Texas A&M football is on a clear upward trajectory under head coach Mike Elko, one that is obvious to everyone in the country who watches closely. Even perennial haters of the program have to admit that the man captaining the ship in College Station is building the Aggies into the monster this program always had the potential to become.
Part of that task— maybe the hardest part, if previous coaching tenures are anything to go by for the Aggies— is building a culture that players want to be a part of. There are a lot of schools around the country who are leaning on their deep pockets to put together intimidating rosters— but in a sea of such programs, the Aggies stand out as one that gets and retains their talent for other reasons.
Don't get me wrong: the Aggies are certainly competitive when it comes to player compensation— a school with a fanbase this size that is this motivated almost has to be. But, unlike several other programs, their ability to compensate talent is not their main pitch— and it's working out very well for them so far.
This is well-illustrated by the comment of an anonymous GM, featured recently on an article (counterintuitively) about the highest-paid rosters in college football. That GM's words, though, show that the Aggies are keeping their talent in-house through a different means than just massive contracts— and it's something that should give A&M fans even more confidence in Mike Elko's ability to build a championship team in College Station.
Texas A&M is fending off huge bidders thanks to Mike Elko's championship culture
In a recent column for CBS Sports, one anonymous GM is quoted as saying the following about the Aggies:
"Guys wouldn't even leave there. We were throwing stupid stuff out there, and they wouldn't leave A&M."Anonymous GM
We know all too well that there are schools that are out there, highly motivated to pluck big time players off of Power 4 rosters with huge bids through the transfer portal. Miami, Oregon, Texas, and others are all known for maneuvers just like this.
And yet, when schools have attempted to do this to the Aggies, they are unable to sway them. Think about it: since Mike Elko's first season, how many big time contributors have transferred away from Texas A&M? The answer is zero.
That's not because schools aren't trying, of course: they just can't get any A&M player to transfer out. This is thanks to the culture that Mike Elko has built at Texas A&M: players, even those who are in the highly-rated incoming class of 2027, have taken less to go to A&M than the higher offers they have to go elsewhere.
The main reason that players are choosing A&M over competing programs is not money, but the program that Mike Elko has built. That's what it looks like to be built to last rather than being a flash in the pan, and the Aggies' head man knows that better than anyone.
This is why he is going to win a championship in College Station: he's building things the right way. As A&M's star continues to rise, they will become even more of a target for other programs— but thanks to Elko's philosophy, they will continue to be immune.
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