Mike Elko’s Texas A&M Aggies have a somewhat murky future. Yes, they have a questionable lack of depth on the roster in the CFB circuit presently, with three key players lost to the NFL. And that 70% production loss owing to these departures and other factors? That’s another challenge. While the program has had flashes of elite talent since joining the SEC in 2012, all owing to the roster experience that even top SEC powerhouses such as the Bulldogs lack, is it really enough? Can Mike Elko’s second attempt push the Aggies closer to the Natty?
Elko’s first season with the Aggies started off strong, coming off the Top 10 of the AP Top 25, but that fizzled out by November, with a 17-7 loss to archenemy Texas Longhorns. Another loss to the USC Trojans in the bowl game, and the Aggies’ aspirations flatlined just like that. What about this year? Well, ESPN’s Bill Connelly put the Aggies under the programs that are a “couple of breakaways from a run.” Well, why? The obvious. Last season, the offense was down, and the defense struggled, finishing 90th against the pass, allowing 232.2 yards per game. The D-line needed crisp talent. And that’s what Elko addressed this offseason.
Mike Elko is gearing up the roster with a couple of new pairs of cleats. They added cornerbacks Julian Humhrey and Jordan Snow, Dayon Hayes, T.J. Searcy, and KC Concepcion, among others. But can these new transfers fill the void left by Nic Scourton, Shemar Stewart, and Shemar Turner? One analyst is not sold on the Aggies this season, and he has got reasons. “I hope I’m wrong, okay? But they have to prove to me they can win on the road against top teams, something they haven’t done in forever. Okay, we’re talking forever,” David Nuno of TexAgs put bluntly on That SEC Podcast.
He added, “They got their first road win in four years last year or three and a half years last year when they beat Florida on the road, which was great, but they got to beat ranked teams on the road, which they haven’t done.” When the Aggies saw the chance for redemption amidst their growing swamp last year, they took it with both hands. They jumped out to a 20-0 lead at halftime and 33-7 with 5:29 left in the third quarter. Ultimately, they beat Florida 33-20 to begin conference play.
Further, they even secured a 34-24 road win over Mississippi State at Davis Wade Stadium. But for Aggies to dream the “Natty dream,” they need to beat three Top 10 programs. Can they win at Notre Dame? Can they win at LSU, where they haven’t won in Baton Rouge since 1994? And can they win in Austin?
He further chews on his own question. He ranked Notre Dame as the most likely team the Aggies could beat, citing the Irish’s new quarterback and the early timing of the matchup in Week Three. That’s some optimism, given that the head-to-head between the two stands at 2-4. Even during last year’s game, the Fighting Irish had the last laugh with a 23-13 score. Next come the Longhorns—not just because they have a stacked roster, but because the rivalry amps up the adrenaline even before kickoff.
Against the Longhorns, the Aggies hold a conference record of 33-62-3, and we all know the storied history that follows their matchup. And that 7-17 blowout last year must have stung for Mike Elko. To top that, the 17-0 deficit at the half? Brutal to A&M, but sheer dominance from the Longhorns!
Nuno mentioned that the Aggies must show a consistent winning record against top teams, a milestone they haven’t reached in forever. He believes that presently Aggies’ path in the playoffs appears grey, but hey, if they show a consistent record, it might not be too far: “When they prove to me they can win on the road consistently, that’s when I’m ready to go from the 8-4 4 talk to the 9-3, 10-2, which they were right there if Le’Veon Moss doesn’t get hurt in my opinion.”
And that’s true since the run game this year is expected to be absolutely dynamite with Reed and seniors Amari Daniels and Le’Veon Moss (combined: 1,426 yards and 18 TDs last year) and sophomore Rueben Owens running behind an enormous line that returns last year’s top six, five of whom are seniors (average size: 6-6, 333 pounds).
Mike Elko’s Texas A&M- The underrated dark horse, or is it just smoke and mirrors?
So, on one side, we have David Nuno’s take on the Aggies, and then there’s ESPN’s Alyssa Lang betting on Texas A&M to shake things up this season. “I like A&M as my underrated dark horse this year,” she said, distancing the 2025 squad from the Jimbo Fisher-led team that never quite lived up to the hype during his 2018-2023 tenure.
In his first season at A&M, he coached the Aggies to a 9-4 record and entered the 2019 season ranked 12th. But losses to the then-Top 10 teams like Clemson, Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, and LSU derailed their moment. Then came the COVID-19 shortened season, where the head coach had a 9-1 record. By this time, the executives were happy with the performance Fisher put up, and in 2021, he was given a contract extension until 2023, only to put up an 8-4 record. 2022 and 2023? Well, they declined further with 5-7 and 6-4.
Moving on, she added, “This Mike Elko-constructed Texas A&M team feels different from the year after year after year of the Jimbo Fisher Texas A&M team. And that’s not a shot against Jimbo Fisher. It just there was never any proof in the pudding for us to feel that way other than what was on paper last year.” Although Fisher led Florida State to the Natty, his offense sputtered at A&M- ranking No. 101 nationally in 2022.
The post Mike Elko Wins Over Famous SEC Figure, but Texas A&M Analyst Sees Past the Facade appeared first on EssentiallySports.