We’re starting to reach the point in the summer where preseason All-Conference teams are released by all kinds of media outlets. And, as usual, there are a bunch of players who are being overlooked and/or underrated.

That’s certainly the case with Texas A&M, where past performance either in Aggieland or elsewhere has been deemed not indicative of future results. And that, in my opinion, is a mistake. Here’s a list of 10 Aggies who are not receiving the attention they should as the summer’s talking season heats up:

1. WR Ashton Bethel-Roman. Averaging 21 yards per catch is nice if its two or three catches. When it’s 24, that’s something else. ABR caught 24 passes for 503 yards and five touchdowns. He was overlooked in part due to KC Concepcion and Mario Craver, but he should certainly be noticed if anyone looks at a stat sheet.
2. S Dalton Brooks. Brooks seemed to have a tantalizing skill set that hadn’t shown itself on the field until the middle of last season, when he took off. Playing a more aggressive role near the line of scrimmage, Brooks ended up with 61 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 3 quarterback hurries, a forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries and an interception. That’s filling the stat sheet. That’s also overlooked.
3. LB Daymion Sanford. Yes, he’s hurt. Yes, he may miss some time. But he was as effective a linebacker as any in the SEC. He didn’t start the first three games, backing up Scooby Williams, but once he was on the field more often, he put up numbers. Sanford made 57 tackles, 9.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and an interception. And it has merited nary a peep.
4. DT CJ Mims. The last two years, the Aggies have had good fortune with single-year transfer defensive tackles — especially with Tyler Onyedim Last year. Mims was more productive at North Carolina that either Onyedim or Rodas Johnson were in their best years at Iowa State and Wisconsin, and he should at least get some attention as he prepares for his single year at A&M.
5. LB Ray Coney. He’s gotten a little more attention than some other players on this list, but we’re talking about a tackling machine here. He led the nation with 128 stops and will move in to replace A&M’s leading tackle, Taurean York. This is the kind of acquisition that can quietly change the course of a season if he’s comfortable in the scheme.
6. CB Dezz Ricks. A former 5-star, Ricks really came into his own last year and played at a consistently high level. For extended periods last year, opponents would rather throw at now-Carolina Panther Will Lee than try Ricks. He should be recognized as one of the SEC’s best corners going into 2026.
7. CB Rickey Gibson. This is purely recency bias. Gibson was recognized as one of the SEC’s best corners before last year, but getting hurt in the first half of the first game last season knocked him from the public eye. He’s back, healthy and now an Aggie, but the amount of attention he’s getting now compared to this time a year ago is negligible.
8. DE Anto Saka. With Saka, it’s a bit of a conundrum. Some outfits like him a lot, others ignore him completely. He was used purely as a pass rusher at Northwestern, but he’s very similar to Cashius Howelll, who we saw last year break out when given the chance. Saka has tremendous athleticism, so it’s not a stretch to think he could do a lot more at A&M.
9. C Mark Nabou. Nabou is the only returning starter from last year’s line, where he was a consistent, steady presence. But, since Nabou’s a center and A&M doesn’t get as much hype as other programs, a lot of people overlook him.
10. RT Wilkin Formby. Nabou may be the only returning starter, but A&M did go out and add four former SEC starters to step in at the other spots. One of them is Formby, who was very good at both right tackle and right guard last year at Alabama. He was outstanding in his first spring at A&M, but many publications aren’t giving him much credit yet.

Our Sponsor

10 Things for Tuesday is sponsored by Brent Campbell, Fighting Texas Aggie Class of 1998. Brent is a Commercial Real Estate Broker, serving all of Central Texas and specializing in sales, leasing & development. He leads a retail acquisition and sales team and was recognized by the Austin Business Journal as a Commercial Real Estate Heavy Hitter in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2023, 2024 & 2025.

In the last 22 years, he has closed deals with a total transactional value of over $400 million and has leased more than 4.75 million square feet. Brent currently serves as the president of the board of directors for Habitat Homes, Inc. and Pathways Youth and Family Services. He is currently on the Downtown Round Rock Task Force.  He is a former president of the Heart of Round Rock Neighborhood Association and a former member of the Round Rock Zoning Advisory Committee, the Round Rock Business and Retention Committee, and the City of Round Rock Ethics Commission, which has led him to begin developing in Williamson and Travis County.

An Austin native, Brent lives in Round Rock where he and his wife have raised four boys. Brent works for Don Quick and Associates, Inc. in Round Rock and can be reached at brent@donquick.com.