One analyst believes Texas A&M's struggles fall '100%' on Mike Elko
Sports analyst Aaron Torres believes that third-year coach Mike Elko's offseason decisions have directly led to Texas A&M's struggles.
Texas A&M's 2026 season has taken a dramatic turn for the worse, following two road losses to Kentucky and LSU by double-digits, causing them to sit at 2-2 overall and 0-2 in SEC play. The departure from the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history seems to have been marred by questionable offseason moves by third-year coach Mike Elko, particularly as their poor performance continues to mount.
The Aggies were not only defeated in an SEC road game, a scenario common to most teams, but were utterly dominated on both sides of the ball, with starting quarterback Marcel Reed throwing for a career-low 106 yards and zero touchdowns, and the defense being outmatched by LSU's Sam Leavitt, who despite being injured, passed for 312 yards and two touchdowns.
The Aggie defense allowed 125 yards and a touchdown to star cornerback Dezz Ricks, who had an impressive start to the year. While some fans may view this season as a total loss, one analyst, Aaron Torres, has firmly placed the blame on Elko, attributing 100% of the team's struggles to his decisions. Torres argued that elevating wide receiver coach Holmon Wiggins to the role of offensive coordinator/play-caller has been detrimental to the team's performance.
While Wiggins has shown ability in getting receivers open in space, the scheme used, compared to former OC and current Kansas State coach Collin Klein, is falling short. Texas A&M's offense currently ranks last nationally in explosive plays, suggesting that the changes made in the offseason, including Elko's decision to trust Wiggins with play-calling despite his lack of experience, have led to the disappointing results that fans have witnessed this season.
Torre's sentiment, shared via the Aaron Torres Podcast, is clear: while he supports Elko, the combination of the wrong quarterback and offensive coordinator in the demanding environment of an SEC program in 2026 has proved to be an inexcusable gamble, and according to Torres, it falls entirely on Elko.
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