With a new coach, a new athletic director, and a new contract for uniforms set in place, the Texas A&M Aggies are certainly ready to go for the 2024 football season.
It's a statement that — after the collapse of last season — many fans have been waiting on, though arguably none more than the Aggies' new sideline leader, Mike Elko. The former Texas A&M defensive coordinator and Duke Blue Devils head coach expressed his excitement for next season in a recent interview, most notably touching on his desire to embrace his new team's culture.
“We’ve got to get back to being Aggies," Elko said. "We’ve got to get back to putting our hearts and souls on display each and every Saturday. We represent the best university and best fan base in the world, and we have to do that the right way every Saturday.”
In order to do that, the Aggies will need to ensure they're playing full games. As simple as it sounds, being competitive for 60 minutes is much more difficult than it appears. But it is doable.
In fact, according to CBS Sports analyst Josh Pate, it's especially doable for Texas A&M.
"Texas A&M has all the light bulbs installed," Pate said on a recent episode of Late Kick Live. "Texas A&M has everything that possibly needs to be plugged in. They just need the switch flipped."
How true is Pate's statement?
Well, the Aggies will hopefully be getting back a healthy Conner Weigman, who played just four games last season before going down with an injury. On top of that, they've transferred in ample talent on both sides of the ball — at least five starters worth — and retain a solid number of offensive weapons.
Players like Micah Tease, Le'Veon Moss, Noah Thomas are notable names on offense, while Shemar Turner, Tyreek Chappell and Taurean York are familiar defensive assets. So, it seems as if the Aggies won't have to be starting fresh.
And if their weapons are enough to make them competitive in a loaded Southeastern Conference, then they'll certainly need to prove it.
Or, according to Pate, they just need to flip a switch.
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