Texas A&M’s 2024 season is just 30 days away. The Aggies will kick off the season against Notre Dame on Saturday, August 31, inside a packed Kyle Field.
Serving as head coach Mike Elko’s inaugural season, the former A&M defensive coordinator (2018-2021) is back in College Station after a short two-year stint at Duke. He proved his head coaching chops with the Blue Devils by winning an impressive 16 games in his two seasons in Durham.
As we’ve covered throughout the offseason, Elko and his coaching staff have inherited a talented and experienced roster, paired with the nearly 30 transfer portal additions, including former Purdue Edge Nic Scourton, who led the Big Ten with ten sacks last season.
However, redshirt quarterback Conner Weigman’s return to the lineup after his offseason surgery continues to dominate any Texas A&M-related headlines, but the status of the offensive line will likely make or break the Aggie’s chances of consistently moving the ball down the field.
On paper, Texas A&M’s defense with Scourton and several new additions in the secondary looks like the team’s predominant strength, providing Elko’s elite defensive mind plenty to work with. So, what does the national media think of the Aggies’ chances to compete for a playoff spot this season?
On Thursday, CBS Sports released its 134 team rankings, and what may be surprising to some is that Texas A&M is ranked 20th after finishing the 2023 season as the 41st-ranked team in the rankings, as writer Chip Patterson stated that former head coach Jimbo Fisher’s blatant lack of on-field execution shouldn’t be an issue under Elko.
“The struggles that led to Jimbo Fisher’s exit did tailspin the Aggies’ season a bit, and when it comes to ranking all 134 FBS teams, you can’t give a program like Texas A&M a pass just because it’s going through some tough times” Patterson stated.
“Talent was rarely the issue, but execution was, and by boosting the Aggies up nearly two dozen spots, our voters are clearly in on the idea that Mike Elko’s hire will have a positive impact on closing the gap between talent and results.”
Most college football media members voted on by CBS Sports, and 247Sports writers agree that Elko looks like the right fit to finally get the Aggies back to winning key games in October and November.
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.