CBS Sports ranks Texas A&M HC Mike Elko 5th among SEC coaches

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Entering his third season at the helm, Texas A&M coach Mike Elko is nationally regarded as one of the most respected defensive minds in the game, while his ability as a recruiter has matched his background as a defensive playcaller, already landing consecutive top 10 signing classes, while the Aggies’ 2027 cycle is currently the No. 1-ranked class according to Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN.

During just his second season, Elko led the Aggies to the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history, including the program’s first 11-0 start since the early 1990’s. Compared to several veteran SEC coaches, including Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian, this was a much quicker progression to becoming a CFP contender, while he and his staff developed a 2025 roster that saw a record ten players selected in the 2026 NFL Draft.

With four full seasons as a Division 1 head coach under his belt, including two seasons leading the Duke Blue Devils, Elko is now considered one of the top 20 head coaches in the country, according to CBS Sports veteran CFB writer Tom Fornelli, who placed the Aggie head coach at No. 14 among all 68 Power Four coaches, coming in one spot below new Virginia Tech coach James Franklin.

“Mike Elko is one of the coaches who climbed from outside the top 25 last year into it this year. That tends to happen after a CFP berth. Elko has already delivered what Jimbo Fisher never could in College Station, and only needed two seasons to do so. He’s 12-4 in the SEC and has consistently fielded one of the more talented teams in a conference full of talent. Now all he has to do is maintain that level of success. That’s easy to do, right?”

Capitalizing on last season’s historic success will be challenging given the Aggies’ tough schedule, which includes road games vs. LSU, Missouri, South Carolina, Alabama, and Oklahoma. Even more important, Elko has yet to defeat Sarkisian and the Longhorns, which is an absolute must this season, with the Aggies hosting Texas at Kyle Field in the regular season finale.

Among the rest of the 16 SEC coaches, new LSU coach Lane Kiffin (9), Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer (8), Steve Sarkisian (6), and Georgia coach Kirby Smart (2) are ranked above Mike Elko.

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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: CBS Sports ranks Texas A&M HC Mike Elko 14th nationally

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