Texas A&M Aggies Face Uphill Climb Entering Early Stages Of Rebuild Under Mike Elko
No one in College Station told Mike Elko revitalizing Texas A&M football would be easy. He knew while on staff three years ago that climbing up the leaderboards in the SEC is always a tall ask.
The Aggies (7-5), who will close out the 2023 season at NRG Stadium in Houston on Dec. 27 against No. 20 Oklahoma State (9-4) in the TaxAct Texas Bowl, lost three conference games by a touchdown or fewer. They blew two leads and nearly forged a comeback in the final frame.
Therin, of course, is where the revitalizing comes in. Three games and sixteen points changed the course of a 10-2 year to a 7-5 one.
Or 9-3. Or 8-4. Either way, it's growth.
When Jimbo Fisher was sent packing following a 40-point victory over Mississippi State, athletic director Ross Bjork said the Aggies were "stuck in neutral." The offense had gained momentum, but the results were nearly identical each season.
Fisher was being paid to put together 10-win campaigns regularly, not settling for seven victories and calling it a day.
Maybe those years will come in the Elko era, but 2024 could be brutal. The Aggies open the season at home against Elko's former quarterback Riley Leonard and Notre Dame. They take on Missouri, LSU, and Texas at Kyle Field and travel to Auburn and Florida.
Mike Elko
Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-USA TODAY Sports
It'll be mostly new for Elko, too. He might have been a factor in landing several premier defensive line talent, but countless have entered the transfer portal since his arrival back on campus.
Elijah Robinson, a vocal leader and locker room favorite, is shipping out to Syracuse after Dec. 27 to join Fran Brown's staff. A&M is losing a position coach, but it's more so losing an elite recruiter who could have likely kept multiple players around if he stuck through.
Who knows if players would have stuck around or still left once Fisher was out the door, but it's clear A&M won't be the same roster many considered an SEC dark horse this past season. Production could keep dwindling if more players decide to de-commit before Wednesday's Early Signing Period.
There's some talent returning heading into spring. Conner Weigman doesn't seem interested in leaving. Neither do running backs Reuben Owens and Le'Veon Moss. Noah Thomas and Moose Muhammud seem ready for another season in College Station.
Does Evan Stewart? So far, he's yet to enter the portal. Neither has All-SEC freshman linebacker Taurean York.
A&M also has added three players from the portal in cornerback Will Lee III (Kansas State), receiver Javon Harvey (Old Dominion) and linebacker Alex Howard (Youngstown State).
For every player entering to stay around, however, comes a player leaving. Joining defensive lineman Walter Nolen in the portal includes starting offensive lineman Chase Bisontis, starting tight end Jake Johnson, starting defensive end Fadil Diggs and starting cornerbacks Tyreek Chappell and Deuce Harmon.
Role players like receiver Raymond Cottrell, offensive linemen Remington Strickland and Jordan Spasojevic-Moko, quarterback Max Johnson safety Jardin Gilbert, and defensive lineman LT Overton have also entered the portal.
Veterans like receiver Ainias Smith, defensive lineman McKinnley Jackson, linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, defensive back Demani Richardson, and tight end Max Wright, among others, are out of eligibility or will be headed to the pros. Currently, the Aggies are set to lose 13 starters heading into Christmas.
Elko is the right man for the job. Anyone who can turn Duke from a three-win roster to a nine-win team in an offseason knows how to coach. But coaching is only one factor. Roster construction is another.
A&M fans are likely looking for instant gratification. They could be waiting a season or two, depending on the coming days.
They most certainly will be on pins and needles until the final hours of the transfer portal window's opening.
