With Texas A&M’s season opener against Missouri State only nine days out, Mike Elko used Wednesday night’s Aggie Football Hour to keep the focus squarely on the grind ahead. The third-year coach made his usual stop at Rudy’s Country Store and BBQ on Harvey Road in College Station, and the message was clear: preseason is over in spirit, and the Aggies are moving into the stretch that matters.
Elko spent the evening recapping what Texas A&M has seen through 16 preseason practices and what the group is trying to become before the 2026 season kicks off. The buzz around quarterback Marcel Reed is real.
The redshirt junior has taken a noticeable step forward, especially when it comes to throwing the deep ball. That showed up in the last two scrimmages, including a 50-yard touchdown connection with star junior wide receiver Mario Craver.
His timing with Alabama transfer Isaiah Horton also stood out as a key part of the offense’s next step.
That development matters because Reed and a reshuffled offensive line are going to carry a huge share of the load. Texas A&M has four new starters up front, and that combination with Reed’s growth was described as the kind of thing that will “make or break” the Aggies’ push to get back to the College Football Playoff for a second straight year.
On the other side of the ball, Elko’s roster additions have given the defense plenty to work with. Among the 17 transfer portal newcomers, the secondary looks like the team’s biggest strength outside of the wide receiver group. That gives Texas A&M a solid foundation as the season approaches.
Elko also made it plain that the program’s newcomers are about to find out what Kyle Field feels like when the lights are on.
"We've got kids that have transferred from high-profile schools, but until you come walking down that tunnel in the opener on a Saturday night, and you feel it, you haven't done it."
"It's completely different."
For Elko, that moment is part of what makes Texas A&M the right place to build.
"That's the program you want to build. You earn every opportunity that Texas A&M has given you. A scholarship, an opportunity to be part of this great university, to be a part of it's history."
He also talked about the bigger picture behind his hiring process and what he wants the job to represent.
"Ultimately you want this to be a place where people feel like they're given a platform to grow. If they feel like they're given the platform to grow, then what happens at somepoint is they grow to the next phase of their career."
That kind of approach, he said, ties directly into what it means to lead an SEC program.
"I always wanted to be a guy that felt as though he was doing right by all of the people in his building, not just what was in my best interest or what was best for me and Texas A&M."
Elko also addressed the work his team has already put in this offseason. Every player on the 2026 roster has logged more than 1,000 reps, and he said the total workload between last season and Sept. 5 has reached close to 2,000 reps.
"There are close to 2,000 reps between last season and September 5th. To each kid, they're probably getting somewhere around 1,000 to 1,100 plays."
There was also a straightforward assessment of the linebacker room. Elko pointed to Daymion Sanford’s return, a strong summer from Ray Coney, and the readiness of Noah Mikhail and Jordan Lockhart.
"It's a good group. It's obviously great to have Daymion Sanford back out there… I think Ray Coney has had a phenomenal summer.
"Then you got Noah Mikhail and Jordan Lockhart, I think ready to get out there."
When the discussion turned to the season itself, Elko didn’t sugarcoat what lies ahead.
"It's a long, grueling, physical sport… you got to get used to that. You've got to embrace it a little bit. You've got to embrace the fact that you've got to be able to compete at a really, really high level when you don't feel your absolute best all the time."
And while Missouri State is next, Arizona State is already on the radar inside the building. Elko made it clear the Aggies aren’t approaching that Week 2 matchup with any kind of overlook.
"People lose sight of the fact that Arizona State is a top-25 team that beat Texas Tech last year. So, we have nine [conference games] plus another one."
Elko closed by touching on the annual Celebrity Softball Game and what it means for the community around the program.
"It was a blast… the more we do it, the more we can grow it. I think it's cool to be doing things like that in the Bryan-College Station community."
In Other News...
Mike Elko Confirms Troubling Texas A&M Roster Losses Before Opener
Texas A&M is heading into its 2026 opener already dealing with a thinner roster than hoped, with Mike Elko confirming that defensive lineman Chace Sims and running back Tiger Riden will miss the season because of injuries. The Aggies also have lost offensive lineman Nelson McGuire and wide receiver Jerome Myles, who have left the team for personal reasons, trimming depth on both sides of the ball as the season approaches.
The timing is hardly ideal with Missouri State up first on Sept. 5, and it adds another layer of urgency to the final weeks of preparation. For an Aggies team trying to settle its depth chart before kickoff, the question now is less about the opening opponent than how much of the next-man-up plan can be put in place before the first snap. [Read more 🡒]
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Texas A&M Suddenly Has A Depth Problem Before Week 1
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Riden had appeared in five games last season, while Sims never got into a game, but both were part of the programs plan for adding help to the backfield and interior line. Elko did not disclose the nature or timing of either injury, leaving the Aggies to absorb the loss without much detail and with Week 1 now approaching under less-than-ideal circumstances. [Read more 🡒]