A&M concludes spring football in 2026 Maroon & White Game

Click HERE to view Texas A&M’s postgame press conference.

Grey clouds filled the skies above Kyle Field on an overcast Saturday morning.

The atmosphere at kickoff for Texas A&M’s Maroon & White football game was gloomy. It got much gloomier just before halftime.

That’s when Daymion Sanford crumbled to the ground at the end of a running play. Soon afterward, Sanford was carted off the field with a cast on his lower left leg.

“Yeah … he got injured,” A&M coach Mike Elko, who obviously didn’t want to talk about it, said in a postgame press conference. “Lower body. We’ll figure it out.”

That’ll require as much figuring as a CPA in mid-April. Sanford is a team captain. He’s A&M’s best linebacker. Last year, he was second among Aggies in tackles for loss. He was fourth in total tackles. He was second in sacks among returning players.

“Daymion is a one-of-a-kind type of player,” fellow linebacker Noah Mikhail said after the game. “Losing someone like that, it’s just really tough. It’s really tough on the whole team, especially us linebackers.

“We got in the huddle right away and prayed for him.”

No doubt, thousands more prayers for a quick recovery have been lifted on Sanford’s behalf.

The defense needs him. There’s no denying it would be a major blow if the injury forces Sanford to miss significant time next season.

The injury overshadowed the good things that occurred in the Maroon team’s last-play 15-13 victory.

Brady Hart appeared to show he could be a legitimate backup to starting quarterback Marcel Reed. Hart completed a 25-yard pass to Ashton Bethel-Roman on fourth-and-13. He also connected with Isaiah Horton for a 33-yard completion.

Horton flashed brilliance with two receptions when well-covered. He had to reach down to pull in the 33-yard throw on the sideline while being blanketed by safety Chance Collins.

Sophomore running back Jamarion Morrow hinted he could play a major role in the offense. He rushed for 75 yards on nine carries. That included runs which covered 23, 19 and 14 yards.

Mikhail had an interception. The Aggies only managed three interceptions all of last season, so any turnover is celebrated. Mikhail’s made a great read to swipe Helaman Casuga’s throw to tight end Houston Thomas and return 30 yards for a touchdown.

Receiver Mario Craver was merely himself. He caught a 40-yard pass from Reed.

The kicking game shined. Last season, the Aggies had the lowest field goal percentage in the SEC. They went 5-for-5. Transfer David Olano converted from 33 and 39 yards. Freshman Asher Murray made field goals from 28, 29 and 53 yards.

The fun of competition. On the final play of the game, Casuga connected with tight end Luke Braden for a 23-yard game-winning touchdown pass. Maroon team players on the sideline then stormed the field in celebration.

“I think what you saw at the end was what we want the spring game to be, which is kids having fun playing football,” Elko said. “I don’t know how relevant the last play is — non-live quarterback and all of that stuff, but it’s still competition. You’re still playing to win, and then you still get unbelievable energy.

“That’s what, to me, spring games are. It’s literally all about the kids to me.”

But is it worth the possibility of losing a key player to injury? That debate is rather common in college football these days. Some programs have canceled spring games.

Elko obviously sees value in them. In this transfer portal era, rosters change dramatically from season to season. The need to evaluate and build cohesion arguably makes spring football games more important than in previous years.

Besides, there’s risk involved in every one of the 15 spring practice sessions, every practice in August camp and every practice during the season.

Work has to be done to prepare. It cannot be ignored for fear of injuries.

But it’s hard to remember that when a key player is carted off the field. Then, teammates hit their knees and cross their fingers.

“We’re hoping we can get (Sanford) back as soon as possible,” Mikhail said. “Losing someone like that hurts a lot.

“As much as you want to rally and not think about it, it’s still definitely there. It’s going to hurt. It’s not going to go away, but as bad as it gets, we’ve got to push forward and just see what holds for us next.”

Next, all Aggies will anxiously wait for an update on Sanford’s status. Any bit of good news would be like a ray of sunshine cutting through gray clouds on a gloomy day.