Mike Elko Has One Major Question to Answer Before the 2026 Season

New staff, new roster, and Mike Elko’s biggest test yet at Texas A&M

Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko walks down the sideline during the first half against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. | Matt Bush-Imagn Images

Following a historic season for the Texas A&M Aggies, led by head coach Mike Elko, that ended in the program's first-ever playoff berth, Elko plans to replicate the success in the upcoming 2026 season. He has got an early start to the process, hiring new staff and reloading the roster one position at a time.

Elko taking the reins and filling the recently lost roster positions with solidified studs from the transfer portal, as well as some of the highest-rated freshman recruits in the country, has caused Texas A&M serious motion and stir. This movement has not just resided within the locker room but across the entirety of the college football fanbase.

Though it seems like Elko has everything under control, especially after the spring game, the 12th Man still needs one thing answered before the Aggies jump headfirst into fall camp, and it's imperative that Elko responds to the matter at hand.

How Will Key Staff Changes Impact Texas A&M?

Alabama wide receiver coach Holmon Wiggins before the game at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas on Saturday, October 12, 2019. | Mickey Welsh via Imagn Content Services, LLC

The question that many fans are still wondering: Will there be a change to schematics with the recent additions to the coaching staff? Though Elko has the true answer, the 12th Man has hypothesized about Holmon Wiggins, a former Alabama wide receivers coach, who is expected to implement a much stronger air attack as the Aggies' offensive coordinator.

This would be a game-changer, given that Rueben Owens III was just given the starting position at running back, and would already be put on the back burner.

Although this is nothing more than theory, the addition of Isaiah Horton to the wide receiver room only strengthens the argument and raises eyebrows about the switch-up of schemes. To properly structure the argument, we must compare the coaching styles of former offensive coordinator Collin Klein and Wiggins. Under Klein, we saw heavy sets, tight-end-centric and physical option concepts, where Wiggins brings mostly pro-style spreads, vertical SEC passing elements, and a focus on space creation.

On the defensive side of the ball, Lyle Hemphill was elevated from a defensive assistant coach to the defensive coordinator. Though technically a "new defensive coordinator," there really is not much mystery to his gameplay or his defensive preferences, as we've watched his coaching style with the "Wrecking Crew" for the last year and a half.

What we can expect from Lyle is a lot more of the same, including a severe focus on aggressive defensive ends, a stacked secondary scheme, and maybe a shift in the defensive line formation with new d-line coach Elijah Robinson. With the defense and offense being evaluated by fans, until told otherwise, it is safe to say that the classic scheme is safe for a while under Elko's helm.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.