As the summer winds down, so do the college football previews, and for Texas A&M, coach Mike Elko’s third season at the helm will be his most important after leading the Aggies to the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history, leading to a record 10 players selected in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Compared to former head coach Jimbo Fisher, Elko’s mature demeanor and background as one of the top football minds, especially as a defensive coordinator, have made him a perfect fit in College Station after serving as the Aggies’ D-coordinator for four seasons under Fisher, quickly becoming a fan favorite.
Mike Elko’s reśume speaks for itself, and On3’s Crane & Coe show, including former Georgia star linebacker David Pollack, recently discussed why the old 8-4 jokes deserve to be “thrown in the trash can” and that the Aggies have their “swagger back” under Elko’s leadership.
Elko’s first season at the helm started at 7-1, but after star running back Le’Veon Moss’s season-ending injury, the Aggies sputtered down the stretch, finishing 1-4, including close losses to Auburn, Texas, and USC in the Las Vegas Bowl.
With a loaded roster and even higher expectations in 2025, Elko and starting quarterback Marcel Reed, transfer wide receivers KC Concecpcion and Mario Craver, and unamimous All-American Edge Cashius Howell led Texas A&M to its first 11-0 start in over 30 seasons, but, similar to the previous season, back-to-back losses to Texas and Miami in the first round of the CFP did not go according to plan.
Entering the 2026 campaign, 17 transfer portal additions, combined with 65% of the 2025 roster returning, including Marcel Reed, immediately makes Texas A&M a College Football Playoff contender, and in aggreement with the Crain & Cone crew and David Pollack, Mike Elko’s leadership and coaching chops is a big reason why.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M has it’s ‘swagger back’ under head coach Mike Elko
Reporting by Cameron Ohnysty, Aggies Wire / Aggies Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Cameron Ohnysty, Aggies Wire | USA TODAY Network
