Architect Behind College Football’s No. 1 Recruiting Class Misses Top 10 Head Coach Rankings

This 2027 recruiting class tops every major service, but their head coach ranks 14th among Power Four peers.

With 19 wins over the last two seasons and a playoff berth in 2025, this SEC coach might not be getting enough respect given his placement in CBS Sports' head coach ranking. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Mike Elko arrived in College Station with something to prove, and two seasons in, the results are hard to argue with.

The Texas A&M coach went 12-4 in SEC play across his first two seasons, delivered the program's first College Football Playoff berth and built one of the more physically imposing rosters in a conference loaded with NFL-ready talent. It's been a dramatic turnaround from the Jimbo Fisher era.

Now, heading into 2026, Elko is shaping up as one of the sport's best and most important coaches. He just doesn't crack the top 10 for some, at least not yet.

Mike Elko's exclusion from CBS Sports' top 10

CBS Sports released its annual Power Four head coach rankings this week, and Elko landed at No. 14, a 15-spot climb from 29th a year ago after the Aggies' CFP run.

The panel noted he accomplished in two seasons what Fisher never could across six, and that he's "consistently fielded one of the more talented teams in a conference full of talent."

Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko was ranked 14th on CBS Sports' head coach ranking despite turning around his program for the better after replacing Jimbo Fisher. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Still, his placement at No. 14 puts him behind coaches like Rhett Lashlee, Kyle Whittingham and Lane Kiffin, among others. The highest any voter placed Elko was 10th, the lowest 27th.

That range tells you something because the panel sees the resume, but a full season of sustained success at the top level is what separates the top 10 from the rest of the list.

What Elko is building on the trail

Whatever his ranking may be among his coaching peers, Elko's recruiting momentum is impossible to dismiss.

Texas A&M holds five five-star commitments in the 2027 cycle, including offensive tackles Mark Matthews and Kennedy Brown, safety Kamarui Dorsey, edge Zyron Forstall and cornerback Raylaun Henry.

Texas A&M Aggies head football coach Mike Elko sits courtside during the Men’s basketball game against the Florida Gators at Reed Arena. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

According to 247Sports and On3, the Aggies currently hold the No. 1 recruiting class in the country for 2027.

The approach mirrors what worked in 2026, building through the trenches, with Matthews entering as the No. 1 offensive tackle in the Rivals300. It's a deliberate strategy, and it's producing results on the trail that few programs can match right now.