Texas A&M (5-1, 3-0 SEC) is off to a hot start after finishing the first half of the 2024 regular season with a 5-1 record and a 3-0, SEC-leading conference record that has shocked many in the national media who wrote off the program after the Aggies’ season-opening loss to Notre Dame.
One of the more popular college football analysts in the country has been a fan of what Texas A&M is building under new head coach Mike Elko, especially after the Aggies blew out a top 10-ranked Missouri team 41-10 in front of a packed Kyle Field before entering the Week 7 bye week.
This week, Pate, during a segment on his YouTube show with CFB analyst Cole Cubelic, discussed the difference in recruiting/player evaluations under former head coach Jimbo Fisher, who routinely relied on raw talent rather than looking past the 5 and 4-star recruiting designations.
While Elko helped build several of Texas A&M’s recruiting classes under Fisher during his time as the Aggies’ defensive coordinator, his successful two-year stint as Duke’s head coach was based on utilizing the transfer portal and recruiting athletes who fit the team’s system. However, it’s all about selling the program to future prospects, something Elko has all but mastered.
“I would almost say, that is as much like and Ohio State, as it is and LSU, or an Ole Miss or Alabama in the way they attract kids to campus and how they sell A&M” Pate stated.
“You got a guy who understands it, so I know that it was nice to beat Missouri, but even if they had lost a dog fight to Missouri, there are so many green arrows that you get when you start raising the hood on Texas A&M. I’m buying stock.”
This week, Elko and his staff have been focused on recruiting and attending several 2025 commits’ games. Meanwhile, the team continues working out and recuperating before heading to Starkville to face Mississippi State next Saturday.
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