Mike Elko Has A Simple Message to Texas A&M's Secondary From This Offseason

Increasing the turnover rate for the Texas A&M Aggies may be as simple as head coach Mike Elko says.

Nov 16, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies coach Mike Elko reacts during the second quarter against the New Mexico State Aggies at Kyle Field. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Just a day away from its season opener against Missouri State, Texas A&M football is eager to get the 2026-2027 campaign underway in head coach Mike Elko's third year at the helm. From staying hot on the recruiting trail to grabbing the most impactful transfers available in the portal, the offseason has been a productive period, to say the least.

During the former defensive coordinator's tenure, the Aggies have been changing the culture through hard work and a return to a blue-collar mentality, a key trait of the teams under A&M legend R.C. Slocum, who was immortalized outside Kyle Field on Friday afternoon. But in Elko's time, what's past is prologue to what is coming.

While sitting down with Andrew Monaco and "The Aggie Football Hour with Mike Elko" on Wednesday, Sep. 2, the Aggies' boss detailed the next step in fostering the defense of the future. Sacks were the name of the game a season ago, although ballhawking was not nearly as impactful, with just one interception from the secondary. With that said, Elko sent a clear message to his players: "When they throw it to you, catch it."

Just that easy, right?

Nov 30, 2024, College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies defensive back Dalton Brooks (25) celebrates with defensive lineman Rylan Kennedy (15) after blocking a punt against the Texas Longhorns at Kyle Field during the Lone Star Showdown. | Matt Guzman-Texas A&M Aggies On SI

As simple as a reminder to keep your hands ready? Maybe not quite, as playing defensive back in the Southeastern Conference is not for everybody who can understand a command from a respected adult. Although the point is still made clear with the Aggies and their lack of interceptions from a year ago.

"Looking back on the tape, we missed maybe 12 interceptions," Elko said. "Even if we got half of those, it's still a chance to change the game." A solid point on its own, but when considering that the A&M defense managed to sack the quarterback on 43 different occasions, you can't catch a ball that isn't even thrown into play.

While acknowledging this, Elko went on to say that the recent drought of defensive backs from A&M making their way to the league is reflective of what they can do from the secondary. Moreover, he stated that this category has a chance to make a real impact this season, with potential all-conference selections Marcus Ratcliffe, Dezz Ricks and Dalton Brooks to name a few as starters this year.

Should the productivity increase from this unit, the impact will be felt by every opposing offense, since the lockdown players behind the physically imposing defensive linemen at A&M will be a recipe for a repeat as one of the SEC's finest by the time the College Football Playoff comes along.

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