Mike Elko speaks at Fort Worth A&M Club, 2024 Texas A&M football has “chance to be the best one” he’s coached for Ags
With spring football now finished for Texas A&M football, it’s officially talking season. That means that Mike Elko will be making his way around the state and speaking to different A&M-affiliated organizations before moving on to the national circuit with events like SEC Media Days, which is only about two months away.
Last night, Elko made his way to the Fort Worth A&M Club, where he sounded off about several different topics as part of an address and Q&A session. Among those were topics of great interest to the Aggie fanbase: how does he feel about the transfer situation? How does he feel about this team’s chances this year? Those topics, among others, were all brought up over the course of the evening.
With regard to transfers, it seems like the head man for Texas A&M football is excited about what the Ags have brought in through the portal, mentioning that we could see as many as eight transfers start for the Aggies. Even more will make an impact regularly.
Elko on A&M's transfer portal haul: "We've added some really, really talented players."
— TexAgs (@TexAgs) May 15, 2024
"I would anticipate 7-8 starters and 16 or so impact players coming out of the transfer portal."
Many of those projected starters look to come on the defensive side of the ball, with names like Nic Scourton and Jaydon Hill now donning the Maroon and White. That whole unit is one of the biggest causes for excitement in Aggieland this year, and that anticipation extends to the Aggie coach.
Elko to the Fort Worth A&M Club: "I feel really good that we've made tremendous strides in the secondary, and we expect that group to be really good."
— TexAgs (@TexAgs) May 15, 2024
Elko to the Fort Worth A&M Club: "Defensively, this year, we have the chance to be really special."
— TexAgs (@TexAgs) May 15, 2024
"This group has the chance to be the best one I've coached in Aggieland."
That’s some high praise, given the quality of some of the units Elko has overseen in College Station.
Another area on the team where the Aggie head coach carries some confidence is that of the offensive line. A sore spot for the Maroon and White over the last few years has a chance to be far improved this season under the tutelage of Adam Cushing.
Elko on the A&M offensive line: "I understand where that unit was a year ago. I watched the tape. ... I do feel good about where that group is moving forward."
— TexAgs (@TexAgs) May 15, 2024
Elko to the Fort Worth A&M Club: "I think Adam Cushing is as good of an offensive line coach as there is in the country... He has three first-round draft picks in the last seven years."
— TexAgs (@TexAgs) May 15, 2024
"We're going to become as good as we possibly can as fast as we possibly can. ... I do feel…
The offense as a whole has a lot of room for improvement, and under the watchful eye of young star Collin Klein, it seems like they will begin to come much closer to their potential. Elko spoke on his process with regard to bringing the former Kansas State QB and OC to Aggieland.
Elko: "What I did was, I locked myself in an office and started analyzing three different candidates, and Collin (Klein) was one of them."
— TexAgs (@TexAgs) May 15, 2024
"I fell in love with what I saw from his offense... They found ways to be extremely successful and score a lot of points."
Elko to the FW A&M Club: "What I love about Collin (Klein) is that he's extremely intelligent. He's extremely bright. He knows how to move kids around to allow them to be successful."
— TexAgs (@TexAgs) May 15, 2024
"We'll be physical. We'll be tough. ... Our kids will get behind him and rally around him."
Elko to the Fort Worth A&M Club: "You'll see in Coach Klein's offense that the tight end position will really challenge people."
— TexAgs (@TexAgs) May 15, 2024
This is all exciting stuff from the Aggie head man. We still have a few months to go before the Aggies take the field against Notre Dame in prime time, but I’m ready for kickoff to be here.