Mike Elko’s Texas A&M roster is starting to look like something the program hasn’t rolled out in years, and the clearest way to see it is by lining it up against the Aggies from a decade ago.
Back in 2016, Texas A&M was still built largely from high school recruits, with a few transfers mixed in. Trevor Knight and Keith Ford arrived from Oklahoma, but transfer movement was far more limited then than it is now.
The 2026 version tells a different story. This group is packed with transfers, especially on the perimeter, where Isaiah Horton from Alabama and Anto Saka from Northwestern have already made their presence felt for the Aggies. Both came from Power 4 programs with strong football setups, and both have gotten off to a fast start in College Station.
The contrast is just as sharp up front. In 2016, the offensive line was still young and developing. Erik McCoy was on that roster before going on to a strong NFL career with the New Orleans Saints, and Avery Gennesy was another key piece.
Now, Texas A&M is leaning on experience from the transfer portal there too, with Tyree Adams from LSU and Wilkin Formby from Alabama leading the way. The lone returner from last season, center Mark Nabou Jr., adds to a line that should give Marcel Reed better protection.
The defensive line comparison is even more revealing. In 2016, Myles Garrett was the engine of that group, finishing with 11.5 sacks despite missing a couple of games because of injury. That front also included Daylon Mack and Daeshon Hall, giving the Aggies their best unit on the roster.
For 2026, there isn’t a Myles Garrett type waiting to take over. But Texas A&M still has a solid rotation there, and that area again looks like one of the team’s strengths with Saka joining and CJ Mims arriving from North Carolina.
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Mike Elko Just Spotlighted A Crucial Texas A&M Battle
Texas A&M opened its 2026 preseason with Mike Elko meeting the media alongside Micah Riley, Mark Nabou Jr. and Dalton Brooks, and the early camp conversation quickly turned to special teams. With KC Concepcion off to the Cleveland Browns after handling a major share of the return load last season, the Aggies are sorting through a new plan in the punt game while they settle into the new year.
Elko pointed to Mario Craver, Isaiah Horton and Terry Bussey as the top candidates in that role during fall camp, giving Texas A&M an early competition to watch as the roster takes shape. It is the kind of battle that can quietly matter a lot over the course of a season, especially for a team trying to replace one of its more reliable big-play outlets on special teams. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Faces A Running Back Battle With Real Offensive Stakes
Fall camp has Texas A&M sorting through one of the most important questions on offense, and the running back room is at the center of it. Rueben Owens and Jamarion Morrow are the leading candidates to take over, and head coach Mike Elko has made it clear that the staff is still working through competition across the roster as it looks for the best fit.
Morrow has the clearest case to make a leap, coming off a season in which he flashed enough to stay in the conversation for a bigger role. Owens is very much in the mix too, which gives the Aggies options, but it also leaves the position unsettled at a time when the offense would benefit from a clear answer. For now, the job is still there for the taking. [Read more 🡒]