During his time in behind the microphone at SEC Media Days, Fisher repeatedly stressed the need for the Aggies to develop a mentality of excellence if they were to take the next step in their maturation and reach the top of the SEC.

"The greatest quote I’ve ever heard in my life was someone asked Michael Jordan, 'Why are you so good, what do you do differently at the end of the game?' He said, 'I don’t. I do the same things I did in practice, everyone else changes. Because every day I practice like it’s for the NBA Championship.' You have to have a championship mentality in everything you do. Who we are is who our habits say we are. Don’t think like a great player; think like a champion."

Fisher said the Aggies bought in to this approach in 2018, but it really took off after A&M won its final three games of the regular season and blew out North Carolina State in the Gator Bowl. The mindset only strengthened during spring practice.

"The biggest thing I love about our offseason I think is our psychological disposition about how to go about things and the way our players are approaching it," he said. "The guys grind physically, but do they grind mentally? It’s going to come to three, four, five plays in a game that you have to execute. They’re learning how to practice and prepare that way, but to have that expectation of winning, not hoping to win, but expecting to win."

One player who has had his confidence increase markedly is quarterback Kellen Mond, who ended his first season in Fisher's complex offense with more than 3,100 passing yards and 25 TDs. After a year in the system, Fisher sees Mond as more disciplined, a better student of the game and increasingly comfortable in his role.

"You take Algebra 1. Algebra doesn't change, but Algebra 2 gets more complicated. You just keep adding more to the formula as you go.That's where he's getting to," Fisher said of Mond. "He's been really fun the way he -- he understands he has to be a student of the game, and I think that's the most fun we have. He works his tail off. Nobody works any harder, but he also works in the film room, too. You know from the conversations you had with him, the questions he asked you, it's starting to be really fun. He's being able to use all of the resources around him."

Even though Trayveon Williams left for early for the NFL and the Aggies need to settle on the makeup of their offensive line, Fisher believes Mond will be supported by a solid rushing attack in 2019.

"That young freshman last year we had, Jashaun Corbin. He's a very talented guy. He can catch it, run with powers, speed, agility," Fisher said. "Again, Trayveon is the guy -- you are talking about a guy that is third in the country that lead the SEC in rushes over 1700 yards. I mean, to say, you don't ever replace those guys. That's a standard which is set. I think Jashaun is a hard worker. I think behind that with Kibodi as a tailback and Prince and those guys, we have a great group of guys, Cordarrian Richardson, Isaiah Spiller coming in. We like our backs more where we are at now."

The Aggie defense improved markedly under Mike Elko in 2018, then saw Temple and other programs attempt to lure him away with their head coaching job. With the combination of quality players on campus and in the 2020 recruiting class -- along with a sizable pay raise -- Fisher now believes Elko is securely at A&M for the time being.

"I don't think the task to keep him on board is that tough because I think you look at A&M and what we have and what we're building and the players we have coming, and he knows what the future of this program is going to be, and Mike wants to do that for sure," he said. "He's a big part of it because Mike's one of the best defensive coordinators in college football. This guy does a great job. Knows how to play the run pass, knows all the different things. Our kids love him. He's a hard worker. Philosophically, he and I believe a lot of the same things when we're going in and now we've adapted that to how we want to do things and how I want things done, and he is a total team guy. He gets it."

The Aggie defensive front loses starters Landis Durham, Kingsley Keke and Daylon Mack, but Fisher believes the group will be very good in 2019 as replacements enter the lineup around Justin Madubuike.

"I was very comfortable with our defensive front in spring football. I thought those guys really emerged. Madubuike, of course, had a tremendous year last year and I think he's in that same mold coming on, and he has to take another step. He seems to be doing that now. Micheal Clemons coming back, Trey -- Bobby Brown, inside, man, he is really developing. Peevy, man, Jayden Peevy, he is really emerging, Tyree (Johnson) is emerging," he said. "They can burst, they can get by you on both sides. And to have guys inside that can inside rush and outside rush and outside rush, I think they'll be very good this year."

The linebackers will also have a new look, building behind likely new starters Buddy Johnson and Anthony Hines. After having three scholarship linebackers for most of 2018, the Aggies now have a great deal more depth across the board.

"It's great getting (Ikenna) Okeke and Anthony Hines back in that mix. They'll be there in the summer. But Buddy Johnson did a heck of a job last year. He moved into the middle in the bowl game and had 8, 9, 10 tackles, something like that. Andre White is in that group, so the experience of those guys and the front up there -- Anthony Hines is experienced and was doing really until he got injured. So we feel confident in what we have and the guys coming in," Fisher said.

A&M has arguably the toughest schedule in the nation, playing four of the top 10 teams in the nation in Clemson, Alabama, Georgia and LSU. It's a challenge Fisher has clearly heard plenty about, but isn't shying away from.

"It is what it is. I mean, you either embrace it or you run from it. If a dog don't bite when he's a puppy, he's not gonna bite when he's a dog. When things get going, you know what you're going to face. I think it makes for a better offseason. And it makes for great opportunity," he said.

With the Aggies starting to match the likes of Alabama, LSU and Georgia in talent, each team will be looking for an edge. Fisher believes the mental approach will end up making the difference.

"The edge is going to come from how you play, and expecting to win. The edge is going to be finding out what you do on Saturday afternoon, how you prepare and how you embrace the challenges and things and understanding that good things will happen and bad things will happen, but you have to persevere through that," he said. "The team that has the strongest mental disposition will be the one that comes out on top."