Texas A&M's spring season came and went, ending with the annual Maroon & White Game that showcased several newcomers from the transfer portal and the 2026 signing class, while the return of starting quarterback Marcel Reed, who is entering his third and second full starting season, will dictate if the Aggies make it back to the College Football Playoff for the second consecutive season.
This past weekend, Elko's impact after two seasons at College Station was evident in droves during the 2026 NFL Draft, as a record 10 players were selected, including star wide receiver KC Concepcion, who heard his name called with the 24th overall pick by the Cleveland Browns.
Entering his third season at the helm, head coach Mike Elko made several offseason changes to his coaching staff, elevating Holmon Wiggins to offensive coordinator after Collin Klein departed to take over Kansas State, while key assistant Lyle Hemphill takes over as the new defensive coordinator after Jay Bateman left for a lateral position at Kentucky.
While Wiggins has yet to call plays during his coaching career, Mike Elko is expected to continue as the defensive playcaller. However, after losing senior linebacker Daymion Sanford to a lower-body injury, Texas A&M's defense will be challenged in depth, putting more pressure on the coaching staff to come through.
Still, after losing four starting offensive linemen, who were all selected in the draft, Elko and O-line coach Adam Cushing's strategy of mixing up their potential lineups during the spring game should pay off, and after rewatching the Maroon & White Game, run blocking does not look to be an issue after last season's struggles.
Around the rest of the SEC, Texas A&M, nationally regarded as a top 10-ranked preseason team, should be considered one of the better teams in the conference, but after losing substantial starting production on both sides of the ball, That SEC Podcast feels the Aggies are the fifth-best team behind Ole Miss, Texas, Oklahoma, and Georgia after the spring season.
The fact that Texas isn't No. 1 and ranked below Oklahoma has and will continue to cause some anger, but given that Texas A&M's spring game was televised, it's hard to analyze the Longhorns, despite fielding one of the most talented rosters in the country.
SEC Football Power Rankings Post-Spring pic.twitter.com/N5bEck515o
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M ranked No. 5 in post-spring SEC Football Power Rankings