Mike Elko isn’t sounding the alarm on Daymion Sanford.
Texas A&M’s linebacker suffered a gruesome injury during the Aggies’ spring football game, and with the 2026 offseason already focused on replacing the players who moved on through the NFL draft, it would have been easy for concern to spike fast. Instead, Elko kept his message calm at SEC Media Days.
"Don't ask me about Daymion Sanford," Elko said during the media availability. "We'll find out where that goes in time, but he will be back. He will be ready to go somewhere in the middle of the season."
That kind of response fits the way Elko has handled injuries before. He has not been the type to lay out timelines, and last season’s approach to running back Le'Veon Moss was the same story, with the coach repeatedly brushing off status questions by saying, "he's doing great," no matter what the situation actually looked like.
Sanford’s injury came during Texas A&M’s annual Maroon and White spring game, just before halftime. He was carried off the field with an air splint on the injured extremity.
The setback matters because Sanford was projected by many to help fill the void left by Taurean York, who is now with the Denver Broncos after three strong years with the Aggies. Sanford and York had already worked together as a tandem last season when Scooby Williams was injured, and Sanford’s 2025 production showed why he was viewed as ready for a bigger role.
The Katy, Texas native posted career highs in total tackles with 57, solo tackles with 25, assisted tackles with 32 and sacks with 3.5. He also picked off his first college interception in A&M’s dominant win over Mississippi State.
With Sanford expected to miss a decent chunk of the first half of the season, Texas A&M will have to lean on other options, including Jordan Lockhart and Noah Mikhail, while he works his way back.
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