History isn’t slowing down in College Station. Mike Elko and his team are finding new ways to keep it going. First, they entered the playoffs for the first time since 1992 after starting 11-0. Now, they’re setting records by sending the most players in school history to the NFL Combine. But with this achievement, there’s also a concern hanging over Elko’s shoulders.

“I’m happy for our guys and excited for the representation of Texas A&M, but I’m also wondering how we’ll fix it next year with losing all these guys,” Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko said to NFL Network.

The NFL Combine kicked off on February 26, 2026, and Texas A&M made headlines by sending 13 players to the scouting combine. This is the largest group of players any team sent in 2026, surpassing teams like Indiana, Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio State. That feat certainly brings confidence and excitement, but it also creates fear about replicating the same production on the field without the standout players.

One player whose NFL move will leave a major impact on Texas A&M is defensive end Cashius Howell. This guy drew most of the attention after recording 11 sacks, 14 tackles for loss, and 41 pressures last season, which even earned him SEC Defensive Player of the Year and All-American honors. His production projects him as a first-round pick in 2026, which would make him the fourth Aggie selected in the first round over the last 10 drafts.

Then the list includes other star players too, starting from wide receiver KC Concepcion, LB Taurean York, RB Le’Veon Moss, OLs Chase Bisontis, Trey Zuhn III, Dametrious Crownover, Ar’maj Reed-Adams, TE Nate Boerkircher, DB Will Lee III, DL Tyler Onyedim, DL Albert Regis, and LB Scooby Williams.

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Well, even with that concern, Mike Elko’s coaching style and locker room vision will shape players into their best forms.

“What Elko always kept telling us was that it’s a culture, it’s a brotherhood, and he was going to change the trajectory of the program,” Aggies DL Albert Regis said. “Then that next offseason, we just focused on finishing because that’s what we lacked. Finishing games, finishing everything we did. We ended up becoming an even tighter brotherhood, and it ended up showing this previous season.”

With new players coming in, Mike Elko will continue shaping players with an NFL mindset and prepare them to be pro-ready. But with that, he is also leaving former players filled with emotion.

Mike Elko’s gesture leaves his players filled with emotion

For most coaches, bidding goodbye to their star player is a tough task, but when Mike Elko’s linebacker, Taurean York, made his NFL move, no one was more satisfied and happy than Elko. He wished him all the luck and even asked him to return in the future to help them coach. This request shows how deep their bond actually is.

York later talks about the moment, telling how Mike Elko’s move made it very easy for him to leave.

“That’s my right hand, man. I’m looking forward to catching up with him tomorrow,” Taurean York, ex-LB, said. “The only thing he told me when I brought it to him that I was leaving was, ‘Just make sure you come back and coach for me.’ So that’s probably the easiest part about this whole conversation.”

Well, Mike Elko’s request makes sense, too, especially looking at his elite production. Last season, he led the team in tackles, recording 72 tackles, earning third-team All-SEC honors. Because of this, he is also projected as the fourth-best linebacker in the NFL draft, with a PFF grading of 83.6 for his total defense and 74 for run defense. For Elko, York’s hard work is something that stood out the most.

“From a preparation standpoint, he’s unlike anybody that I’ve ever been around,” Elko said. “He’s as good as I’ve ever seen in terms of his film study, his quality of preparation, and his ability to watch tape and process through ‘Here’s a call, here are my reads, here’s what I’m seeing’ as opposed to just watching tape.”

So, now let’s wait and see how York’s future turns out in the NFL.