Texas A&M Football: DC Mike Elko will return, solidifying Aggies’ defense
The Texas A&M Football team was confident in how their defense would perform after posting numbers good enough to crown themselves as the best unit in the SEC in 2020. The only team that could muster up any significant points on the was Alabama, the eventual national champions.
Things were set to improve even further in 2021, with most of the team’s starters returning and some extremely exciting talent stepping into the very few holes left behind.
But there was one roadblock in the way.
After Kansas head coach Les Miles and athletic director Jeff Long were dismissed from their respective positions at their program, the Aggies’ defensive coordinator Mike Elko was under heavy consideration for the job.
Texas A&M Football DC Mike Elko will be returning to the Aggies’ coaching staff
Thankfully for the Aggies, Mike Elko will not be taking the head coaching job at Kansas. As reported by Matt Zenitz, SEC insider, Elko will not be leaving College Station this fall.
This is huge news for a Texas A&M Football team that will be looking to make a College Football Playoff run in 2021 after a 4th-ranked finish and a snub from last year’s contest. Their defense will be the heart and soul of said run.
Elko joined the Texas A&M coaching staff along with Jimbo Fisher and immediately improved his offense. In his first season, he improved the Aggies’ total defense from 85th to 34th, a drastic and noticeable bump.
He wasn’t done there though, he would take that unit and steadily increase efficiency over the next couple of seasons, securing a top ten unit in 2020. It’s the best Aggie defense in a long time, but he’s not done there. In 2021, he’ll look to have the best unit in the country without question.
Next. 3 reasons why the Aggies' defense will be elite in 2020. dark
With Elko returning and as much returning production as Texas A&M has on the defensive end, it’s hard to see a scenario where this defense isn’t elite. That said, there is a lot of work to be done between now and the fall. Let’s see if this Aggie team has what it takes to maintain one of the best defenses in college football.