Mike Elko's Top 5 ranking continues in TexAgs' 'smart' SEC HC rankings
· Yahoo Sports
Texas A&M's 2026 season is less than two months away, as the Aggies will start things up in Kyle Field against Missouri State on Saturday, Sept. 5, and for third-year coach Mike Elko, making the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history last season was just one of several goals he accomplished, while seeing a record 10 players selected in the 2026 NFL Draft took the cake.
This summer, nearly every set of SEC head coach rankings released placed Mike Elko among the top 5 coaches in the conference, specifically staying at No. 5, and in TexAgs contributor and college football analyst Connor O'Gara's "smart" SEC coach rankings, Elko, yes, comes in a No. 5 below Lane Kiffin (LSU), Steve Sarkisian (Texas), Kalen DeBoer (Alabama), and Kirby Smart (Georgia), which is highly similar to the other rankings referenced.
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Elko has outrecruited every coach in the SEC during the 2027 cycle, holding onto the No. 1-ranked class, while his ability to develop was proven in the 2026 Draft, and after returning 65% of the 2025 roster, paired with 17 transfer portal additions, the expectation is that Texas A&M will produce close to ten or more 2027 NFL Draft selections.
However, the Aggies failed to take advantage of their historic 11-0 start, falling to Texas at the end of the regular season, while hosting eventual runner-up Miami in a sold-out Kyle Field, which turned into a wasted opportunity, as starting quarterback Marcel Reed struggled in both losses.
Here's what O'Gara likes and dislikes about Mike Elko heading into the 2026 season.
What Connor O'Gara likes about Elko
"He took over two Power Conference rebuilds and is somehow 35-16 overall without a losing season in conference play through four seasons as an FBS head coach. Elko is now a proven program rebuilder, and leading A&M to its best regular-season win total of the 21st century only confirmed that. If you had told anyone in 2023 that Jimbo Fisher’s successor would get off to a 12-4 start in SEC play, they would’ve said you were dreaming. That’s the reality that Elko created."
What Connor O'Gara dislikes about Elko
"It’s the finishes. A 1-4 stretch to close 2024 put a damper on Year 1, and losing to Texas and Miami (FL) spoiled the 11-0 start to Year 2. Kevin Sumlin’s undoing in College Station was his disappointing finishes, and while Elko has certainly earned the right to quickly rise on this list, he knows that turning around that trend will determine A&M’s staying power as an annual contender."
Finishing this season will be the national focus for Texas A&M, and O'Gara is on the money with his remaining concern for the third-year head coach.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Mike Elko's Top 5 ranking continues in TexAgs' 'smart' SEC HC rankings