Mike Elko ranked Top 5 in Athlon Sports' SEC HC rankings

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Entering his third season at the helm, Texas A&M coach Mike Elko has reached national praise after leading the Aggies to the College Football Playoff, while his status as one of the top recruiters in the country has reached elite territory, especially given the Aggies’ No. 1-ranked 2027 cycle. Among the other 15 SEC head coaches, Elko is, and should be considered a top 5 coach in the conference.

Before taking over in late November 2023, Elko’s background as one of the top defensive minds in the game, serving as Texas A&M’s defensive coordinator from 2018-2021, and helping land several of the program’s top defensive players who went on to star in the NFL. After two seasons as Duke’s head coach, it was clear that the New Jersey native deserved a shot to lead the Aggies.

This week, Athlon’s Steven Lassan placed Mike Elko at No. 5 in his SEC head coach rankings, while Kirby Smart (Georgia), Kalen DeBoer (Alabama), Steve Sarkisian (Texas), and Lane Kiffin (LSU) round out the top 4. This summer, Elko has been ranked as high as 11th nationally and fourth in the SEC, according to various outlets.

During his inaugural campaign, the Aggies started the season off at 7-1 before star running back Le’Veon Moss was lost for the season during a road loss to South Carolina, leading A&M to end the season with a 1-4 record, including a bowl game loss to USC. However, the rise of current starting quarterback Marcel Reed gave way to the offseason additions of transfer wide receivers KC Concepcion and Mario Craver, completely transforming the offense.

Combined with senior edge Cashius Howell breaking out, Texas A&M reached greater heights in 2025, starting 11-0 for the first time since 1993, while Marcel Reed threw for a career high 3,169 yards and 25 touchdowns, connecting with Craver and Concepcion for nearly 1,900 yards and 13 scores.

Still, losing to Texas and Miami in the first round of the CFP was less than stellar, resulting in immediate changes this offseason, including several changes to the coaching staff, and adding 17 transfer portal additions after a record 10 players were selected in the 2026 NFL Draft. Texas A&M is back on track to reach the College Football Playoff this fall.

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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Mike Elko ranked Top 5 in Athlon Sports’ SEC HC rankings

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