Grading Texas A&M football's coaching staff midway through Aggies' first season under Mike Elko
When the Mike Elko hire was made by Texas A&M football, the Aggie faithful were anxious to see the staff their former DC would put together. There were all sorts of concerns about Elko's ability to recruit in particular (concerns that, to my mind, have been answered so far), so as his first hires began to be announced, A&M fans were happy to see some names on the list to assuage those doubts.
Of course, the offseason is one thing, but how these hires play out in an on-field capacity is another. Now that we have a half-season's worth of evidence, here's how the Aggie coaching hires are grading out so far.
Grading Texas A&M football's coaching hires - Trooper Taylor, RBs
Taylor is a well-known recruiter in the SEC, so his inclusion in this initial coaching staff was a big plus for the Aggies. He came over from Duke with Elko after serving as the Blue Devils' interim following the HC's departure.
His results have been impressive so far from an on-field standpoint. The Aggies have had a lot of potential with the guys they have had at the RB position over the last few years, but after Devon Achane left, Le'Veon Moss and Amari Daniels never quite seemed to find their stride.
Taylor has gotten impressive returns from Moss and Daniels, though, as well as Stanford transfer EJ Smith. Game one looked a little bit rough—as it did for most of the offense—but the vision, patience, and power of the running backs looks improved across the board.