Talking about pressure? Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko is facing a significant hurdle as he steps into the 2025 season. Analyst Dan Wetzel captured the level of pressure he’s under. “There’s a lot of good things happening, but you’re just not probably gonna win the national title this year. Oh, well, like when did you win the National Title?”
Time to sprinkle salt on Elko’s wounds.
The Aggies are carrying the heavy burden of a 75-year National Championship drought. Under this pressure, the program didn’t shy away from getting rid of Jimbo Fisher and paid him a $76 million buyout. Now, how can Elko save himself from undergoing his predecessor’s fate? By not repeating the mistake. An analyst made it easier for Elko to find the most suitable path.
On the August 16th episode of the TexAgs podcast, Billy Liucci talked about where Elko and the boys stand at the moment. He sounded all confident, “I think they have staying power through the grind of an SEC schedule, where they can survive some of that attrition. They’ve got some components of where they can be better as the season goes on.” Talking about Elko’s head coaching skills to make the Aggies survive in the SEC gauntlet?
[Figure: Aug 31, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko arrives prior to the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sp]
He gets 10/10. After all the years, Elko has picked up experience from his various stints. He left Duke to finish 9-4, topping with a bowl victory over UCF in the Military Bowl. Then came Elko’s break as defensive coordinator at Notre Dame in 2017. The Fighting Irish brought home a 10-3 win, crushing LSU in the Citrus Bowl. On the other hand, Elko’s boys will be facing what is considered one of the toughest slates in the SEC. They will be facing off against LSU, Arkansas, Missouri, and Texas on the road.
As Liucci noted, “They got to prove they can win on the road. They have to. They showed a little bit of it last year, early. Gainesville, Starkville, and then they went, and the atmosphere got them. And you can say it didn’t. The atmosphere got them at Auburn. They came back, took the lead late, but they were down 21-0 to a bad football team to start. And I think the youth got him at South Carolina.” Time to remind Elko of his old wounds.
The Aggies painted a picture-perfect 7-game winning streak. It was broken by their 20-44 loss against the South Carolina Gamecocks. It was followed by one win over New Mexico State while Elko’s squad was bogged down by a three-game losing streak against Auburn (41-43), Texas (7-17), and USC (31-35). On that note, the analyst reminded Elko not to repeat the past.
He shared, “So that’s a learning lesson. But they got to win on the road. You look at South Bend, you look at Baton Rouge, you look at Austin, but oh by the way, you better look to Fayetteville and Columbia as well if you want to have that type of season. So they’ve got a big jump to make.” Amidst all this pressure, one of Elko’s players is doing his own research around his NIL and coming off with flying colors.
Marcel Reed is raising awareness through his NIL
For Elko’s quarterback, Marcel Reed, the 2024 season has been a mixed bag. Statistically, the season wasn’t a total washout. He threw for 1,864 yards and 15 touchdowns. He got his moment after starting QB Connor Weigman went down during their face-off against LSU. Elko’s quarterback produced three back-to-back scoring drives that turned the game around for the Aggies. But things went out of hand as Reed dropped three straight drives. Is the confidence running low for him?
Nico Iamaleava used to be in that convo, but since he left the SEC, Cousin Shane shared his take on Reed on T*hat SEC Football Podcast*. “I think Reed is the one. It’s kind of funny, not funny, it’s sad. But I’ve talked about this multiple times. Would you be surprised in November if we’re not talking about Reed as one of the best quarterbacks in this conference? I wouldn’t be blown away,” shared the analyst. While Reed’s path itself is slippery due to a daunting schedule, the quarterback took his NIL game to new heights.
Reed partnered with private jet company ENG Aviation. No, it’s not about the hefty NIL check. But Elko’s quarterback is now moving with a purpose. As the President of ENG Aviation, Steve Hoffman shared, “Over 90% of Americans support organ donation and transplant, but less than 60% of Americans are registered donors, and so we want to play a part in bridging that gap, and that’s really what we’re focused on.” Through the agreement, he will not only gain access to ENG’s private jets but also educate the public about organ donations.
[Twitter quote: Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed and private jet company, ENG Aviation partnered to create a life-saving NIL Deal. This is one of my favorite stories I’ve been able to tell, and it’s one that meant a whole lot on a personal level. cont… pic.twitter.com/921VEFANGQ – Donna Conrad]
That does not mean Marcel Reed is taking this easy to lead Mike Elko’s squad in the right way. The pressure is on for the quarterback after the Aggies lost Conner Weigman and Jaylen Henderson this transfer season. Being a dual threat quarterback, Texas A&M insider Cater Karels counts high on Reed, “It’s Marcel this year, and I think the foundation of this offense will be the offensive line and the running game, and what Marcel Reed can do with his legs, and I think trying to set that up with the pass right. So you’re going to have one of the most off experienced offensive lines in the country.” The streak was just the beginning. Elko and company need to script an encore even better.