On3's Crain & Cone talks Texas A&M culture change under Mike Elko

Entering his third season at the helm, head coach Mike Elko has seemingly earned national praise for leading the Aggies to the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history during his second season, and, even after losing 15 starters this offseason, the Aggies will enter the season ranked 8th in both the AP and US LBM Coaches Polls, which isn’t shocking after returning 65% of the 2025 roster, paired with 17 transfer additions and the 2026 signing class.

Compared to former A&M coaches Jimbo Fisher and Kevin Sumlin, Mike Elko is a “meat and potatoes” old-school leader, focused on the fundamentals and building a strong culture, while his UPenn degree has also come in handy during the chaotic NIL-driven landscape, dealing with the business side of college football, especially after the new 5-for-5 rule was implemented late last month.

Through 11 preseason practices, Texas A&M’s 2026 roster, especially starting quarterback Marcel Reed and several transfer additions, has consistently looked the part, and while a chunk of the national media aren’t high on the Aggies’ chances of making it back to the CFP, On3’s Crain & Cone released their predictions A&M’s 2026 season, with hosts Blain and Jake predicting a 10-2 finish.

Predictions are all in good fun, but it was Jake Crain’s take on Mike Elko that really stood out, stating that the current Aggie coach is focused on “blocking and tackling,” while Jimbo Fisher and Kevin Sumlin never truly evolved, which is why their A&M coaching careers were less than stellar

It’s clear that Texas A&M’s culture has changed for the better, resulting in back-to-back top-10-ranked recruiting classes, including the No. 1-ranked 2027 cycle.

“Sumlin wanted a disco ball, Jimbo never evolved but all Elko cares about IS BLOCKING & TACKLING.”

–@crainandcone on how A&M has changed culturally already pic.twitter.com/VwilkRKHi1

— Jake “JBOY” Crain (@JakeCrain_) August 18, 2026

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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: On3’s Crain & Cone talks Texas A&M culture change under Mike Elko