Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko will speak Thursday afternoon during this week’s SEC Media Days.
Nevertheless, TexAgs radio host David Nũno met with SEC Network analyst Chris Doeringwho, like many other media representatives, expressed his opinion on Texas A&M’s new head coach, Mike Elko, this week.
Interestingly, current SEC head coaches this week mentioned Elko’s successful career as a defensive coordinator, including a four-year stint with the Aggies, and pointed out how difficult it is to face a defense led by Elko. However, Elko’s final two seasons as Duke’s head coach included back-to-back bowl appearances while helping develop current Notre Dame starting quarterback Riley Leonard.
After taking over a talented and experienced roster led by redshirt sophomore quarterback Conner Weigman, new offensive coordinator Collin Klein has a lot of work to do. Klein and Elko agree that a physical running game and disciplined passing are the path to success.
Nũno agreed with that principle and phrased the question perfectly, pointing out that Texas A&M will travel to Florida after its season opener against Notre Dame to try to win its first SEC road game since the 2020 season. Doering, a fan of Elko’s background, believes “physicality and a blue-collar mentality” should accomplish the goal:
“Yeah, I’m really excited about this A&M team this season,” he said. “You know, Coach Elko, having been there before, understands the culture. What he’s done on defense, what he’s done at Duke, he brings a physical mentality that I think will fit this A&M team. When you play outside of Kyle Field, you have to play physical, and I think that’s what he’s going to bring.”
Doering further explained his excitement about Conner Weigman’s return to the lineup after missing the final eight games of the 2023 season:
“I’m so excited to have Conner Weigman back and it feels like a fresh start,” Doering said. “He was gone so long last year, it feels like it’s been forever since we last saw him play. I’ve heard a lot about him being a first-round quarterback in the draft next spring, so I’m excited to see what he can do in this offense.”
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