Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko is looking for more consistency down the stretch. Can the Aggies bring that to College Station and the rest of the SEC?
Can Mike Elko Lift Aggies in Year 2?
While not the splashy choice, Texas A&M brought Elko in to lead their program to prominence. After the school fired Jimbo Fisher, sending him into retirement with millions, the school needed a change. Elko, from a coaching standpoint, bought an unflappable, almost serene countenance.
On top of that, Elko used his ability to recruit and the war chest of money available to bring players in to wear the maroon and white. Despite all the perceived advantages, Elko cannot get complacent and allow complacency to occur.
Patience and Texas football, at any level, do not mesh well together. In fact, even an 8-5 record leaves a sour taste in the mouths of donors.
Credit Elko and his staff for not just reloading Texas A&M and their efforts to challenge the best of the best in the SEC. According to 247Sports, the Aggies possess the ninth-best recruiting class in 2025. The Marianas Trench isn’t as deep as the Texas A&M depth on that list.
With 14 players, including recruits and transfers, Elko made absolutely sure that he attended to the line of scrimmage.
On both sides of the ball, especially on defense, Texas A&M needed to replace several players headed to play at the professional level. Nic Scourton, Shemar Stewart, and Shemar Turner accounted for eight and a half of the team’s 25 sacks in 2024.
Two Position Battles To Watch Out For
Dayon Hayes, the Pitt transfer, looks to battle with T.J. Searcy, a Florida transfer. However, you cannot rule out freshman four-star edge rusher Marco Jones. In Hayes and Searcy, you have proven veterans that will play within the construct of their schemes without deviation.
However, for all of that discipline, you don’t really see that much in the way of explosion or athletic twitch.
That’s where the versatile Jones steps up and could threaten the two presumed front-runners for playing time. Jones could see the field on strictly passing downs to start as he finds his way versus the run. Plus, you’re not going to sit a four-star recruit for two one-year players.
When defensive tackle Tyler Onyedim made his way to College Station from Iowa State, he envisioned a clear path to the starting spot. Meanwhile, Chace Sims, a freshman enrollee, presents a chance to cut into Onyedim’s reps or start outright on the defensive line, pending on his spring practice performance.
Onyedim knows the speed of the college game and what it takes not just to survive but to play well. Meanwhile, Sims presents a high ceiling and high floor with outstanding energy so as not to stay blocked and disrupt the ball.
Much like the Hayes-Searcy-Jones battle, the Onyedim will probably handle the lion’s share of the snaps until the freshman can work in and start vulturing snaps later in the season.
Expectations for Elko in Year 2
Elko can turn the Aggies around on the fly. The final three losses of the year took much of the early momentum, but you can see light at the end of the tunnel. More importantly, making a dent in what Texas built goes a long way.
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After a brief hiatus, the Aggies and Longhorns are conference rivals once again. Now, Elko can chart a better course for Texas A&M that will also lead them directly into Texas — not just state dominance remains at stake; winning controls recruiting.
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