Texas A&M Fall Camp Notebook: Day 2 News, Standouts and Storylines

Year number three of the Mike Elko era in College Station is officially off and running as Fall Camp begins at the practice facility juxtaposed to Kyle Field, and the team is out for redemption in the 2026 season.

Fall Camp is best explained as crunch time, especially now as we sit under a month away from kickoff to the campaign, and now is a chance for the on-field personnel to lock in and show how well they've progressed through the offseason, be it a veteran or a true freshman.

And based on the vibes and attitude from Thursday night's practice, there could be a new form of aggression brewing in the A&M camp as hype for the season reaches an all-time high.

Fall Camp Takeaways, August 6

Texas A&M defensive lineman Anto Saka speaks to the media. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Transfer Takeover

Elko and the Aggie coaching staff made out like bandits in the transfer portal in terms of defensive players, and Thursday night's session had them taking first-team reps or at least going toe-to-toe with the starters.

Defensive end Anto Saka, who many expect to fill the void left by Cashius Howell in A&M's defensive line, was on the front lines of the d-linemen drills all throughout practice, and his overall explosiveness is definitely like that of Howell's, so expect another potential double-digit sack year out of an A&M edge rusher as Saka transfers to SEC competition from the Big 10 with Northwestern.

Another notable was Rickey Gibson III, a transfer in the secondary who is no stranger to SEC play after a tenure with the Tennessee Volunteers.

Gibson, who is coming back after an arm injury suffered last year, looked perfectly fine in the defensive back drills, tipping passes and even high-pointing some interceptions as well.

Needless to say, the coaches knew what they were doing in the transfer portal, and the benefits are being reaped by the team before the season even starts.

Ishmael's Intensity

Mike Elko has been known to show some intensity on the sidelines during games, but it's hard to hear Elko over safeties coach Ishmael Aristide, who served a couple of years with the Aggies with Elko under Jimbo Fisher before eventually coaching with Elko at Duke and returning to A&M when the head coach did.

Aristide certainly wasn't going to take any effort less than 100 percent throughout the practice, even telling one of the safeties to "quit (expletive) false stopping" during a cone drill.

Even the veterans weren't safe from the coach's fiery delivery, as senior Dalton Brooks missed an interception catch during a drill and was promptly assigned 10 push-ups by the Purdue graduate.

Texas A&M opens up the 2026 season with a hosting of the Missouri State Bears at Kyle Field on September 5.

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