Texas A&M’s season-opening shutout did not buy the Aggies much in the polls, but Mike Elko is not spending his week worrying about that.
After a 50-0 win over Missouri State, Texas A&M slid one spot to No. 9 in the US LBM Coaches Poll and two spots to No. 10 in the AP Top 25. Elko’s message heading into Saturday’s home game against Arizona State was more about what comes next than what the rankings say now. The Sun Devils arrive off their own blowout, a 70-7 win over Morgan State, and Elko made it clear the Aggies will need plenty to handle them.
A big part of the postgame conversation this week centered on Texas A&M’s second-half surge, especially up front. Elko and starting left tackle Tyree Adams both pointed to the offensive line’s early issues as something to clean up, while also noting how much better the unit looked after halftime. Once the line settled in, the offense opened up, and Texas A&M’s run game found traction with 150 yards and three touchdowns in the second half.
Quarterback Marcel Reed was one of the biggest bright spots in his 2026 debut. He went 21-for-30 for a 70% completion rate, threw for 233 yards and two touchdowns, and showed the kind of arm talent that had drawn preseason praise. Elko said Reed’s growth showed up in the details, from his footwork to his timing.
"(Marcel Reed has) been really, really good. He's been really successful as a quarterback and won a lot of football games for us. Enjoy him."
"He's getting better, and you saw it. His footwork was better.
His decision-making was better. The timing of his ball was better.
He made some really nice throws."
Elko also talked about the offensive line’s development as a work in progress, not a finished product.
"We want every unit to be at its best immediately, all the time. That's not how it works. The offensive line had the most turnover… It should be the unit that you see the most growth, and you saw that within the first game."
"That's not to say there are no excuses, but they're going to grow."
That same theme ran through his broader view of the team. Asked in effect whether Texas A&M belongs in the College Football Playoff conversation, Elko kept the focus on process rather than projections.
"Everybody is so anxious to figure out if our team is good enough. Everyone has the things they're worried about. Everyone has the things they're nervous about."
"As coaches, we're not like that. I know what we have.
I know where we are. I know what we're capable of.
I know it's going to be a process to get there."
Elko’s confidence also came through when he discussed how he evaluates players. For him, the tape matters more than recruiting labels.
"Would you rather have a three-star or a five-star? I want kids who I think are going to be NFL players because I don't even know what their stars are. More times than not, my kids tell me what our kids are ranked because I just watch the tape and take the kids I think can help us."
He also said his approach is rooted in staying locked in on what he believes is best for the program.
"The reason why I think I can get it done at Texas A&M is because I'll be the guy who comes in and doesn't care about the opinions of people who don't know as much as I do because I'm going to do what I think is right every single day and put everything I have into what I think can make us successful."
There was plenty of praise for the defense, too. Elko said Texas A&M’s defensive line rotation is deeper than it has been since he arrived.
"We have more bodies to put into the (defensive line) rotation than we've ever had. We have some really good ones."
"There are more names that we feel like should be on the field than we've ever had before. That's a good sign."
He had similar things to say about the linebacker group, where Ray Coney and Noah Mikhail stood out and Daymion Sanford got another week to recover.
"It was good to see. I know how important good linebacker play is to Texas A&M fans, and (Ray Coney and Noah Mikhail) played really, really well. It was good to give Daymion (Sanford) another week to recover."
Transfer edge Ryan Henderson drew a particularly strong reaction from Elko after a four-snap burst that included a sack, a forced fumble and a fourth-down tackle for loss.
"I don't know that I've ever seen (Ryan Henderson's) stat line. It was four plays, one sack, one fumble caused and one fourth-down TFL.
To get all of that accomplished in four snaps is really, really impressive. He's a kid we're excited about."
Elko also highlighted a few other pieces from the opener, including Rueben Owens II and Jamarion Morrow. He said Owens ran with power and got stronger looks as the game moved along.
"I thought (Rueben Owens II) ran powerful, and that was good to see. ... It was a good start for him, and as the game wore on, the line got better, and the holes got bigger."
On Morrow, the staff kept him limited after he was nicked up during camp.
"Jamarion (Morrow), we were able to limit him a bit. He had something knicked up through camp, and so we were able to pull back on him, which was good. He got enough carries to get the opener out of the way, and we'll bring him more and more into the fold."
There was also room for a few broader notes. Elko said it was good to see former Aggies Von Miller and KC Concepcion around the program, and he stressed how much that kind of return matters as Texas A&M keeps building.
"It's always great to see Von (Miller). It's great to see KC (Concepcion).
As we turn the corner and try to be a program that's more about accomplishments, it's great to see our great NFL players back. … The more we can get those guys around our program, there is a lot of good that happens."
He also praised the 12th Man kickoff team, saying their reaction usually says plenty about how the game is going.
"I know how much (the 12th Man kickoff team) means to the fans, so it's always awesome to see their reaction. ... From a selfish standpoint, it usually means it's at a point that the game is going really, really well."
As for Arizona State, Elko did not sound like someone preparing for a soft follow-up to Week 1.
"They're a really good football team. Kenny Dillingham, their head coach, does a really, really good job."
"We're gonna need everything we've got on Saturday night to go beat them."
Elko also took a moment to remember Terry Price.
"(Terry Price) was such a great man. He had such a great family.
… Just a great man. Really, really great man.
Anything we can do to keep his name alive is really good. Always thinking about him.
Always praying for his family."
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