Mike Elko, Texas A&M Aggies learning from their mistakes of the past in devising transfer portal strategy this offseason
Mike Elko and the Texas A&M Aggies are proving their ability to adjust and learn from their mistakes this offseason.
The Texas A&M Aggies are fresh off of a successful 11-1 season, finishing with the No.7 seed in the College Football Playoff before losing to the Miami Hurricanes. The Aggies improved from eight wins in 2024 to 2025, and the expectations for their 2026 season continue that upward trajectory.
To keep improving, one has to be able to learn from their past mistakes and adjust or correct them. Based on A&M’s haul out of the transfer portal, head coach Mike Elko is already proving that he has the ability to learn and adjust, and the overall health of the Aggies’ roster is in much better shape because of it.
Texas A&M’s transfer portal class exactly what they needed
Part of Texas A&M’s issues in the 2025 season was depth, particularly on defense. The top of the lineup, especially on the defensive line, was strong, with players like Cashius Howell, Tyler Onyedim, and Albert Regis making several key plays routinely every week. However, when they had to sub out, the dropoff was fairly notable across the board, and both Texas and Miami took advantage to deliver A&M their only two losses on the year.
Flash forward to the portal cycle, and A&M has loaded up the defensive line. They added three former starters in CJ Mims (North Carolina), Angelo McCullom (Illinois), and Brandon Davis-Swain (Colorado), who bring a combined 1,606 snaps to add onto a unit returning some promising youngsters in DJ Hicks, DJ Sanders, and Landon Rink at defensive tackle. For their edge rusher spots, adding proven producers in Anto Saka (Northwestern) and Ryan Henderson (San Diego State) to a unit returning a pair of intriguing young talents in Marco Jones and TJ Searcy giving the Aggies a legitimate four-deep off the edge.
This competitive depth even extends further into the secondary. A&M looks to be incredibly deep, particularly at cornerback, with a high-upside embarrassment of riches there. The Aggies return Dezz Ricks as an obvious starter and plucked Rickey Gibson away from Tennessee. Behind them are talented players itching for an opportunity like Julio Humphrey, Adonyss Currie, Brandon Arrington, and Vic Singleton.
Even at safety, the Aggies locked in a return from Bryce Anderson, who flirted with the transfer portal, alongside Dalton Brooks and Marcus Ratcliffe, bringing back over 1,200 snaps from this season at safety. However, they weren’t content to simply run it back and pulled in Tawfiq Byard from Colorado, who was the Buffaloes’ best defender this season.
At their two biggest weak spots from the 2025 season, the Aggies completely revamped their approach to significantly boost these two areas. They could easily have gone big fish hunting to add one elite player at both spots and forego depth, but they learned from the 2025 season and how their depth bit them routinely.
It’s a wise lesson to learn, and it proves that Elko and company can learn from their mistakes.
Texas A&M Aggies News
Texas A&M Aggies steal talented defender away from top SEC school to replace key departures who are headed to the NFL
Former Tennessee Volunteers cornerback Rickey Gibson transferred to the Texas A&M Aggies
