Coach Mike Elko's first season at Texas A&M saw improvement in team culture and off-field chemistry, but on-field results fell short. The Aggies' disappointing end to the season, including a loss in the bowl game, has led to the departure of key receiver Noah Thomas, raising questions about the team's future.
Standing in a Sin City locker room wishing what had just unfolded would, in fact, stay in Las Vegas, Mike Elko faced the reality of his situation head-on.Taking over the Texas A&M football program was a daunting task. That he knew. In fact, his predecessor of less than a day was before even stepping foot in College Station and the one before him was paid tens of millions of dollars to leave the state. That wasn't going to be him.
But after one season at the helm, his Aggies stood sweaty and defeated with a record no better than ones of years past — those, too resulted in firings — and it seemed there was a reason why: According to the coach, the Aggies had learned to be accountable. To care for one another. They learned to practice hard, have a strong work ethic and how to be a team. That much did wonders for the off-field chemistry of the roster and the overall culture in Aggieland. But what eluded them was the product they placed on the field. After starting 6-0 and perfect in SEC play, Texas A&M failed to win its final three conference matchups, meaning that — save for an expected tune-up victory over New Mexico State — its last meaningful win came in October. And then the news arrived. Noah Thomas, the expected No. 1 option for next year's Aggies in Year 2 of the Elko era, was leaving after he, not four days prior, sat next to his coach fielding questions about the bowl loss in preparation for what was ahead. 'We really wanted this one,' Thomas said. 'We really wanted this to be the first win of next season.' Did the loss push him over the edge? After all, he'd given no indication of being disgruntled and the Aggies were expected to welcome several other receiving weapons via the transfer portal to make for one of the nation's strongest corpsYes, Elko has played this game before
TEXAS A&M FOOTBALL MIKE ELKO NOAH THOMAS TRANSFER
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