Jul 186 min read

Excited Elko Proud of Texas A&M Culture Change, Progress

Texas A&M coach Mike Elko addressed the media at the Southeastern Conference's annual Media Days in Dallas on Thursday. It was the first time Elko was doing this since being named as the Aggies' head coach in November.

After two incredibly successful seasons at Duke, Elko returns to College Station, where he spent four seasons as defensive coordinator. Known for developing players regardless of their perceived talent level, Elko's next task will be getting a talented roster to live up to its potential in the loaded SEC.

So far, Elko is pleased with the team's quiet offseason progress and development, a sharp contrast from the national spotlight that surrounded the Aggies under Jimbo Fisher.

"I don't know that I intentionally changed our thought process at Texas A&M," Elko remarked. "I think that's how I believe programs should be. When it's not football time, we should be working. That's what ultimately gets you success on the field. I'm just proud that we've been able to do that so quickly in College Station."

Culture Building at Texas A&M

Regardless of how intentional that part of the culture change was, Elko was brought to Texas A&M to get the Aggies back on track by competing and winning in the SEC. Under Fisher, the team got plenty of offseason hype but failed to live up to it despite a talented roster.

Elko has repeatedly said that fixing that issue starts with intentional actions on and off the field.

"At my opening press conference, I stated that it was time for our program to stop talking about what we are capable of," Elko recalled. "To roll up our sleeves, go to work and start fulfilling our potential. In the last seven months, that is exactly what we have done. I'm proud of how quiet our offseason has been. I'm proud of how quickly our players have adapted to a new culture and a new way of attacking football."

One key component around the quick culture change has been the addition of strength and conditioning coach Tommy Moffitt. Moffitt has been a college football strength and conditioning coach since 1994 and has won three national championships under three different coaches.

"What gets lost a lot in all the conversations you have about putting the staff together is the role the strength and conditioning coach plays in what you're doing in developing the culture, developing the mindset in the weight room and the toughness," Elko told the SEC Network. "All those things that really show up in the fourth quarter when you're trying to win football games."

Opening in the Spotlight

The quiet offseason approach won't last long as the Aggies open the season with a primetime game against Notre Dame on Aug. 31. All eyes will be on College Station that night as the campus welcomes an iconic program and Elko makes his A&M debut against one of his former teams.

All that is enough pressure to have in an opener, but ESPN's College Gameday will also be on-site, too.

"The benefit of having a game like that in the opener is you have everyone's attention," Elko explained.

"I think our program is very much aware that we have to be firing on all cylinders the first time we run out of the tunnel. I think that's created urgency in our program that goes all the way back to January. I think when it got announced that College Gameday was coming to town, it lit the fire even more."

The Impatient Era of College Sports

In the past, it has been a daunting task for a first-year coach to make swift, substantial changes to a program and put a truly competitive product on the field. However, in the new era of college sports and the Transfer Portal, teams can turn things around almost overnight.

That's not to say it's a guarantee Elko will be a huge success in his first season leading the Aggies. But he knows that patience can wear thin quickly as he tries to build his program the right way.

"I think in this era of college football, you better speed that process up," he acknowledged. "I don't think this is a very patient era. I don't think you come to a school like Texas A&M that has the ability to do what we're capable of doing [for that]. You want to talk about building for the future, but I think you've got to be careful that you don't skip steps along the way. You've got to establish a culture, you've got to establish an identity [and] you've got to establish the way you want to play football."

Reworking the Offense

The Texas A&M offense averaged over 33 points per game last season and returned 77 percent of its offensive production for 2024, according to ESPN.

Still, changes abound as Collin Klein enters the fold as offensive coordinator. Elko lured Klein away from Kansas State, his alma mater, where his offenses tended to involve a heavy dose of running with the quarterback. Redshirt sophomore Conner Weigman isn't immobile by any means, but he is much stronger as a passer, which will call for some adjustments to Klein's scheme.

"Not to say that Conner can't run the ball," Elko told the SEC Network, "but I don't know if you'll see the Collin Klein two tight ends QB power 6 times in a row."

The Texas A&M passing game was challenged last season as injuries took their toll on the quarterbacks. Now, leading receiver Ainias Smith has left for the NFL, and star underclassman Evan Stewart has transferred to Oregon. The Aggies will approach replacing them with a host of players.

"If you look at the best offenses in this conference, it's usually not one guy," Elko explained. "It's usually a handful of players that can threaten a defense based on matchup, based on coverage leverage [and] based on who they're trying to take away. I think it's critical for all our wide receivers to take the next step this offseason, come out this year and perform at a high level."

Elko mentioned Noah Thomas, Jahdae Walker, Moose Muhammad III, Cyrus Allen, and Josh Bostick as players who have impressed at the position so far.

"I think we've got the pieces in place," he added. "We've just got to go out there and continue to develop that group so that they can become what they're capable of becoming."

Defensive Star

Elko is also familiar with many players on defense because he recruited them as Texas A&M's defensive coordinator and even some as Duke coach. Senior defensive lineman Shemar Turner was the focus of many questions during Media Days.

Turner appeared in 8 games as a true freshman during Elko's final year at Texas A&M. He has mostly played defensive end but will slide inside to defensive tackle this season. Elko believes that move will suit him best as he pursues an NFL future.

"That was the intention when we recruited him," Elko explained. "We felt that was probably his best position moving forward to the next level. ... I think that was big in his decision to come back—to be able to slide inside to play defensive tackle and showcase his ability to do that for the NFL and to enhance his ability to get into that league and get in there at maybe a higher draft status."

College Football Playoff Implications

Elko's mission at Texas A&M has been to build the program into a consistent contender both in the SEC and nationwide. With the College Football Playoff expanding to 12 teams this season, Elko expects more chances for the SEC to shine on the national stage, much like it does in college baseball's College World Series.

"More access has led to a lot more All-SEC semifinals and All-SEC championships," Elko said. "I believe you're going to see something very similar in the College Football Playoff. I think the more teams from this conference that get in and get to compete in meaningful games on a national stage will only help us enhance our reputation as the premier league in the country."

Elko was part of the staff when the Aggies went 9-1 in 2020, the last time they could have qualified for a 12-team playoff field.

Renewed Rivalries, SEC Newcomers

Texas and Oklahoma's move to the SEC was the big headline this week, as it has been all offseason. The move brought returns of old rivalries for A&M, and Elko was asked about the impact of those schools competing in the same conference—especially when it comes to recruiting.

"There have been recruiting wars in this state between those three schools that probably started before I was born," Elko told the media. "It certainly continued in my time here as defensive coordinator, and I'm sure it will continue for the foreseeable future. Those three brands hold a lot of weight in this state. There's no doubt about it. ... The people that win those battles more frequently will be the ones who have success."