Everything Texas A&M HC Mike Elko said during Wednesday's Houston Coach's Night

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Everything Texas A&M HC Mike Elko said during Wednesday's Houston Coach's Night
Texas A&M's 2025 football season is getting closer by the day, as the Aggies will kick off the new campaign against UTSA in Kyle Field on Saturday, August 31. This offseason, second-year head coach Mike Elko has made the media rounds, and is currently finishing out the annual Coach's Night circuit, which continued on Wednesday night in Houston.
Expectations remain high for an Aggie roster filled with talent and experience at every level, and while half of the fan base is still skeptical of the team's progress, Elko is supremely confident that his team is on the right track, as he continued to praise several offensive and defensive leaders, including starting quarterback Marcel Reed and junior linebacker Taurean York.
Littered with locker room leadership, it's the play on the field that matters most, so it's fair for the skeptics to continue shouting internally, or externally that offseason quotes are "meaningless" despite Elko's authenticity and honesty compared to former head coach Jimbo Fisher.
As the countdown to the 2025 season continues to tick down, here is everything Mike Elko had to say during Wednesday's Houston Coach's Night.
Mike Elko on Texas A&M's improvement on defense before taking over as the defensive play-caller.
"Everybody keeps asking me that - yes, we will be better on defense."
Mike Elko compared Texas A&M's 2025 O-line to the memorable 2020 offensive line.
"I think that is what we have this year."
Mike Elko on how freshman DE Marco Jones will balance playing football and baseball.
"down-the-road conversation," but Jones participated in some of the baseball scrimmages before the season and will be "pretty much exclusively football" this fall.
Mike Elko briefly reflects on his first season with the program
When I look back on everything that has been done in our first year at Texas A&M, it was a foundational year. That's how I would describe it."
"We felt the first thing we had to do as a staff was establish a culture. We wanted to build a program that resembles this great university."
Mike Elko on how he views Texas A&M's football future
"Where this program is going? It's pointed to the sky. We talk about the indicators that show success. Retention is a big part of it… We are proud of keeping all of our coaches and 16 starters."
Mike Elko on the 2025 roster's veteran leadership
"We have 23 kids on our roster who will play their last year of college football. We are an older roster."
Mike Elko on the team's offensive strengths in the trenches
"If you think back to the core of the 2020 football team, the offensive line is where it all started. We bring back all four tailbacks. That is not something you see all the time."
Mike Elko provided an update that RB Le'Veon Moss "got some work in" on Monday.
Mike Elko is well acquainted with new WR KC Concepcion, who he faced during his two-year coaching career at Duke.
"I played against him his freshman year when I was at Duke. He has been a really mature kid. He has that captain make-up."
"Mario Craver came from Mississippi State. If you ask our corners, he is the toughest one they covered last year."
Mike Elko's confidence in QB Marcel Reed continued on Wednesday.
"We are really excited about him. He can make plays with his arm and his feet."
"I think you will see him take a really, really big step forward."
Mike Elko on LB Scooby Williams playing through his meniscus tear during the entire 2024 season.
"Scooby Williams tore his meniscus on the first drive of the first game last year. It was the same play Dalton Brooks got ejected. You didn't see the best of Scooby."
Mike Elko on his fiery postgame comments after Texas A&M's bowl game loss to USC.
"We didn't meet my or our standard for what defense should look like. Part of that is Year 1. Part of that is the Tyreek Chappell injury, so we had to play more zone. Part of it is coaching it and the players doing it."
Mike Elko on if NIL has changed his coaching methods
"Not at all. I made a decision when this started that I wasn't going to coach differently. We have established a standard for how you should act and behave."
Mike Elko (asked by a fan in the audience) on playing Texas this year on Black Friday.
"I will say this. Our team is very excited for that Friday night across the state. We will leave it at that."
Mike Elko on the state of Texas A&M recruiting.
"We are still very committed to bringing in a large high school class every year, around 24 to 26 guys. We still go through the recruiting process the way we always have."
Mike Elko on what he believes will take Texas A&M to the "next level."
"It's NFL talent. The amount of talent you have will be measured by the number of draft picks you have. The last seven to eight years, it's not comparative. For us to get where we want to go, that has to happen."
Mike Elko with the quote of the night to end Wednesday's event.
"I think this is really important. Our goal is to build the best program we are capable of being… When we do that, it won't matter who we play or who is in the SEC. No one will be able to stop us."
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