Mike Elko’s Texas A&M journey was off to a wild start. Six-and-one soaring, then an eight-and-five landing. Aggie hearts were doing that familiar dance, a mix of hope and ‘here we go again.’ It’s like falling for the same bad relationship over and over again, knowing you might just get your heart broken. But hey, maybe this time it’s different, right? One national insider sure seems to think so, and he ain’t the only one holding out hope. But there’s one glaring roster issue nobody’s ready to shut up about. And if it doesn’t get fixed fast, well, Aggie fans better buckle up for another wild, frustrating ride.
National insider, J.D. Pickell, dropped a truth bomb on On3, urging the Aggie nation to cut Mike Elko some slack: “Let’s be very careful to not pin the sins of Kevin Sumlin and Jimbo Fisher on Mike Elko,” Pickell said. “Like, if you just—if you gave everything around A&M a different uniform, the expectations would be that they’re a team that’s going to go compete for the SEC and a team that’s going to go have a chance to make the College Football Playoff.” Fair point. Elko inherited a hot mess from his predecessors. Kevin Sumlin’s promising start faded into mediocrity, and Jimbo Fisher’s fat contract didn’t deliver the glory A&M fans were drooling over. The Fisher era ended with a $77.6 million buyout just to tell the guy to hit the road. Yikes.
But first things first, let’s ditch the old baggage. “There’s a lot here for Texas A&M with Mike Elko that I think it’s fair to kind of change the filter on how you perceive him. Like if you gave everything around A&M a different uniform the expectations would be that they’re a team that’s going to go compete for the SEC and a team that’s going to have a chance to make it to the college football playoff..but because they have the A&M logo in the maroon jerseys people say ‘oh no no no, been fooled one too many times.’” Well, Mike Elko wasn’t part of that mess.
His first year at Texas A&M? Yeah, it was a wild ride, but there’s solid reason to think they’re turning a corner. They finished 8-5, with a 5-3 SEC record—not exactly a championship banner, but pretty darn good considering the chaos Jimbo Fisher left behind. Elko stepped in, got things under control, and kept A&M in the game.
Early on, it looked like he had this squad cooking. The Aggies started 6-1, smoked Missouri 41-10, and had fans dreaming about an SEC Championship run. But then the wheels started to wobble. A&M lost 4 of their last 5 games, including a brutal meltdown in the Las Vegas Bowl against USC. Up 24-7 at one point, they somehow found a way to blow it, falling 35-31. Well, no one was hailing him as the next savior. Instead, they’re sitting there shaking their heads like, “Same old A&M.” Classic Aggies heartbreak.
Now, Pickell’s analysis doesn’t just sprinkle some sugar on the situation and call it candy. He’s well aware Aggie fans are tired of the same old heartbreak, but he’s throwing them a lifeline, reminding everyone that Elko is not here to pick up Jimbo Fisher’s leftovers. Mike Elko’s got his own blueprint. Ain’t gonna lie, it’s actually not bad for first-year HC in the toughest division in American sport. Not too shabby. “Let’s go get hurt again, baby. Let’s do it. And maybe—just maybe—you put yourself out there one more time, and you like how things go.”
Mike Elko has to pull off a miracle with that 2025 roster
But let’s not get too cozy. Just when things were looking up, a big ol’ wrench got thrown in the gears. Cameron Ohnysty from AggiesWire dropped an article that’s got College Station buzzing. Turns out, Texas A&M’s defensive line depth is looking shakier than a bad Wi-Fi connection during a Fortnite game. And Andrew Stefaniak from the “Locked on Aggies” podcast is out here backing him up, saying the Aggies better hit the spring transfer portal hard if they want to keep up in the SEC.
Credits: Imago
“Texas A&M’s defensive line depth is still the biggest question, as former Iowa State DL Tyler Onyedim represents the only interior D-line addition,” Ohnysty laid it out. Translation? The Aggies are thinner on the D-line than a slice of pepperoni pizza, and that’s not good when you’re trying to roll with the big boys.
The worst part? Elko has to dive headfirst into the transfer portal to fix this mess. Again. “Defensive line is that one position where you really need some new guys. I mean, you’re in a spot where you did a great job bringing in players in that EDGE room,” said Andrew Stefaniak of the Locked on Aggies podcast. “But there’s concerns when it comes to your interior defensive linemen. Yes, I have my concerns with the [IDL].” Sure, the Aggies did okay grabbing T.J. Searcy from Florida, Samuel M’Pemba from Georgia, and Dayon Hayes from Colorado. But the interior looks like an unfinished puzzle.
So, yeah, Elko’s job isn’t just about drawing up fancy plays or rallying the locker room. It’s about plugging those gaping voids on defense before the Aggies start bleeding losses again. And with the spring portal around the corner, he’s got to make some moves—fast.
Elko’s got himself a legit problem heading into 2025. He’s done well stabilizing the program and getting fans to at least halfway believe again. But if he can’t get that defensive line beefed up and ready to roll, it could be another rough ride through the SEC gauntlet. And let’s be real, A&M’s patience for mediocrity is wearing thinner than Fisher’s $77.6 million buyout excuse.
Now the question is, can Mike Elko hit the portal and grab the missing pieces before the wheels fall off? And more importantly, will Aggie fans finally let themselves believe in a head coach again? It’s all hanging by a thread, and only time will tell if Elko’s the savior or just another name on a long list of “almosts.”
The post National Analyst Confirms Mike Elko’s Texas A&M Future as HC Urged to Do the Unthinkable After Huge Roster Revelation appeared first on EssentiallySports.
