Mike Elko Gives Update on Texas A&M Aggies Summer Workouts

Texas A&M enters the 2024 season with new-found expectations.

Sep 23, 2023; College Station, Texas, USA; Auburn Tigers quarterback Payton Thorne (1) is tackled by / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

The Texas A&M Aggies feel like a different football program.

Just a few months after hiring Mike Elko as the new head coach, the Aggies program has gotten a major facelift, complete with 44 new players via the 2024 signing class and NCAA Transfer Portal, and a brand new coaching staff.

However, with so much turnover, there is still plenty of work to be done, and as Elko told the Dallas Touchdown Club, they're going to take full advantage of the time they have this summer to bring things together.

Sep 23, 2023; College Station, Texas, USA; Auburn Tigers quarterback Payton Thorne (1) is tackled by / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

“We had a great spring. I thought we worked really hard and started to make the strides and improvements toward where we wanted to go," Elko said. "We’ve got 100 days where we can work every day to get 100 days better to give us the best chance to beat the hell out of everyone… This summer is going to be huge.”

Obviously, Elko can't be around to push his guys all summer. The NCAA only allows for a certain amount of interaction between the coaching staff and the players in the summer.

Instead, the players spend the majority of their time with either the strength and conditioning staff, as well as doing voluntary workouts.

And according to Elko, the turnout and participation in those voluntary workouts has been as good as he has ever seen it in Aggieland.

“We are working. We are training at a really high level," Elko said. "Our kids are feeling the benefits of that. We’ve had more kids come in for voluntary workouts on Saturdays than we’ve had at times for mandatory workouts in the past.”

All that said, Elko still caution's against expecting too much out of his new-look program, explaining that the Aggies must continue to approach things the right way this summer if they are going to be successful in the fall.

“I think we have an opportunity to really go out and compete, but expectations are going to depend on how the next four months go. We have to go out and handle this summer the right way.”

Elko and his Aggies kick off the season on August 31 against Notre Dame at Kyle Field.