Texas A&M’s 10–3 loss to Miami was a rough look for Mike Elko and the Aggies. Even at home, the Aggies couldn’t find an edge, as Miami’s defensive front overwhelmed their offensive line and racked up seven sacks. Still, that loss didn’t define their season, one good enough to earn a No. 7 ranking. That’s why outspoken $250 million Michigan booster Dave Portnoy didn’t hesitate to float an offer to the 48-year-old Elko.

“Mike Elko to Michigan,” Dave Portnoy wrote on X. The unapologetic Maize and Blue supporter is directly inviting Elko to take control of the $34.3 million job that Sherrone Moore had at Ann Arbor.

The urgency was absolutely justified. After Moore’s scandalous firing, the situation at Ann Arbor got really messy. The Michigan front office, led by Warde Manuel, isn’t acting on finding Moore’s successor. Instead, they are drowned deep in investigations. With Kenny Dillingham and Kalen DeBoer being the top priorities of the coaching search, Mike Elko hypes the Michigan future.

If Elko ever decided to jump ship, Michigan’s deep pockets would give him a huge advantage right away. He’d have the resources to bring in and keep a top-tier assistant coaching staff. It’ll likely double the size of the recruiting department and go all-in on dominating key recruiting areas with more efficiency and attention to detail. Michigan’s NIL collective, which exceeds $16 million, only adds to that appeal.

And with Dave Portnoy backing him, Portnoy would likely pour even more money behind Elko to help him succeed in every possible way. That said, money alone probably won’t be enough to pry him away. Elko’s current deal, finalized in November 2025, pays him more than $11 million per year. It makes him one of the highest-paid coaches in college football. Despite the loss to Miami, he just led Texas A&M to an 11-win season. It stood as the program’s first double-digit win year since 2012.

He’s earned praise for building the Aggies in his own image. He leaned into culture with his G.R.I.N.D. mantra and used NIL smartly on the recruiting trail. That identity showed up on the field, too. Remember the comeback against South Carolina? It was when A&M erased a 30–3 halftime deficit to pull off a stunning 31–30 win. After the Miami loss, Elko stayed measured. He said that the team still needs to “figure some things out this offseason” and acknowledged there’s work ahead to get the program where it needs to be.

What went wrong at Kyle Field? 

The loss turned into a full-on offensive meltdown for Texas A&M at Kyle Field. Quarterback Marcel Reed had a rough night, coughing up three turnovers, two interceptions, and a fumble, completing just 25 out of 39 passes. The final interception sealed the game. Miami’s defensive line was relentless, racking up seven sacks, including three from All-American Rueben Bain, who lived in the backfield all night.

The mistakes kept piling up for the Aggies. They had a field goal blocked, botched a fake punt, and repeatedly handed Miami short fields. Even though Texas A&M actually outgained the Hurricanes 326–278, they just couldn’t finish drives. Red-zone failures told the story, including a blocked field goal from the Miami 5-yard line and another empty trip after recovering a late Miami fumble.

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Miami made them pay. With just 1:44 left, freshman wideout Malachi Toney scored the game’s only touchdown on an 11-yard jet sweep, set up by a career-long 56-yard run from Mark Fletcher Jr. One last chance remained for the Aggies. But with the ball at the Miami 5-yard line, freshman defensive back Bryce Fitzgerald ended it with his second interception of the game in the end zone. It significantly slammed the door on a frustrating night for Texas A&M.