Mike Elko believes game-changing transfer portal add the perfect missing piece the Aggies' offense needed
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The Texas A&M Aggies carried a strong 2025 season into the offseason, where they pulled off a strong transfer portal haul to complement their top-ten recruiting class of 2026. Now, as they are gearing up for spring workouts to begin carrying that momentum into next season, head coach Mike Elko held his first press conference to discuss their transfer portal class.
While he was discussing the slew of transfers the Aggies added on both sides of the ball, Elko was asked about former Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Isaiah Horton, who was arguably A&M's big-fish prize pull out of the transfer portal. Elko didn't disappoint with his answer and outlined exactly why he and the rest of the Aggies' staff were so gung-ho in their pursuit of him out of the portal.
Mike Elko excited to add Isaiah Horton to A&M offense
"It was a big one. It was something we talked about last year as the one thing we felt like we tried really hard to get and weren't able to was just a taller receiver. I think what you have now [in Horton[ is a taller, physical wide receiver who has played a lot of high-level competitive football at Miami and Alabama. Just another diverse skill set to add to that room, and a different one that the guys we had in there and the guys that we return. He was a kid we tried to get last year when he ultimately settled on Alabama, but when the opportunity came up to get him again, we were excited that we were able to land him."
Last year, the Aggies' top two wide receivers were KC Concepcion and Mario Craver. Neither of them are taller than 6'0, and Craver is listed at 5'9 and 165 pounds. The tallest receiver to catch a pass last season was just 6'0 (true freshman TK Norman). Like Elko said, they simply didn't have size. In comes Isaiah Horton at a whopping 6'4 and 208 pounds to finally give them that on the outside.
The Aggies return a strong wide receiver room, despite their lack of size. Horton and Craver are the likely top two, but Ashton Bethel-Roman had a fantastic 2025 season as the WR3 and should push for even more snaps in 2026, and the team is high on young players like Jerome Myles, Terry Bussey, and Madden Williams to fill out the back end of their snaps in that room.
As they build around Marcel Reed for 2026, it was imperative that they add as much talent as they could in the offseason. Safe to say: mission accomplished.
This story was originally published by A to Z Sports on Feb 17, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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