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This week, 10 takeaways from Mike Elko's press conference before the start of fall camp:
1. The team is far healthier than it has been in past years.
Elko said Tuesday that defensive end Enai White is still recovering from surgery on his 2023-ending knee injury and won't be ready for the start of camp, but shouldn't miss all of it. Wide receiver Jabre Barber, who broke his foot late in spring practice, is apparently way ahead of schedule and could play in the season opener against Notre Dame. But, for now, he's still out. Tight end Donovan Green, who tore his ACL nearly a year ago, is still being brought along somewhat slowly, but will be out there when practice starts tomorrow.
All in all, that's a pretty good update and a refreshing change from the last half-decade, when A&M has gone into fall camp with multiple key players on the shelf or not 100%. It was also nice not to have to ask Elko for an update and act like it was pulling teeth, unlike some past coaches we know. He started the presser with the injury update.
2. If you want to make an impact, do it fast.
When asked about how long players have to stake a claim to a starting job, Elko indicated they've got about two weeks. Some decisions are clearly already made, but spring practice is also playing a big part in the deliberations. The second scrimmage, which will be a little more than two weeks in, will be the last real shot at making an impact before they start seriously preparing for Notre Dame.
3. There are definitely position battles occurring.
Elko mentioned the ones you'd expect -- center (Koli Faaiu, Mark Nabou and, surprise, Kam Dewberry), right tackle (Deuce Fatheree and Dametrious Crownover) and the entire secondary. That last part may be an overstatement, because Bryce Anderson's going to start and Jaydon Hill looks like he's more than penciled in at nickel, but there's plenty of competition at corner and the other safety spot.
4. No drama about Chase Bisontis' future.
Elko made it clear today that Bisontis is a guard and his time at tackle is over. He started at left guard in the spring, and that's likely where he'll stay. He was named to the Outland Trophy watch list today, and the Outland is given to the nation's top interior lineman. So that settles that.
5. The defensive line is, no surprise, the strength of the team.
With a possible starting four of Shemar Stewart, DJ Hicks, Shemar Turner and Nic Scourton, A&M's defensive line is both really good and pretty deep. Being a defensive coach, Elko clearly sees this group as a weapon.
"We're very strong on the defensive line. I think that's well documented. And so similar to when I was here last time you kind of rely on them to carry the burden," he said.
6. But that doesn't mean he dislikes the secondary.
I asked Elko about the secondary, and he said that he believes they have more versatility and pieces at safety, nickel and corner than any time since Jimbo's arrival in 2018. He had indicated in the spring he wants to play a lot of guys and have them in specific roles, and his answer today sure seemed to confirm that nothing's changed.
"So the thing that excites me is just we have a lot of options, we have a lot of depth, we have a lot of competition, we have a lot of guys that are going to be forced to play at their best level in order to get on the field," he said.
7. The offensive line? That's still a question.
Elko was very direct when asked about the offensive line, which has been an utter disaster the first two seasons. "It would be hard to stand here today and call it a strength, but I think we've made a lot of strides," he said.
A&M probably won't be hemmed in to just playing five offensive linemen. Elko said he's looking for flexibility, which will mean the Aggies aren't "locked in" to only playing five. So the Aggies could have a rotation of seven or eight offensive linemen.
8. The wideout group may surprise people. (In a good way)
One of the questions about the receiver corps has been about the number of guys who are really ready to play. Elko seemed pretty pleased with the group, saying a lot of guys had made noticeable improvement over the summer. He not only mentioned veterans like Noah Thomas and Moose Muhammad, but transfers Cyrus Allen and Jabre Barber. He said former Iowa receiver Jake Bostick and freshmen Ashton Bethel-Roman and Izaiah Williams have also turned heads. If the veterans have improved and the new guys have already flashed, this group may be deeper and more productive than most people are anticipating.
9. O-line issues or not, expectations are high for the offense.
Elko said he expects the offense will be "significantly better" this summer as opposed to the spring as players have had the chance to get used to the Collin Klein's scheme. Elko said it wasn't like making minor adjustments, "it completely shifted gears, 180 degrees."
Those major changes, he indicated, created such a big learning curve that the offense never really found its footing in the spring. That, Elko said, has changed in the summer months.
"(Klein's) gonna bring that excitement to our offense that a lot of Aggie fans have been looking for," he said.
10. The team is bigger and stronger than it was last year.
There's been a lot of discussion about new strength and conditioning coach Tommy Moffitt and the changes he's brought to the program. So Elko was asked directly today if he thought his team was significantly stronger than the one he inherited in January. His response was equally direct.
"Yeah, I do," he replied.
Then there was a pause.
"Do you want me to add to that?"
It was pretty funny, not to mention a pretty firm statement that Elko believes Moffitt's work is making a difference.
