‘I promise you he will change the program around’: 4-star RB commit Deondrae Riden believes in Mike Elko

The Texas A&M football program has received four commitments from the Class of 2025 and the latest was 4-star running back Deondrae “Tiger” Riden on Monday night.

The 5-foot-10, 195-pound halfback from Desoto High School in Texas is a big fan of his future head coach, Mike Elko, as he recently shared with On3 national recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman.

“Elko, Elko, Elko… he’s one of the best coaches in the game and everything he’s doing for the program is putting people on notice,” Riden told On3. “I promise you he will change the program around.

“Coach Elko is a good dude. He’s a real dude, there’s something about the way he carries himself, the way he talks.”

Riden is also a fan of defensive line coach Tony Jerod-Eddie and associate HC & running backs coach Trooper Taylor.

“I went to check out the vibes, see the vibes. I met with them earlier (last) week and they’re all good people. They’re straightforward and they don’t sugarcoat anything,” Riden told On3. “I think it’s gonna be a big change.”

The Desoto junior reportedly “loved” his visit to College Station earlier this month according to 247Sports’ director of recruiting Steve Wiltfong.

“I’m big on relationships and everyone around there treats me like family,” Riden told 247Sports. “The main thing that catches my eye regarding Mike Elko and the staff is how everyone has the same goal and believes in each other. It’s like everyone is on the same page and I’m loving it.”

Every commit from next year’s class hails from the Lone Star State thus far. The other three players are 4-star cornerback Deyjhon Pettaway and 3-star prospects, linebacker Kelvion Riggins & interior offensive lineman Joshua Moss.