Texas A&M coach Mike Elko and his three player representatives, junior linebacker Taurean York, senior guard Ar’maj Reed-Adams, and senior cornerback Will Lee III, will speak on Thursday during this week’s SEC media days, taking place in Atlanta, Georgia.
On Monday, several SEC head coaches took the podium, including Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea, who, behind quarterback Diego Pavia and former Texas A&M quarterback turned tight end Eli Stowers, led the Commodores to a 7-6 finish, and the program’s first bowl game appearance since 2018, and postseason win since 2013.
With Pavia and Stowers back in the saddle, the expectations have risen, even though Vanderbilt is not expected to be a College Football Playoff contender. Still, these high expectations and passion are what make the SEC media days great and highly enjoyable for the media members in attendance.
Clark Lea’s history working under Mike Elko during his time at Bowling Green, Wake Forest and Notre Dame makes him the go-to voice this week for those still hesitant to trust Elko’s ability to build Texas A&M into a consistent contender. While Lea’s admiration for Elko is evident, he believes that the second-year head coach is just scratching the surface in College Station.
“Mike is one of my closest friends in coaching. He is a guy I have a ton of respect for. We worked together three times. All three were one year. He is the New Jersey version of me.”
“He is a brilliant football mind.”
It’s easy for those of us in the media to strictly judge Elko’s coaching ability based on one season that included critical injuries and defensive lapses. Still, opinions from the coaches who have worked under him carry much more weight when evaluating the position from a 360-degree perspective.
This summer, Elko has landed 25 commitments in the Aggies’ 2026 recruiting class, and after adding…
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Publish date : 2025-07-15 10:05:00
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