Texas A&M Athlete Fell Victim to Car Accident as HC Mike Elko Breaks Silence After 5 Months

Mike Elko‘s Texas Aggies kicked off the 2025 season on a high note, with a 42-24 victory against the UTSA Roadrunners. But the coach got loads more to share, and it has nothing to do with the week 1 victory-saga. It’s all about the 5’10, 212-pound freshman, who has been radio-silent over the past five months.

In a recent press conference, Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko confirmed that freshman RB Deondrae “Tiger” Riden has been medically cleared after being involved in a car accident over the summer. He has been an integral part of the Aggies’ RB depth room since the spring drills. Elko also noted that defensive back Jordan Shaw, who sustained a lower-body injury, is on a “day-to-day” call.

But even before setting foot at College Station, Riden had left his mark in the Texas high school circuit. He tallied an explosive career at DeSoto (Texas) High School, breaking two school records. His 4,034 career rushing yards broke Byron Hanspard‘s career record of 3,996. Furthermore, his 4,265 all-purpose yards broke Dez White‘s record of 4,012 and nearly 60 touchdowns in four seasons. Clinching two back-to-back state championships, he was named to the District 11-6A Offensive Newcomer of the Year.

With such impressive achievements, he had carved out his identity. “I expect Tiger to be that leader that he’s been,” Desoto High School coach Claude Mathis said of Tiger prepping for his third state championship game. “He is going to take it to a whole new level this year. I’ve got a good feeling you will see a whole different Tiger. That’s just scary, right there,” he added.

In his senior year, he ran for 1,880 yards on 234 carries and 27 touchdowns as he led the Eagles to an 11-2 record. Although he missed six games in his junior year, owing to an injury, he led his high school to its second state championship with a perfect 16-0 campaign. “I can’t say enough about Tiger,” Mathis had said, per Sports Illustrated. “He’s the dude right now. He’s making plays and stepping up big time.”

Rated as a four-star prospect, he was ranked No. 42 as a running back in the Class of 2025, and nationally, at No. 472, according to Rivals Industry Rating. The Aggies approached him during his high school sophomore year and had been aggressively pursuing him due to his strong run game,  with a blend of power, vision, and quickness. TexAgs described the freshman as, “He is well-schooled in blitz pick-up, and he is a playmaking threat as a receiver.” He became the second addition from the SFW area and is the fourth commit in the Aggies’ Class of 2025, turning down offers from powerhouses Alabama, Michigan, Georgia, Texas, among others.

A&M coaching roster approves of Deondrae “Tiger” Riden’s spring drills

To refill its 2025 roster and bring in some fresh talent, Mike Elko brought in a plethora of new faces to the roster. One of them was Tiger Riden, who had already made his mark in the Texas high school circuit. Discussions about the Aggies’ RB room featured Tiger’s potential during spring drills. “A couple of our young tailbacks, Tiger [Deondrae] Riden [Jr.] and Jamarion Morrow, those guys can go,” offensive coordinator Collin Klein said during spring drills, according to My Aggie Nation.

He further added. “I think that combined with more familiarity of what we’re doing, tempo, operational-wise, being able to actually attack in what we’re doing instead of just, ‘Ok, what is my job on this and how do I attack through whatever my responsibility is?’ I think that’s shown itself.” During the Aggies’ second Maroon and White game, while the offensive pockets were getting manhandled by the defensive machinery, Tiger managed a 17-yard rush.

Now that Tiger is cleared, the trajectory of his career will only go higher. Elko and the Aggies are looking forward to building him to his best version, giving the program an edge when it comes to the offense.