What Mike Elko Believes Is the Most Important Thing When It Comes To Recruiting

We may never know Texas A&M's secret to their success in the high school recruiting game, but if it's not broken, then don't fix it, because it has seemed to work out just fine for the team in recent years, and the 2026 class was no different.

Head coach Mike Elko and the Aggies were able to bring 28 new Texas A&M football players aboard to College Station, again ranking in the top 10 overall nationally.

Coach Elko may not exactly have any secrets when it comes to the process, but one thing is for sure, he does have his priorities.

"There's a Balance To It"

During his press conference on Wednesday, following the success of the signing of the 2026 class, Coach Elko talked about the balance of the class and how crucial that balance was to the team overall.

Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko reacts after the win over the Florida Gators at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

"Yeah, I think there's a balance to it (addressing areas of need for the team)," Elko said. "I think that's the most important, I think."

Elko then broke down the team's selections position-wise, how they went heavy on defensive tackles during last year's cycle, and switched it up this year to bring home some more edge rushers.

"So, you know, if you look specifically at the defensive line, last year we were very D-tackle heavy," Elko said. "We brought in three defensive tackles that we feel really, really good about. We only brought in one edge in Marco (Jones)."

"But this year, it goes the other way, right? So, we're able to go out and add three edges and one inside guy. So, if you look at where we are over a two-year stretch, you see a really strong balance."

Elko expanded that the balance didn't just apply to defense, but also to offense.

"Same thing at wideout," the coach said. "Last year, we brought in TK Norman and Kelan Johns,on and they're maybe on the smaller side. We only bring in Jerome Myles as a big body."

"Now this year, you turn around, you had a couple more big bodied kids who have a little bit more outside receiver flexibility, so I think you look at the diversity within the class and then the diversity from a two-year class cycle to make sure that you have a variety of skill sets that you're continuing to add into the program every year."

It will truly be interesting to see how the new chess pieces for Mike Elko's team fit onto the board next season, but the Aggies still have a College Football Playoff to worry about for 2025 before they can begin strategizing for 2026.