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USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Texas A&M's 'old' offensive line should be the Aggies' offensive catalyst in 2025
Texas A&M's 2025 offensive line is poised to be one of the best units in the country, thanks to its experience and NFL-level talent, which will provide starting quarterback Marcel Reed and the Aggie running game a significant boost compared to last season's inconsistent performance. Throughout the offseason, head coach Mike Elko continued to praise his top seven returning offensive linemen, believing that winning in the trenches is the key to unlocking Texas A&M's offense. On Monday, during his sixth Coach's Night of the summer in San Antonio, Elko continued to praise the group, noting that, during his second-to-last season as Texas A&M's defensive coordinator before becoming Duke's head coach, the Aggies' 2025 O-line is the most experienced unit since A&M's memorable 2020 season, which included an Orange Bowl victory over North Carolina. "It's great to bring back all seven of our top offensive lineman. The last time we were this old at that position, we ended our season playing in the Orange Bowl. It's a really strong starting point to have a group like that." On paper, this is how the starting five offensive line could look when the Aggies open the 2025 season vs. UTSA: At center, Nabou is coming off another injury-riddled season and will contend with veteran Koli Faaiu for the starting job. Notable guard depth includes redshirt freshmen Ashton Funk and Blake Ivy, while five-star freshman tackle Lamont Rogers might be too talented to keep off the field. Another battle is at right tackle, as senior Reuben Fatheree is back for a final season, but will likely play behind Dametrious Crownover. Both are excellent pass protectors, so it will be tough to deny a close to equal snap count. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.
USA Today
22-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Everything Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko said during Coach's Night in San Antonio
For his sixth stop on the Coach's Night tour, Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko previewed the upcoming season for the Aggies at the San Antonio A&M Club on Monday night. Elko's appearance at Coach's Night marked the first time behind the podium for the second-year head coach since the Southeastern Conference's media days last week. The Aggies are set to kick off the 2025 campaign against UTSA on Saturday, Aug. 30, at Kyle Field. With a new season of college football in Bryan-College Station, Texas, set to begin in just 39 days, "talking season" is nearing the end. When it comes to football in the SEC, the talking never stops, however. Heading into his second season leading the Aggies, that testament is something Elko has come to learn. As he continues to travel around the state to speak in front of Texas A&M alumni, the spirit and passion from the Aggie faithful are unlike anything Elko has ever seen. Here is everything Elko had to say at Coach's Night in front of the San Antonio A&M Club on Monday, according to TexAgs: Elko credits passionate display from A&M alumni "I want to say thank you to you all. Every time I go to these Coach's Nights, I'm blown away by the Aggie Spirit. I've been at a lot of universities, and there is nothing like this." Elko praises support from fans at Kyle Field "Last year we averaged over 102,000 people at our home games. We were 101% filled in Kyle Field. That number is larger than any other SEC stadium. We have support at an unbelivable level, and now we'll build the program to match it." Elko talks team's willingness to serve community "We've become extremely active in the Bryan-College Station area to give back with the Big Event and with schools. That's really important for young people to give back to keep them grounded, humble and away from entitlement." Elko expresses excitement about Aggie retention "Look at who goes in and who goes out of a program. We've been able to keep so many key players. We were able to retain about 99% of the players we wanted to return to our program, so we're really excited about that." Elko speaks on Marcel Reed's freshman season "Now he understands what it's like to be QB1 in the SEC. What he had to go through last year is not how you'd write the script for a first-time starter bring in and out. What gets lost is the growth he had last year." Elko on Aggie RB room "We returned all of our ball-carriers. Le'Veon Moss will be ready to go. We're excited to have Rueben Owens back. We're glad we got Amari Daniels back. E.J. Smith dealt with a lot of injuries last year, but he's healthy now." Elko excited about offensive line return "It's great to bring back all seven of our top offensive linemen. The last time we were this old at this position, we ended our season playing in the Orange Bowl. It's a really strong starting point to have a group like that." Elko talks WR reform "We had to reform the wide receiver position. Kevin Concepcion has been everything we hoped he could be. He's elevated the level of the entire wide receiver room. Mario Craver continues to develop. We're excited about the development of Ashton Bethel-Roman and Terry Bussey." Elko's defensive standard at A&M "It is not lost on me the standard we have for defense at Texas A&M. Getting Will Lee III back to anchor the corner position was huge. We believe we've elevated the safety position. Taurean York is the rock of that defense." Elko on filling gaps from departing players "We have had more NFL Draft picks on the defensive line since I got here in 2018 than any other team in the SEC. We're comfortable replacing great players. DJ Hicks, Albert Regis, Rylan Kennedy and Cashius Howell will step up." Elko talks program's future "We have 15 starters back. We have all of our specialists back. We're excited about where this program is going. We have to build a program you are all proud of. Let's be proud of who we are and where we're going." Elko dismisses Bussey playing both ways "He will not. His story has to start at wide receiver. That's not to take away of what he can do or that he won't ever be a two-way player, but we need him to impact the game on offense." Elko says Shemar Stewart will not return "Absolutely not. Some people live in this fairytale land of social media where you can create false narratives. I see him every day in our weight room, but he's a Cincinnati Bengal." Elko describes the most difficult challenge in football "The biggest puzzle of modern college football is maintaining chemistry and culture in an era where money has become involved in it. Who you bring into your program is crticial. We have to be intentional about how we bring this team together." Elko praises Regis "It's really exciting to have a player as talented as Albert Regis. He's a grown man. He's a great leader and a phenomenal player. Anchors like that matter." Elko on putting more players in the NFL "We have to have more NFL players across the board. If you look at teams that win the SEC, they're getting 20 players drafted over a two-year period. We will comfortably have 10 kids get their name called at the end of this season." Elko stresses importance of protecting Reed "I'm going to knock on wood one more time. Obviously that's something that has to change. It's not lost on us that keeping our quarterback protected and healthy is a critical piece of our success." Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Dylan on X: @dylanmflippo.
USA Today
22-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
'Absolutely not': Texas A&M HC Mike Elko continues to deny Shemar Stewart rumor
On Monday, Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko made his sixth Coach's Night stop of the offseason in San Antonio, and still had plenty to say less than a week after his SEC media days appearance regarding his 2025 roster. However, one rumor has simply become an annoyance for him and his staff over the last week. Three months ago, three Texas A&M defensive linemen were selected in the 2025 NFL draft, led by junior edge Shemar Stewart, who was selected 17th overall by the Cincinnati Bengals. However, while Nic Scourton and Shemar Turner have both signed their rookie deals with Carolina and Chicago, Stewart and the Bengals' front office are stuck in neutral and continue to battle just a day before NFL training camps officially begin. Progress has yet to be made, and things took a bizarre turn after Cover 3 podcast host and 247Sports writer Bud Elliott revealed that an unnamed Texas A&M staffer told him that Shemar Stewart had been working out in the team's facility in College Station, and had a chance to, yes, return to the program for the 2025 season. Last week, when asked about the possibility, Elko quickly squashed the rumor, stating that while Stewart had been working out with the team this summer, he is in no way returning to the program and will continue to work out his contract issues with Cincinnati. This continued on Monday, but this time, Elko was even more emphatic in his response. "Absolutely not. Some people live in this fairytale land of social media where you can create false narratives. I see him every day in our weight room, but he's a Cincinnati Bengal." Again, working out in college weight rooms ahead of each player's NFL rookie season is not uncommon, and there is no legal pathway for Stewart to return to college, as it has never been done before and is unlikely to happen in the future. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.
USA Today
22-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
'He will not': Texas A&M HC Mike Elko further states that star sophomore will only play WR
Monday's San Antonio Coach's Night featured Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko once again discussing his talented 2025 roster, which he believes is more than capable of winning nine or possibly ten games, given that 72% of his 2024 roster returns, paired with 14 additions from the transfer portal. During last week's SEC media day appearance, Elko was asked about sophomore Terry Bussey, who made the full-time switch to wide receiver after entering the program as an elite five-star prospect with the ability to play at a high level on both sides of the ball. However, Elko, OC Collin Klein, and WR coach Holmon Wiggins agreed that wide receiver should be his permanent position, taking full advantage of his speed, quickness, and ability to separate in coverage. However, that didn't stop one member of the media from asking if there was a possible chance Bussey would play both ways in certain packages, leading to Elko emphatically denying the possibility of all the reasons stated above. Still, Elko did not deny that Bussey could see time on defense down the line, but for this team, wide receiver is where he'll line up. "He will not. His story has to start at wide receiver. That's not to take away of what he can do or that he won't ever be a two-way player, but we need him to impact the game on offense." This is a strategic, healthy answer regarding a player with elite potential, and while he hasn't proven to be a similar prospect to former Colorado standout wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter, sticking at wide receiver provides a solid path to stardom, especially in a system where he should thrive as the No. 2 or 3 receiving option for starting quarterback Marcel Reed. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.
USA Today
20-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Everything Texas A&M HC Bucky McMillan said during his first Coach's Night appearance
Everything Texas A&M HC Bucky McMillan said during his first Coach's Night appearance Heading into his first season at the helm for the Texas A&M men's basketball program, head coach Bucky McMillan previewed the season ahead in his first appearance at the Dallas A&M Club for Coach's Night on Wednesday. McMillan was hired as the Aggies' new head coach on April 4 on a five-year deal worth $16 million. Before he arrived in Bryan-College Station, Texas, he led the Samford Bulldogs to the school's first NCAA Tournament since 2000, while also racking up three Southern Conference Coach of the Year awards during his tenure. The opportunity to coach at the highest level against the best competition is something that every coach clamors for, and that is exactly what McMillan will be granted when he steps on the court for the first Southeastern Conference matchup in January. Here is everything McMillan had to say when discussing the upcoming season and his experiences so far in Aggieland. How has it been having the opportunity to visit with the Dallas Aggies Club and the Texas A&M community across the state of Texas? "It's great. You can feel the passion from all of these fans and it's great, the people in College Station and now here in Dallas, and all across all the Aggies have such passion," McMillan said. How is McMillan's relationship with Texas A&M's head football coach Mike Elko? "(Mike Elko) has been great, showing me the ropes since I've been here. I'm a football fan. I'm a big, big football fan, so I appreciate you, Coach," McMillan said. What is the importance of adding Spanish guard Rubén Domínguez and what does he bring to the table? "What he brings is three-point shooting from the time he steps on the floor," McMillan said. "He can shoot it from half-court, he's one of the best shooters in the world. What's going on with international game right now, with the way college basketball is with NIL (name, image and likeness) opportunties, is that a lot of the players that would have played professionally overseas are now coming acorss the pond. We want the good ones who can make threes to come to Texas A&M. He's one of those guys." How plug-and-play ready is Domínguez going from playing overseas to the SEC? "He's played against elite competition, professional basketball. He knows how to play, (which) I think is just as important as his skill set," McMillan said. "When you get to this level, a lot of it is your mental ability to process things quickly. If you played professionally, you're able to process faster. That's what he brings. He'll probably have an adjustment to make with the physicallity and the defense that's in the SEC, but I like what he's about and I like his skill set." How have summer workouts progressed for the Aggies? "We just want to get better. We got a lot of guys out. We got three that won't be here until later in the summer, so we don't have 10 yet. We're not playing a lot of five-on-five," McMillan said. "We're just trying to get the players acclamated to our pace of play and the skill set it takes to play at that pace and the volume of three-point shooting is obviously something we've been working on to make sure our guys understand how we like to space the floor and the skillset neccessary to be able to do that. How does the House settlement impact college hoops? "Across college basketball and football, this may be the highest group of athletes in terms of their financial compensation that will ever happen," McMillan said. "The House settlement hasn't come into play yet, NIL opportunties (and) collective opportunties. I think it may come down to earth a little bit next year, but it'll be across the SEC with that $2.73 (million)." How much more comfortable are you now, compared to when you first got hired? "It's a lot more relaxing becuase you actually get to work with players. If you can't work, it's hard to have confidence in the group you have. Now, we're finally getting players there so we can work and build the confidence within the team we're going to need to have to play in the best college basketball league in the country," McMillan said. What does it mean to be able to visit with Aggie fans and see the support from the Maroon and White faithful? "This is incredible. This is the value of athletics, when you think about it. There are not a lot of opportunties and things in life that can tie this many people together," McMillan said. "It's phenomenal because we have something that links us together. We're all Aggies here, and we get to support each other." What are the goals heading into the 2025-2026 campaign? "I expect to win every game that we're going to play. That's the pressure we put on ourselves," McMillan said. What does the future of the program look like moving forward? "There is no reason that A&M can't compete at the highest of the high level with all of the resources that the Aggies have provided," McMillan said. How will this team handle potential obstacles and challenges ahead during this year's campaign? "We want adversity. We want that. When there is true adversity and things aren't going exactly how we want it to go, that's an opportunity for all these Aggies to come together and do something incredible," McMillan said. How did it feel coming to Texas A&M and what's the experience in College Station been like so far? "Trev Alberts, who is not here tonight, I have to thank him for this great opportunity to be your basketball coach," McMillan said. "Everything has been great since we've been here. I have loved College Station. It has been phenomenal. I certainly feel the passion for the fans." What can fans expect from "Bucky Ball"? "My job is to bring you a product and a program that you all can be so proud of because they play so hard, so unselfish and have such a swagger when they step on that floor," McMillan said. "We want to play a style of basketball that's successful and that you enjoy watching. We want to bring both to you: We want to bring a winning culture that you all deserve, and we want to have an entertaining style that you can all enjoy." What kind of aspects will this program be built on moving forward? "Our basketball program is pretty much built on this: We've got to get great personnel. We've got to get great recruits. We've got to get great coaches, and we've got to get great supporters. No one is going to outdo the support of the Aggies. That much I know." What is the focus of this team and what are the expectations heading into this year? "We try to narrow the focus to a driver, a pitching wedge and a putter. That's our plan. We're going to keep it simple analytically, and hopefully, we can be one of the highest scoring teams in the country this year," McMillan said. "We take free-throws, layups and threes, and we get really good at it." How has the recruiting process been at Texas A&M this offseason? "There are not too many places that you could be, that at that time of year, that you could have that kind of support," McMillan said. "We brought 12 players on recruiting visits, and all 12 committed. That says a lot about Texas A&M." What is the vision for the program's future? "I do think that this place is destined to compete for championships. I want to do that here. We will compete for championships when we don't focus so much on what we're going to do and instead focus on how we're going to do it," McMillan said. "I'm looking forward to building something truly special here with everyone here." Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Dylan on X: @dylanmflippo.
