Despite Texas A&M's terrific run of recruiting success going back more than a decade and its extremely passionate fan base, the program has simply not placed a ton of talent into the NFL. For every Myles Garrett and Mike Evans produced, there are several highly-ranked recruits who never panned out even at College Station.

The Aggies are coming off a disappointing 8-5 season in head coach Mike Elko's first campaign with the team. The former Duke coach inherited a few key players who will hear their names called in the 2025 NFL Draft, but it's not like he inherited a powerhouse from Jimbo Fisher. 

It's a good roster that could've been even better with the right development. 

However, despite having a team that boasted a potential top-five pick in April's draft in Shemar Stewart and a few other draftable talents, Elko believes the problem with the program lies in recruiting the right players. When asked by Josh Pate of CBS Sports whether Texas A&M has a recruiting problem or a developmental issue with its top-ranked classes, Elko explained that both have to improve.

"When we talk about what it will take to get this program over the curb, we have to have more NFL talent on the roster playing for us down the stretch. When you look at where we are draft pick-wise relative to where we need to be for Texas A&M to be winning at the level it should be, that's the biggest jump we have to make."

Texas A&M’s NFL Draft production hasn’t come close to matching their recruiting rankings

I asked Mike Elko why pic.twitter.com/D5geKLiZSf

— Josh Pate (@JoshPateCFB) March 6, 2025

Elko added that the process of adding future NFL players starts earlier than anything else. "Evaluating the kids you're bringing into the program and evaluating every aspect of the kids that you're bringing in and not just 'Are you bringing in the highest rated kids we can get?' But are we getting kids we truly believe and know project to be NFL draft picks?"

Notably, he mentions this directly correlates to who wins the SEC as a whole, which is backed by the stellar numbers Georgia and Alabama have produced over the last two decades.

"When you look at who wins the SEC, it's the team who gets the most guys drafted. We have to make sure we pay a lot more attention to that side of this thing. It matters what happens when we get them. Part of it is the culture we have, the accountability, the development, the growth, the kid's desire to become everything he's capable of becoming."

This is a good reflection of Elko being correct in where A&M has tended to miss the most. Relying on recruiting rankings is generally going to produce better results than not, but the personality and work ethic are still a factor that seemed to haunt this program under previous head coaches. 

Players in the south, and especially Texas and Florida, have more physical gifts than their peers. However, someone who peaks early may not always have that fight in them to pursue greatness consistently every day. The physical edge can lead to entitlement and bad habits that are exposed when the talent difference shrinks on Saturdays. 

For every Garrett and Evans who work tirelessly to maximize their abilities, there are 50 individuals who simply don't have the capability to push themselves beyond their limits. That leads to complacency and inconsistency on the field. 

Every program in the country is susceptible to this, so it's not like A&M is alone in fighting for the most motivated and physically gifted young men.  Elko is right that in the past, it seems the program has failed to correct its own bad habits in recruiting and overlooking long-term projections.

Texas A&M is ranked fifth in the 2026 recruiting rankings with eight commitments, all 4-star talents. We'll see how things shake out as Elko further gets his hands on this roster.