Heading into his third season as Texas A&M’s head football coach, Mike Elko’s expectations for the program remain sky high, and for good reason after the Aggies finished 11-2 while earning their first trip to the College Football Playoff, losing to eventual national runner-up Miami in the first round.
Still, accomplishing this feat in just his second year at the helm isn’t just impressive, but quite telling of where the program is headed, especially with a revamped coaching staff built on experience and potential.
This spring, Elko welcomed 17 transfer portal additions, paired with 26 signees from the 2026 recruiting class, while returning veterans include starting quarterback Marcel Reed, star wide receiver Mario Craver, running back Rueben Owens, defensive tackle DJ Hicks, and most of the starting secondary.
After the Maroon & White Game, Elko and his staff further evaluated the roster, which in no way lacks physicality, speed, athleticism, and experience heading into the fall. Going all the way back to May 21, 2025, Mike Elko’s first Coach’s Night ahead of his second season in College Station included quite a few, including one rival fan base, highly doubted, given the way the 2024 season ended.
“When you look at the current roster, we project to have more NFL Draft picks on this (2025) football team than we have had in quite a long time,” Elko stated. “I think you can see anywhere from 10 to 12 Aggies get their name called next year in the NFL Draft.”
Cut to Saturday afternoon: Texas A&M matched its 1976 draft haul, when there were ten rounds, with ten draft selections, including star wide receiver KC Conepcion, selected 24th overall by the Cleveland Browns, who transferred to the Aggies from NC State just months prior to Elko’s statement.
Combined with unanimous All-American edge Cashius Howell, four of five starting offensive linemen, defensive tackles Albert Regis and Tyler Onyedim, tight end Nate Boerkircher, and cornerback Will Lee III, all ten draft selections served as vital pieces to the Aggies’ 11-0 start to the year and CFP appearance, while Elko’s development plan led to NFL teams taking notice.
The future is extremely bright if Elko and his staff continue to recruit NFL-level prospects and land players willing to put in the work from the transfer portal, as the third-year coach has now sent a total of six transfers to the NFL since arriving on campus.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M HC Mike Elko’s 2026 NFL Draft premonition aged very well
Reporting by Cameron Ohnysty, Aggies Wire / Aggies Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
