AggieYell Mailbag
It’s time for the first mailbag of 2026, so let’s get to it!
Q: I don’t think we need to even attempt landing a QB from the portal. Agree or disagree? (H273)
A: Disagree, but when you asked the question the answer might have been different. I had anticipated Miles O’Neill would go in the portal since the Samford game (and, honestly, before that). But this won’t be a real easy move to make. Marcel Reed is the unquestioned starter, and his past history with Joey Lynch from back in high school is one of the reasons Lynch is now the quarterbacks coach. So the high-caliber guys won’t come to A&M because they won’t have a shot at starting, so they’re looking for someone with starting experience who is ok with not starting. Not the easiest of tasks, but they probably need someone with some experience under his belt to buy some more time for Brady Hart.
Q: Before this season Elko said he expects double digit Ags in the 2026 draft. I don’t think we’re still expecting that, but how many would you bet on?
A: Good question. Let’s assume, for the sake of this argument, that Taurean York and Chase Bisontis both decide to stay for their senior seasons. Then the players I think will be drafted are:
And Nate Boerkircher.
I could see Amari Daniels, Deuce Fatheree, Dayon Hayes and Tyreek Chappell getting a shot too. So yeah, they could still go for double digits in this draft, with some guys we probably weren’t expecting before the season started.
there’s always a couple Cassius Howells who get labeled as 3 star transfer prospects who eventually have All American worthy seasons. Who do you think could be those players in the 2026 portal? (dP47)
Colorado CB D.J. McKinney hasn’t gotten a transfer ranking yet, but he was a 3-star out of high school. He’s already out-performed that. Pitt’s Shawn Lee was a 3-star defensive back out of high school but was a freshman All-American this year before going in the portal. But here’s the best example I’ve found so far who could really make an impact at a higher level: Mekhai Smith, a safety from Lehigh. He’s 6-foot-2, 210 pounds and had 56 tackles and 4 interceptions this year. That caught my attention right off the bat.
Q: What position group do you think needs to improve the most headed to next season? (Chtow1)
A: Compared to what they have now? Offensive line. They need a lot up front.
Q: I know more funds for both staff and NIL purposes were included in Elko’s new contract. My question is where that new money is coming from, and was it always there but not, “available” until the decision makers saw improvement in the product on the field? How does that work? (Shanehammett12)
A: If you mean like A&M had a slush fund that they just weren’t tapping into until Elko showed big progress, no. It’s nothing like that. They had more money come in through A&M’s NIL mechanism and some big donors stepped up. It’s a much more straightforward process than it may seem.
Q: What kind of guy would you personally want for QB coach? On older experienced guy who has seen everything? Or a younger guy on the rise full of ambition and promise? Then, what kind of guy does Elko want?
A: I would personally want a younger guy who was a teacher but knows how to talk to today’s players. Elko kind of split the difference with Joey Lynch, as he’s pretty young (42) but has experience as a coordinator in the SEC and has been nominated for the Broyles Award a few years back.
Would you like to find a high performing QB to go alongside Reed for competition or injury? Or do you think that would cause more problems in the room than it would help? (Boo yah)
I don’t think what I’d do matters a lick. A&M’s made it clear they’re sticking with Reed and no big name quarterback is going to go somewhere without a concrete guarantee of a starting job (or a ton of money). I don’t think the Aggies want the potential disruption of another big name strolling in and thinking he’s going to take Reed’s job, because Reed has become a team leader.
Q: When do you think you’ll have an idea of what Aggie football will look like for next year?
Coaches and players alike. (Spar2cus)
A: The last week of training camp we get to see. Not before.
Q: In recent years how well do top end portal transfers translate to production the following year? Coleman will finish as one of the top rated transfers in this cycle – does that type of player typically have a good next season?
A: There are more examples of guys succeeding than failing. KC is an obvious example. Zion Branch at Georgia, who came over from USC, is another. Mansoor Delane went from Virginia Tech to LSU and made himself into a star. And, of course, Joey Aguilar but up huge numbers at Tennessee after being bumped for Nico Iamaleava (snicker).
Also, happy New Year! Do you have any plans/traditions? (RoosterTAMU)
I stay up long enough to flip off the previous year, tell it to go to hell and then go to sleep.
Q: Can you give us a couple names that are potential game changers at DT and DE? (SteveAllen)
A: There have been a lot of guys going in the last few hours that intrigue me. At DE, John Henry Daley may follow his coach to Michigan or head from Utah to BYU, but I’d definitely inquire. He put up massive numbers this year. Jayden Woods of Florida is someone A&M has not-so-subtly expressed interest in. London Merritt had a fantastic freshman season at Colorado, so he could be a long-term solution.
At DT, a guy who could fill the of experienced senior is Mateen Ibirogba of Wake Forest, who had 21 tackles, 3.5 TFL and 2 sacks. Eamon Smalls of UAB was killing opponents last season, racking up 50 tackles 3.5 TFL and a sack. He’s 6-foot-2 and 310 pounds, so he’s got the bulk they need. John Walker of UCF is a rising junior, and he had 40 tackles, 3 TFL and a sack last season. Those are a few guy that could be interesting.
Q: What are the strengths and weaknesses of the young QBs (Hart, Morcos and Casuga)? Which one is best suited for the type of offense Elko wants to have?
A: As far as offenses go, it’s adjustable. But Hart would be the guy I’d take of the three right now.
Hart’s strengths are his arm, decision-making accuracy. Morcos has a strong arm as well, but he’s also very mobile. He’s easily the best making decisions on the move.
Casuga has a big arm, he’s got some mobility but he’s obviously not experienced at the college level. But a Hart vs. Casuga QB derby next year will be fascinating.
How many WRs do you think A&M will take from the portal? (Ag20)
A couple big names if they can pull it off.
Q: We have recruited some very good talent in the last 5-6 cycles, yet, Elko doesn’t seem to trust that talent. I mean we have been in the top 5 of the blue chip index for the last few years. He seems to like to hit the portal very hard. Why? Does he not trust his staff’s ability to develop players? (Aggdoc)
A: To the contrary — he absolutely trusts his staff’s ability to develop players. But how long does it take to develop them? Are you comfortable with a left tackle, right guard and right tackle with no career starts? I’m not. At defensive end, their depth chart is currently populated with true freshmen, which is not a good idea in the SEC. You’ve got to give these guys some time to develop. Lamont Rogers needs another year of muscling up. You can’t throw true freshmen out there against veteran tackles and expect to consistently stop the run. The idea with most portal guys is to give the younger players a chance to really develop, so when the moment comes, they’re ready for what they’re going to face — physically and mentally.
Q: How far away are we from having elite talent? Miami was more talented, the PFF scores had them with the top 7 players on the field, and frankly, their squad was more talented. How far are we from having a top-5 talent level roster? (BC93)
A: With this class, they may have elite level talent. What they haven’t had is time to develop said talent. They’re well on their way, and the 2027 class may be awesome (It’s sure starting out that way). I like what they have now at most places, they just need some experience. That’s why the portal is so important.
Q: Do you think ESPN will try to eliminate the cupcake playoff games? James Madison made it semi-respectable, but they were clearly outmatched before I lost interest and changed the channel and Ole Miss trounced Tulane for the second time THIS YEAR. Seems like advertisers would want better competition in playoff games. (Darterbury1310)
A: It depends on whether they can come to an agreement with the power four conferences. If they do and find a format that works, maybe they do. But I think it’s more likely that we see something like this again.
Q: Do teams reserve a few roster spots for potential transfers from CFP teams that are still playing when the portal opens? Seems like a disadvantage to players wanting to portal who go far in the playoffs since they’re late to the party and the market has mostly been set. (RoosterTAMU)
A: Some will, for sure. I think that most guys who are going to get into the portal will make their attentions known through their agents or some other third party.
Q: Love to see the PFF grades for our 2025 oline vs some of our best guesses on oline targets. (Navigator1)
A: Can’t help you on that one. On3 did not reach an agreement with PFF this year, so we didn’t use them.
Q: Your prediction for MBB SEC W/L record? (Oldarmy72)
A: It’s really tough to tell, because for some teams the non-conference doesn’t tell you anything. At least A&M played three ACC teams in a row (and beat two of them — the two worst teams in the conference). But it’s pretty simple with this team: there are games when they’re going to outshoot the other guys and some games where they won’t. So let’s give them a .500 record in conference, which would be pretty good for a first year.
Q: Any player(s) you think or have heard have entered portal to negotiate ”better” deal with their current school versus leaving? A&M or otherwise…. (Maroon Saloon)
A: Go look at the players in the portal and 80% of them are about money. Probably a third of them are willing to go back if the money’s right.
Q: 1. You said you like Edwards challenging the depth chart at RB. Any other fish you have similar thoughts about?
A: Barring a big splash at receiver, I like Aaron Gregory’s chances to play fast. I also really like DE Bryce Perry-Wright, but he may need to muscle up some. Tristian Givens, on the other hand, could play at JACK right now. And, if he’s what we all think he is, Brandon Arrington may be out there fast.
2. What position group do you feel best about?
Running back, receiver (splash or not) and linebacker. But, after all this is done, corner may be the best and deepest group.
3. Favorite coaching hire? (Man, I put you on the spot, am I gonna get moderator speak?)
Easy — Elijah Robinson. He is where he should have been to begin with. He’s a good technician and a great recruiter, so he makes A&M significantly better with his presence.
4. For recruiting, where do the hires help the most geographically?
Robinson can go anywhere, but he is unique in his ability to recruit the northeast. Travis Williams has a lot of experience in the deep South, particularly Florida.
5. Other than 7 or 9, (guys out of eligibility) who’s the one guy you personally would’ve picked to stay if you could? (Me_JustAvgIllini)
8. When Le’Veon Moss was healthy, he was an absolute difference maker. He clearly wasn’t in the playoff, but when he was right he was a monster. Sadly, we didn’t see that a lot.
Q: Who makes the decision on how much NIL money we are willing to pony up to not waste next year? And how is a fan base? Can we be confident that they’ll do so? (Rred)
A: It’s probably a consortium of the collective (Texas Aggies United), the AD and Elko. And how can you be confident they’ll spend the money? Easy. If they don’t they won’t get it again. If you ignore toys you get at Christmas, mom and dad notice and you don’t get those anymore.
Q: Give use a rundown on the coaching staff for 2026! (DentonAg80)
A: Still need a corners coach.
OC: Holmon Wiggins
QB: Joey Lynch
RB: Trooper Taylor
TE: Derek Shay
OL: Adam Cushing
WR: John Perry
This is a veteran group. Wiggins gets his first shot at being an OC, but he’s served under some good ones and hopefully he’ll bring a few new wrinkles. Taylor’s a crack recruiter. Shay has been around the Southeast and the SEC specifically. He’s a teacher. Cushing is as good as they come. Perry was an NFL receivers coach with the Texans under Bill O’Brien, where he coached Deandre Hopkins, and he’s one of the reasons KC and Mario Craver were so good last year.
DC: Lyle Hemphill
DL: Elijah Robinson/Tony Jerod-Eddie
LB: Travis Williams
S: Hemphill
CB: TBD (Ish Aristide assisted Jordan Peterson the last two years)
Nickels: Bryant Gross-Armiento
Special Teams: Patrick Dougherty
I’m excited to see what Hemphill brings, because he was really good in his previous stops as the sole DC. Williams, being just a linebackers coach, should be a boost. The combination of E-Rob and TJE up front is a great one.
Overall, I see a lot of continuity. Some people may not like that, but the guys who were promoted have already proven their value and they know how to reach this group of players. Whether it’ll be an improvement over last year is clearly an unknown, but they’ve got some really good recruiters and really good technicians.
