Texas A&M Aggies' Mike Elko Scouts Mississippi State QB: 'Big-Time Arm'

The Texas A&M Aggies defense must shut down Mississippi State Bulldogs freshman quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr.

Oct 12, 2024; Athens, Georgia, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. (0) passes the ball against the Georgia Bulldogs during the first half at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

As the Texas A&M Aggies look to extend their five-game winning streak, they know they can't take their next opponent likely.

The Mississippi State Bulldogs, who sit at 1-5 and 0-3 in SEC play, look like an easy victory on paper. The only team they've beaten this season is Western Kentucky back in Week 1, and their last four losses have all been by 10+ points. However, easy wins are very hard to come by in the SEC, especially in a stadium where the Aggies have struggled over the years.

No one embodies the Bulldogs' unassuming nature more than freshman quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr., who will be making just his third career start on Saturday. Van Buren has completed 53.4 percent of his passes for 550 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, but his first two starts came on the road against top-five teams Texas and Georgia. The former four-star recruit has a ton of talent, and the Aggies best not take him lightly.

Ahead of Saturday's matchup, Aggies head coach Mike Elko shared how the young quarterback has impressed him thus far while speaking with the media during Wednesday's SEC Weekly Teleconference.

"I think [he's] a kid who's certainly grown tremendously," Elko said. "You know, they haven't given him the easiest hand, having to go to two top-10 teams on the road in his first two starts, and I think he's handled it extremely well. I think he's got a big-time arm, I think he can throw the deep ball really, really well, I think you saw that last week. I thought in the second half, he got into a really comfortable rhythm back there and made some big-time throws against a really good defense.

"And so he's an extremely talented quarterback. I think he's getting more and more comfortable and certainly being at home, making his first home start this week, I'm sure he's really excited about that."

The Aggies are the much better team on paper, and they definitely have the tools to stop Van Buren and the Bulldogs' offense. Still, they know they can't afford to get complacent.