'No Time to Waste!' Aggies Coach Mike Elko Praises Derek Miller and the Texas A&M Recruiting Team

Elko recognizes the importance of a good recruiting team, particularly when it involves the NCAA transfer portal.

Back in December, new Aggies coach Mike Elko announced the addition of Derek Miller to the new football staff as the recruiting general manager. Miller had previously served in the same capacity under Elko during his two seasons at Duke.

Elko recognizes the importance of a good recruiting team, particularly when it involves the NCAA transfer portal.

"He and his team in the scouting department have done a great job of identifying guys," Elko said. "You have no time to waste in the transfer portal and in high school recruiting."

The Aggies currently hold a top 20 recruiting class for 2024 - and it's continuing to improve.

A&M recently added five-star athlete Terry Bussey and four-star wideout Ashton Bethel-Roman to the 2024 cycle, further strengthening the class for the upcoming season.

"He's critical. That role is really important," Elko said. "You're recruiting a portal with like 2,000 or 3,000 kids. You're trying to sort through all of that and find what creates value for you and fits you. 

"He does a phenomenal job," Elko said. "He and his team are phenomenal evaluators. What they bring to us is high quality."

Bussey, the No. 11 overall player and No. 1 athlete in the nation, has been committed to the Aggies since September and is the biggest signing of the 2024 class for new head coach Mike Elko.

Four-Star WR Ashton Bethel-Roman Commits, Signs With Aggies

Bethel-Roman is ranked as the No. 39 receiver nationally and the No. 39 recruit from the state of Texas. He's the No. 225 overall player in the country. He chose the Aggies over other schools after de-committing from Arkansas including Texas Tech, TCU, Kansas State, Houston, Ole Miss, and others.

Elko and Miller and their recruiting team will continue to work toward improving the upcoming recruiting classes to compete with the new SEC that now includes Oklahoma and cross-state rival Texas.