On November 27, 2023, Texas A&M handed over the reins to Mike Elko. They hardly realized that it would turn out to be one of the best decisions they had ever made. Two years later, Elko is making Texas A&M proud by keeping his promise and molding Aggies’ players into NFL talent.

“Maybe just a little bit more comprehensive in our development process than what has happened around here,” Elko said in an interview when On3’s J.D. PicKell asked about their secret sauce for drafting players to the pro league. “I joked a lot with people when I got hired.

You can argue about which recruiting site you like more, whether you believe in four stars or five. At the end of the day, we got to find NFL players. And that has to be the underlying goal of every kid that we bring into this program.”

When he stepped into Texas A&M two years ago, Elko signed a six-year, $42 million deal. Along with it, the offer covered incentives worth $50,000 if named SEC Coach of the Year and $100,000 if he grabbed the national coach of the year award. Additionally, an SEC Championship would offer him a fat $100,000 paycheck.

Moreover, the Aggies have put together a 19-7 record since Elko’s hiring. Last season, under him, Texas A&M went on an 11-game winning streak and punched its ticket to the College Football Playoff. The crux of Elko’s success is his consistency in recruiting the top talent, both in high school recruiting and the transfer portal.

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“We should get to double-digit NFL draft picks this year,” Elko said in an interview in July last year. “That’ll be the first time Texas A&M has done that in a very long time.”

Elko’s focus on development has paid immediate dividends. The Aggies sent a program-record 13 players to the NFL Combine. It’s a massive total that surpasses even traditional powerhouses like Alabama (12) and LSU (11). 

Looking at the Aggies’ history, Elko’s program produced its highest NFL Draft haul since 1976, when 10 Texas A&M players were selected across 14 rounds. This year’s 13 combine invites shatter the program’s previous high-water mark of nine, set in 1992, 2017, and 2022, signaling a new era of talent development under Elko.

Many of the Aggies’ top NFL prospects are transfers who thrived under Elko, including former NC State weapon KC Concepcion and Florida linebacker Scooby Williams. This influx of talent has draft analysts buzzing, with several Aggies projected to hear their names called early in the NFL Draft.

NFL mock draft whispers for Mike Elko’s players

Last season, Concepcion was always in the spotlight as he established himself as one of college football’s most versatile weapons in 2025. He hauled in 61 catches for 919 yards and nine touchdowns. Elko’s wide receiver terrorized special teams with 18.2 yards per punt return.

Mock drafts have him slotted in the middle of the first round. His explosive run-after-catch ability will be an ideal fit in a modern offense. The Bowling Green transfer, Howell, has already made Elko proud by becoming the 11th unanimous All-American in Texas A&M history. PFF’s Gordon McGuinness sees him going off as the No. 8 pick by the New Orleans Saints.

While the final report card for this NFL Draft is yet to arrive, Elko already has weapons committed to the Aggies, waiting to take over. Texas A&M freshman edge and two-sport athlete Marco Jones will be filling Howell’s shoes. 

“Marco Jones has not only a huge future here but also a huge one in the NFL, and I think for him, the discussions were great,” said Texas A&M baseball coach Michael Earley.

While the talent was available, Elko’s success stems from his keen eye for identifying and cherry-picking players with NFL traits. And yes, it includes both the high school ranks and the transfer portal.