While the Jimbo Fisher era had more flash, Mike Elko's first two seasons at Texas A&M have been far more exciting. During his first two seasons back in College Station, Mike Elko has led the Aggies to a 19-7 record with a 12-4 record in SEC play. Breaking through to the College Football Playoff in 2025 was a major step for the Aggies as they push for a National Championship.
Heading into the 2026 season, Mike Elko's group will hope to make a deeper run in the CFP after dropping the opener to Miami. While Mike Elko has recruited well and the Aggies added high end transfers, the NFL Draft losses could haunt this team.
Texas A&M's turnover on the offensive line could be a major fatal flaw
Part of what made Texas A&M so impressive this past season was the level of play they got out of their offensive line. The issue for Mike Elko is the fact that the unit was so good that 4 of his 5 starters from this past season were picked in the NFL Draft. The only returnee is Mark Nabou Jr who started games at center and guard which will help as this group gets pieced together.
The other 4 starters are likely going to be pieces that Texas A&M added this winter via the Transfer Portal. LSU transfers Tyree Adams and Coen Echols are expected to step in on the left side of the offensive line while South Carolina guard Trovon Baugh will step in at left guard and Wilkin Formby will play right tackle.
Aside from this unit not having a ton of chemistry, most of the pieces Mike Elko added struggled last season. Coen Echols grew down the stretch for LSU, and Tyree Adams had a ton of ups and downs while dealing with injuries for LSU. Wilkin Formby was benched at times for Alabama as younger players played better.
If the unit isn't going to issue, it's going to be because the unit as a whole takes a major step forward. All of the expected starters transfer in with SEC experience, which gives them a great chance to take a step forward. If there's any coaching staff you want working with the pieces, it's the one that just developed 4 NFL Draft picks.
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