Tag: Texas A&M

Hayden Hefner proclaims Texas A&M has the ‘best shot of making a run’ this upcoming season

“That helps the coaches out because we already know the system. We can teach these young guys more as the coaches are trying to teach.”

Guard Hayden Hefner is back in College Station for a fifth-year, and he has high hopes for the Texas A&M men’s basketball team this season.

“I feel like this is our best shot of making a run and doing things really well just because of the experience we have,” Hefner said Tuesday. “I know that’s a thing people talked about last year, but really, returning like 75% of the guys who played last year. Being able to have that really helps the coaches out because we already know the system. We can teach these young guys more as the coaches are trying to teach.

“That allows us to make up more ground as the season goes on. We’re better prepared at the preseason level and at the non-conference level to understand what we’re aiming for as an identity at a much faster pace than maybe in the past.”

The No. 13 Aggies begin the 2024-25 campaign against the team that ended their NCAA Tournament run in March, No. 4 Houston, on Oct. 27 at 4 p.m. CT

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on X @Shaun_Holkko.

Justin Ford/Getty Images

Coach Mike Elko squashes any rumors regarding Texas A&M faking injuries for an advantage

“It was a kid having to stop the game because there was no other way to stop the game, not because we were giving ourselves an advantage.”

As the Texas A&M football head coach, Mike Elko has to address a great many topics, including what legendary coach Nick Saban describes as “rat poison.”

That was certainly the case to begin this week. During his weekly press conference ahead of this weekend’s matchup at Mississippi State, Elko had to answer whether Aggies intentionally fake being hurt.

“Do we condone faking injury? No,” Elko said Monday afternoon. “At times, it was a kid having to stop the game because there was no other way to stop the game, not necessarily because we were giving ourselves an advantage.”

Being a defensive guy at heart, Elko went on to mention that defenders are at a higher risk for injuries due to collegiate squads running up-tempo, fast offenses. However, he added that players faking injuries is a “bad look” for college football as a whole.

The No. 14 Aggies (5-1, 3-0 SEC) return from their bye Saturday afternoon to play at Davis Wade Stadium versus the Bulldogs at 3:15 p.m. CT on SEC Network.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on X @Shaun_Holkko.

Derek Miller attributes ‘teamwork and sacrifice’ as reason why Aggies landed Nic Scourton

“When I look back on it, I am proud of the way people work together, positive attitude and willingness just to keep being gritty every day.”

In a recent interview with Carter Karels of GigEm247, football general manager Derek Miller recalled the process of how Texas A&M landed standout pass rusher Nic Scourton from Purdue in the NCAA Transfer Portal.

“I think what best encapsulates the whole thing that I joke about is Scourton’s announcement to get into the portal on December 26th at 9 a.m. So any Christmas holiday enjoyment — the next morning, the Scourton news was out there, and then we were trying to figure that one out,” Miller explained. “What encapsulates the time period is teamwork and sacrifice. It is the holidays. You are moving. I am not the only one who picked up, packed a bag and moved down here and said, ‘We will figure the rest out later.’

NCAA terminates national letter of intent program that has existed for 60 years

On Wednesday morning, the committee approved the NLI program to become apart of the NCAA’s signing and recruiting rules immediately.

The National Collegiate Athletics Association Division I Council voted last week to officially terminate its national letter of intent program.

On Wednesday morning, the committee approved the NLI program to become apart of the NCAA’s signing and recruiting rules immediately. However, a hearing will be held on April 7, 2025 to formally approve the decision.

Beginning in 1964, the NLI program has served as the binding agreement between the top high school athletes in the nation and the “non-profit” collegiate governing body. The agreement is going to be replaced by a new financial contract which aligns with the transition that the NCAA has recently gone through regarding athletes being able to profit off their respective Name, Image and Likeness.

There is an impending revenue sharing model that will be presented following NIL becoming a normal aspect of collegiate sports. Early signing day is on Dec. 4 and National Signing Day will take place on Feb. 5.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.

‘He’s a Winnebago,’ Texas A&M remembers Hall of Famer George Woodard who passed at 69

“I don’t know what George weighs. I just know he weighs more than he did at birth but less than King Kong,” former coach Emory Bellard said.

Texas A&M Hall of Famer George Woodard passed away on Friday at age 69 according to his family, which was confirmed by the 12th Man Athletics Communication Department.

Woodard shined on the Aggies football team as a bruising fullback that is remember fondly by many.

“He’s not a fullback,” former Texas Tech head coach Steve Sloan proclaimed in the 70s. “He’s a Winnebago.”

Even then Texas A&M head coach Emory Bellard was left with questions when it came to Woodard.

“I don’t know what George weighs,” Bellard said. “I just know he weighs more than he did at birth but less than King Kong.”

Hall of Fame athletic trainer Billy Pickard attempted to answer those queries.

“Our PE department conducted a test and submerged George in a tank of water,” Pickard said. “They found he had only 3% more body fat than a normal person of his build. They told us they didn’t think George would ever get much below 260.”

Woodard rushed for 2,911 yards and 35 touchdowns during his illustrious career. May he rest in peace.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.

Colts cornerback and Aggies alumnus Jaylon Jones ‘makes a play every drive’ per Pat McAfee

“Jaylon Jones, #40 for the Colts, might be an All Pro this year,” McAfee tweeted on Sunday afternoon. “Makes a play every drive seemingly.”

This past weekend in Jacksonville, former Texas A&M football player Jaylon Jones got the attention of one of the loudest and prominent talking heads in sports, Pat McAfee.

The former Colts punter, ESPN personality and arguably most famous fan in Indiana praised Jones for his play during a 37-34 loss against the Jaguars in Week 5.

“Jaylon Jones, #40 for the Colts, might be an All Pro this year,” McAfee tweeted on Sunday afternoon. “Makes a play every drive seemingly.”

Jones isn’t to be confused with another NFL cornerback by the same name who also attended an SEC school. The second-year defensive back suited up for the Aggies at Kyle Field from 2020-22. He was drafted by the Colts with the 221st overall pick in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Despite the loss, Jones had a strong individual performance versus Jacksonville. He racked up 6 tackles (5 solo), 2 pass deflections and 1 forced fumble.

Indianapolis face another AFC South rival on the road Sunday at noon against Tennessee.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.

Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union

Former Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher rants about ‘utterly ridiculous’ CFB ‘cheating’

“We need revenue sharing. We need a salary cap for all schools… The tampering that other schools do with players, is utterly ridiculous.”

The media tour of former Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher has been non-stop this season and it continued last week with a rant about cheating in college football.

“College football is — I complain about it, it’s still the greatest game. As much as I love NFL, and I’m crazy about it, and I respect it, but college football, man, you don’t know — 18, 22 teams, you don’t know what you’re going to get. I mean, it’s still so — I love college basketball, all those things, I love all college sports, but college football man, we need a commissioner. We need revenue sharing. We need a salary cap, for all schools, and if you’re caught — and the other part of this, the tampering that other schools do with players, is utterly ridiculous,” Fisher proclaimed on Oct. 1. “I mean, the big schools are going and getting players constantly from other schools, and it’s being done illegally. Those guys are developing players, and all of a sudden their guys, you know, that team shouldn’t have an advantage, financially, to be able to take care of a guy that another school doesn’t, and it’s wrong.

“I’ve had multiple discussions with players I’ve had, teams calling them and offering money. ‘I’ve got NIL, I’ve got this offer here, I’ve got this,’ and you’ve got to sit down with them, their parents and go through it all. Power 4, within our own league, with the things that go on. I thought, really, when NIL came in, we thought it would be good, because some of this — there were teams that were doing NIL before NIL was popular, OK? I thought NIL would at least make it fair, take the cheating out of ball. It’s made it worse.”

Fisher appears on Off Campus with EJ Manuel and Jacob Hester every Tuesday from 3-6 p.m. on SiriusXM’s College Sports channel.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.

QB Conner Weigman gives Texas A&M ‘the best chance to win’ per head coach Mike Elko

“I made him come in my office and convince me he was ready. We had a conversation Thursday and I got a strong idea that he was ready to go.”

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Conner Weigman made a triumphant return from a shoulder injury Saturday and led No. 14 Texas A&M to a dominant upset of Missouri.

Despite redshirt freshman QB Marcel Reed playing well in Weigman’s absence, Aggies head coach Mike Elko stuck by his starter.

“I made him come in my office and convince me he was ready. We had a conversation on Thursday afternoon, and in that conversation, I got a really strong idea that he was ready to go,” Elko recalled Monday. “The conversation for us was we wanted to see Conner at 100%, and we felt like Conner at 100% gave us our best chance to win.

“We felt like, at the end of the week, we were going to get the best version of Conner and felt that was certainly something that would give us the best chance to win.”

Texas A&M has a bye this upcoming weekend. The Aggies will return on Oct. 19 at 3:15 p.m. for an SEC road matchup at Mississippi State.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.

Report card for No. 14 Texas A&M following matchup against No. 18 Missouri in Week 6

Following the Week 6 matchup against Missouri, we break down the Aggies’ grade.

The Texas A&M football team made a thunderous statement in front of the entire nation on Saturday afternoon at Kyle Field.

The Aggies (5-1, 3-0 SEC) won their fifth consecutive game with a 41-10 mauling of Missouri (4-1, 1-1), who entered the contest ranked No. 9 in the country. Following the bludgeoning, Texas A&M vaulted seven spots to No. 14 while the Tigers dropped nine slots to No. 18.

At halftime, the Aggies led 24-0, holding an AP-ranked team scoreless after 30 minutes for the first time since 2012. Amid junior quarterback Conner Weigman’s triumphant return from injury, Texas A&M went on to extend its massive advantage to 34-0 before going on to win by 31 points.

It was a truly remarkable rout that put the rest of the nation on notice. The Aggies proved that they are the real deal and ready to compete for a conference championship this season. With nothing to nitpick, the perfect performance earned an A+.

Texas A&M has a bye this upcoming weekend. The Aggies will return on Oct. 19 for an SEC road matchup at Mississippi State. Kickoff at Davis Wade Stadium is to be determined.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.

Photos of three top 10 SEC football upsets in Week 6

PHOTOS: Texas A&M, Vanderbilt and Arkansas pull off top 10 upsets in Week 6

Week 6 of the college football season concluded on Saturday. Week 6 featured three top 10 upsets in the Southeastern Conference.

The SEC slate kicked off with No. 21 Texas A&M (5-1, 3-0 SEC) and No. 9 Missouri (4-1, 1-1 SEC) on Saturday. The Aggies were victorious, 41-10, at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas.

Saturday’s second top 10 upset took place at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. Vanderbilt (3-2,1-1 SEC) defeated No. 1 Alabama (4-1, 1-1 SEC), 40-35.

Week 6 in the SEC concluded with Arkansas (4-2, 2-1 SEC) defeating No. 4 Tennessee (4-1, 1-1 SEC), 19-14, at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

READ: Updated 2024 SEC football power rankings after Week 6

Below are photos of the three top 10 upsets in the SEC during Week 6.