Texas A&M’s defense has a chance to be something special again in 2026, and the reason starts at the top. Mike Elko has spent years building a reputation as one of college football’s sharpest defensive minds, and the Aggies are now deep enough into his era to see what that looks like when his fingerprints are all over the roster and the coaching staff.
That matters because Texas A&M is not exactly starting from scratch. Even after losing multiple starters and sending several defensive players into the 2026 NFL draft, including unanimous All-American edge rusher Cashius Howell, there’s still a strong base here. Elko and first-year defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill have real work to do, but the pieces are in place for another strong unit as the Aggies chase their first SEC Championship Game appearance.
The biggest edge Texas A&M has is Elko himself. He’s been a difference-maker as a recruiter, a play-caller and a culture-setter, and the Aggies look nothing like the Jimbo Fisher version of the program.
His defensive track record backs that up, too. Over the last five seasons, his defenses have averaged nearly 35 sacks per year while giving up about 20 points a game.
That’s the kind of production that gives a team a real foundation.
And this isn’t a one-year flash. Texas A&M is entering Year 3 under Elko, which usually means the program should only keep settling into his style.
By the end of his four-year run as the Aggies’ defensive coordinator, the defense was already among the best in the country. Now he has a broader grip on the entire operation.
A big reason for optimism is experience. Plenty of this defense is built around veterans or players Elko helped bring in.
Cornerback Dezz Ricks, a former Alabama transfer, has 22 starts over the last two seasons at Texas A&M. Defensive backs Julio Humphrey, Marcus Ratcliffe and Jordan Shaw also arrived through the transfer portal during the Elko era, giving the secondary a familiar, seasoned feel.
That veteran presence stretches beyond the back end. Defensive tackle DJ Hicks has played 37 games for the Aggies, and linebacker Daymion Sandford has appeared in 39. This is a defense with players who have been around the block, and some of them have been waiting for their turn while others came in as smart portal additions.
The front is where Texas A&M had to reload most aggressively. Three Aggies defensive linemen went in the first 100 picks of the 2026 NFL draft, so the pressure was on to find instant contributors. Anto Saka could be one of the most important additions of the offseason, and he has a real shot to lead the team in sacks.
Even if he becomes that guy, Elko’s system gives the Aggies more ways to get home than just leaning on one star. His pressure-heavy approach creates chances for everyone, which is why depth matters so much in this defense.
Texas A&M added CJ Mims from North Carolina and Angelo McCullom from Illinois to help inside, while Tulsa linebacker Ray Coney should be a playmaker in every phase. The Aggies also brought in defensive backs Tawfiq Byard from Colorado and Rickey Gibson III from Tennessee, adding even more experience to already deep position groups.
That depth will be tested in a hurry, especially after a 2025 season that did not go Texas A&M’s way in the turnover department. The Aggies picked off only three passes last season, which was a strange number for an Elko defense. The last time one of his defenses failed to reach double-digit interceptions in a season was 2018, his first year as Texas A&M’s defensive coordinator.
That kind of drop-off looks more like bad variance than a new normal. Elko’s style should put the Aggies in position to force turnovers again, and if they finish those chances, the defense could become a serious SEC problem.
Ratcliffe is back after grabbing three interceptions in 2024 and should have another productive year as a senior. Sanford also forced multiple fumbles last season, though he will miss the start of the season because of injury.
If Texas A&M can pair that experience with better turnover luck, this defense has the ingredients to be one of the best the program has had in a while.
In Other News...
Aggies Suddenly Face A Familiar Fear In Pivotal 5-Star Battle
Texas A&M has spent much of this summer trying to stack momentum on the recruiting trail, and the Aggies have reasons to feel better about parts of their roster-building. The wide receiver group has gotten a boost from recent commitments, and the programs pass-catching outlook has been helped by what it showed on the field last season. There is also a bit of good news on another front, with Nico Partida earning a spot on USA Baseballs Collegiate National Team for the World Collegiate Baseball Championship.
Still, the biggest recruiting battle hanging over A&M is the one it cannot afford to lose. The Aggies remain in the hunt for 5-star running back Landen Williams-Callis, a player they have actively pursued, but the chatter around his decision has started to tilt in a direction that is all too familiar for A&M fans. For a program trying to keep pace in the SEC and close the gap in elite talent, the final call on Williams-Callis could say plenty about where this race is headed. [Read more 🡒]
Aggies Transfer Suddenly Looks Like More Than Linebacker Insurance
After Texas A&Ms College Football Playoff loss, Mike Elko and his staff went to work in the transfer portal, bringing in 17 newcomers to help reshape the roster. One of the additions, Tulsa linebacker Ray Coney, looked like a straightforward depth move at the time, a piece meant to help stabilize a defense that needed bodies and experience after a busy offseason.
Coney is starting to look like more than insurance. With veteran linebacker Taurean York gone and Daymion Sanford sidelined by injury, the Aggies need immediate answers in the middle of the defense, and Coney has drawn positive reviews for both his athleticism and his play. Alongside sophomore Noah Mikhail, he is now in line to carry a much bigger load than originally expected, which makes his transition one of the more important developments to watch as the season approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&Ms Playoff Hopes May Hinge On One Unexpected Offensive Piece
Rueben Owens is positioned to become the centerpiece of Texas A&Ms ground game this fall, and that matters because the Aggies are trying to replace a lot of production around him. Under Mike Elko and newly promoted offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins, the offense is expected to lean on the run as it reshapes itself after key departures elsewhere, and Owens already showed he can handle a meaningful workload with 639 rushing yards and five touchdowns last season.
Owens now enters the season as the back most likely to carry that burden, working alongside Marcel Reed in an offense that will need stability early. The Aggies do not need him to be flashy so much as dependable, because if the run game holds together, it gives the rest of the offense a chance to settle in while the new pieces around him sort themselves out. [Read more 🡒]