Mike Elko praises several Texas A&M freshmen who look 'comfortable'

Texas A&M's Maroon & White Game served as the final opportunity this spring for coach Mike Elko and his coaching staff to evaluate the progress his returning roster has made, but, most importantly, take note of how close, or far away, the 17 transfer portal additions, combined with 25 of 26 freshmen from the 2026 signing class are heading into fall camp.

During Saturday's scrimmage, several newcomers stood out, led by Alabama transfer wide receiver Isaiah Horton, who led both teams in receiving yards and made an incredible catch down the sideline in the first half.

In the freshman class, former five-star cornerback Brandon Arrington also made some noise, playing with consistent passion, and recorded his first pass deflection after covering fellow freshman WR Aaron Gregory on a perfectly thrown pass from quarterback Marcel Reed.

After senior linebacker Daymion Sanford sustained a devastating lower-body injury before the second half, freshman linebacker Tamarion Watkins, who will need to bulk up this summer, looked the part from an instincts standpoint, consistently being in on every tackle, while his high school career, primarily playing at safety, has helped his transition to linebacker.

Other young players, including freshman safety Tylan Wilson and running backs KJ Edwards and Carsyn Baker, earned praise from head coach Mike Elko, who was highly impressed with each of them, noting their comfort level in both offense and defense so far.

"Our true freshmen were more comfortable with what we are doing. There were some freshman flashes from guys like Tylan Wilson, Tamarion Watkins and Carsyn Baker."

At linebacker, Daymion Sanford could miss the first month, or even more of the 2026 season, depending on his official injury status, which could lead to early snaps for Tamarion Watkins, while Brandon Arrington might be too talented not to see the field this fall.