackles and 2 sacks. Pro Football Focus gave him a 70.3 run defense grade, and he reportedly hit a new bench press personal record of 470 pounds.
Texas A&M’s defensive line mix is still coming together, but senior defensive tackle DJ Hicks and senior defensive end T.J. Searcy are already familiar with what Elko wants from that group.
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