Texas A&M’s Mike Elko is suddenly getting treated like one of the SEC’s top coaching names, and the latest rankings back that up.
CBS Sports slotted Elko fifth among SEC head coaches, a sharp rise from where he stood a year ago after an 8-5 debut in College Station. That’s a big jump for a coach who was named ACC Coach of the Year at Duke in 2022 before returning to Texas A&M, where he had previously served as defensive coordinator under Jimbo Fisher. In his second season, he pushed the Aggies to a place few expected them to reach so quickly: the College Football Playoff.
The national respect has climbed with him. CBS now ranks Elko No. 14 among FBS head coaches, and that puts him ahead of Tennessee’s Josh Huepel, Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz and Oklahoma’s Brent Venables, among others.
A year ago, he checked in ninth in the SEC coaching rankings, and South Carolina’s Shane Beamer was ahead of him then. Beamer’s career record at South Carolina now sits at 33-30.
Texas A&M’s rise in the preseason picture matches the boost for its coach. The SEC media poll pegged the Aggies fourth, just behind Ole Miss at No. 3 and part of a crowded group chasing Georgia and Texas at the top.
The offense brings back a major piece in quarterback Marcel Reed, who threw for 3,169 yards and 25 touchdowns last season while leading an attack that averaged 33.8 points per game. Wideout Mario Craver is back too after the Mississippi State transfer posted 59 catches for 917 yards and four scores.
There are still holes to address, especially up front after the loss of significant talent, most notably Cashius Howell. But the back end looks strong. Texas A&M allowed just under 177 passing yards per game in 2025, third-best in the SEC, and the secondary should again be a strength with three projected returning starters and transfer Rickey Gibson from Texas.
Last season, the Aggies and their coach got attention for outperforming expectations. This time, the spotlight will be brighter from the start. With the respect has come the pressure, and Elko’s group will have to go about 2026 a different way.
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Horton arrives as the kind of target the Aggies have been missing, one Mike Elko specifically pointed to at SEC Media Days as a potential boost for both the passing game and the red zone. For Reed, the fit matters because the next step is less about proving he can manage the job and more about giving him the kind of downfield and near-the-goal-line help that can change what this offense looks like against the leagues better defenses. [Read more 🡒]
Zyron Forstall Looks Like A Perfect Fit For Mike Elkos Defense
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For Texas A&M, the appeal goes beyond raw talent. Mike Elko and defensive line coaches Elijah Robinson and Tony Jerod-Eddie are expected to shape Forstall into a versatile piece who can move around the front and contribute in a rotational role by 2027, which is exactly the sort of fit that can make a defense more difficult to plan for. The question now is how much of that promise the Aggies can unlock once he gets into their system. [Read more 🡒]