Did you see Texas A&M’s 2024 heartbreak coming? A 7-1 start had the Aggies riding high in SEC conversation and national polls. But in November, the script had flipped dramatically. They couldn’t beat South Carolina, Auburn, and Texas in the end. The Las Vegas Bowl loss to USC added salt to their wounds as they went 8-5. Momentum evaporated and confidence wavered as preseason hype met postseason reality. But Mike Elko is fixated on one thing. History must not repeat itself. 

On August 24, Texas A&M Football posted a clip of Mike Elko on X giving his team a five-word warning: “Attack this thing every day.” Texas A&M’s fall camp has officially come to a close, and the HC voiced a collective goal to his players. “Next time we come out here on this field, it’s game week,” he said. “Everything we’ve done to this point in the off-season was to set ourselves up to have a chance… All of that does is give you a chance to come out now and go attack this thing.” Because for the Aggies, that is the standard. 

Mike Elko wasted no time reshaping the roster. Fourteen transfers joined the program, and the 2025 recruiting class brought in multiple impact-first-year contributors. Redshirt sophomore Marcel Reed emerged as the starting QB after Conner Weigman transferred to Houston. The QB spent the summer fine-tuning mechanics for quicker release, improved accuracy, and a sharper deep ball. But he isn’t working alone. 

Speedsters KC Concepcion and Mario Craver bring explosive separation and quickness to the receiving corps, while senior Le’Veon Moss anchors arguably the SEC’s deepest RB room. Behind a veteran offensive line, OC Collin Klein now has the freedom to stretch the playbook and open up creative schemes. On defense, Mike Elko has taken over play-calling, signaling a new era of accountability. Senior edge rusher Cashius Howell leads a retooled pass rush, and the secondary, long criticized for inconsistency, has matured and expects results. 

“Everybody’s tired of seeing us saying we’re going to be an 8-4 team and stuff like that, so it’s really disrespectful, and you know everybody’s taking that on the heart,” DB Will Lee III said. “So everybody’s coming out here every day working hard and just trying to be the greatest team we can be and then change the history of Texas A&M football.” Offseason work is done, rosters are set, and the Aggies now face the challenge that has haunted them for years.

Can Mike Elko break the Aggies’ AP Top 25 curse?

History doesn’t favor Texas A&M, as the SEC Numbers Guy highlighted the long-standing road curse. “SEC Teams with NO Road Wins Against Ranked Opponents Since 2014: Texas A&M. That’s it. That’s the list,” it read. Only 2020 counts when they finished the season ranked. Every other year, early momentum crashes against the brutal SEC gauntlet, leaving fans frustrated and analysts skeptical. No wonder preseason projections continue the trend. Saturday Down South predicts 8-4, citing losses at Notre Dame, LSU, Arkansas, and Texas. Yet optimism glimmers at No. 19 in the preseason AP Top 25. 

Mike Elko doesn’t shy away from acknowledging the past but insists this group is different. “We didn’t play the football that we needed to play to finish it,” he said at SEC Media Days. “It’s been our mantra the entire offseason. Mantras don’t turn into wins. But I do believe our kids have a really strong chip on their shoulders to change that story and finish this thing the right way.” With Marcel Reed improving, a deep backfield, and playmakers on both sides, this Aggies team has the pieces to flip the narrative. 

This is about shedding history, defying expectations, and proving that preparation and mindset matter as much as talent. Texas A&M’s 2025 journey will test them at every turn. But if Mike Elko’s words resonate, and the players commit to “attack this thing every day,” the Aggies could finally break the cycle of disappointment and emerge as a true SEC contender.