COLLEGE STATION — With dozens of newcomers on the roster and staff, Mike Elko is likely to have a busy spring with Texas A&M football.
The Aggies’ head coach met with the media for the first time Tuesday, as he and his team will take the field Friday for their first of 15 practices.
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“Obviously, a lot of new faces, a lot of new people,” Elko said. “We talked about 48 new additions, new coordinators, some new coaching staff. At this point, we’ve done everything we can; there’s not much left to accomplish in the building. So it’s just good to get ready to get out on the grass and start playing football and start building the identity of what this team is and what this team’s gonna be this fall.”
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A&M added 18 players through the transfer portal after adding 14 in 2025 and 28 in 2024, Elko’s first year. Combined with 66 high school recruits signed during the same period, the Aggies have essentially turned over the roster while winning 19 of 26 games.
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The position that experienced the most turnover post-2025 was on the offensive line, where A&M must replace four starters.
“(We’re) trying to identify who the guys are that are gonna be able to contribute in different roles and what their skill sets are and how we could best utilize them,” Elko said. “What we talked about the other day as a (coaching) staff, which I think is really cool, is the amount of players we have that we feel like can go out there and play is probably more that it’s ever been on the offensive line.”
Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko talks to his staff during an injury time out against Samford in the fourth quarter Nov. 22, 2025, in College Station.
Sam Craft/Associated Press
Besides the offensive line, the offense is replacing three running backs, three tight ends and one starting wide receiver. Defensively, the Aggies are replacing 11 players, including starting linebackers, starting edge rushers and a starting cornerback.
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Personnel changes have increased competition, which Elko welcomes.
“Every spring, regardless of where you are, you start from ground zero,” Elko said. “Whether you’re a returning player, an up-and-coming player or a new player, there are a lot of people that want to see their name in the starting 11 when we go lineup next year against Missouri State (Week 1).”
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New coordinators talk philosophy, scheme
Perhaps the biggest change to the A&M program this season starts with the coaching staff. Former coordinators Collin Klein (offensive) left to become head coach at his alma mater Kansas State, and Jay Bateman (defensive) left for the same role at Kentucky. Elko was the defensive play-caller last season, and it has yet to be determined if new defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill will take over those duties.
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Regardless of who calls the plays, the Aggies’ defense will differ from last season.
Hemphill said he and Elko analyze the defense from the outside in, initially focusing on coverage and then constructing the pass rush based on that. Having worked together at Hofstra in 2006-07, then again at Duke in 2022-23, there is a level of cohesion between them.
“Schematically, a little bit different philosophy-wise than Mike (Elko), so kind of bringing a yin to his yang, ” Hemphill said. “But overall, the good thing is we really have the same type of overall philosophy when you look at defense. So that allows us to really work pretty well.”
Texas A&M wide receiver coach Holmon Wiggins during spring football practice March 30, 2024 in College Station.
Craig Bisacre/Texas A&M Athletics
The offense appears to be the biggest mystery entering the season. New offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins says he would like to run “11 personnel,” a grouping with one tight end, one running back and three wide receivers, but was clear Tuesday that he would build his scheme around his group’s strengths.
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“We’re looking to build off what we’ve done really well,” Wiggins said. “There’s no doubt that I’m a kid from South Central Los Angeles, so I played with an edge. I coach with an edge. We want to make sure that it’s unbelievable effort out there; see a disciplined program that goes out and knows what they’re doing and doing it the way it’s supposed to be done.”
Wiggins, 45, becomes the offensive play-caller after serving as co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach for the Aggies the last two seasons.
Quarterback Marcel Reed is entering his third season as a major component for the Aggies and aims to improve after a career year in 2025. Part of Wiggins’ plan to build on A&M’s success last season is making things easier for his young quarterback. He said Reed has been eager to jump into the new scheme and get to work before spring practices.
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“We tried to kind of get rid of some extra tags, not have as much wordy verbiage in place,” Wiggins said. “He’s done a great job coming in and meeting extra with (quarterback) coach (Joey) Lynch… he’s asking not even the 100-level course questions, he’s asking doctorate-level.”
Reach Texas A&M beat reporter Tony Catalina via email at Anthony.Catalina@statesman.com.