When Mike Elko was hired, there was a petition by some Texas A&M fans for former 2012 Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel to be his offensive coordinator.
While Elko didn't pluck the former A&M star to call plays on offense, he did hire a quarterback who shared the spotlight with him briefly in New York City back in 2012.
The Aggies are hiring Kansas State's Collin Klein for the offensive coordinator position, according to multiple reports. He'll replace Bobby Petrino, who spent one season at A&M before electing to leave for the same position at Arkansas.
Klein, 34, had emerged as one of the nation's top young playcallers after taking over as the Wildcats' offensive coordinator in 2022. A former quarterback for the Wildcats, Klein finished third in Heisman voting behind Manziel and Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o after throwing for 2,490 yards, rushing 890 yards and totaling 37 touchdowns.
Outside of a one-year stay at Northern Iowa, Klein has spent almost his entire career at his alma mater, serving as quarterbacks coach and becoming the team's sole play-caller before the 2022 season under coach Chris Klieman. Last season, Klein's play-calling led the Wildcats to their first Big 12 title since 2003.
Kansas State currently ranks 10th nationally in scoring offense (37.8 points per game) and 23rd nationally in total offense (446.4 yards per game). Klein was influential in the development of mobile quarterbacks Skylar Thompson and Will Howard. He also was a key factor in landing the commitment of five-star quarterback recruit Avery Johnson.
The hiring of Klein is monumental for Elko as he looks to build a staff that can compete in the SEC come 2024. A defensive mastermind, Elko knew from the jump that hiring an offensive coordinator would be the 'million dollar question' of the offseason in College Station.
"What I tell people is this — we’re going to find a way to be explosive on offense. We’re going to be a part of the modern era, and we’re going to be able to switch up tempos," said Elko last month at his introductory press conference. "In this day and age you’ve got to be very multiple and very adaptable in what you do on offense. People get caught up in words … that we’ve got to be ‘spread’ or we’ve got to be ‘pro-style.’
“At the end of the day we’ve got to be a group that knows how to attack defenses, get the ball in our playmakers’ hands and allow them to be successful.”
Klein won't be walking into Aggieland without an answer at the game's most important position. Sophomore quarterback Conner Weigman isn't expected to enter the transfer portal despite the staff change. Weigman, who started the first five games for the Aggies in 2023 before a season-ending injury, looks to retain the starting job next fall.
Last season, Weigman completed 68.9 percent of his passes with eight touchdowns and two interceptions during that time. The former five-star prospect also flashed some mobility skills and attentiveness to maneuver outside the pocket when under pressure.
Redshirt sophomore Jaylen Henderson and freshman Marcel Reed are also not expected to leave the program as of this time. The Aggies could inquire about adding a passer via the portal under Elko following Max Johnson's departure to North Carolina.
Elko is still searching for a defensive coordinator, though Duke's Tyler Santucci is an early favorite. A longtime assistant to Elko, Santucci coached linebackers at A&M from 2020-22 before being promoted to the Blue Devils DC position in 2023.
A&M will close out the regular season at NRG Stadium in Houston for the TaxAct Texas Bowl against No. 20 Oklahoma State on Dec. 27 at 8 p.m. Aggies interim coach Elijah Robinson will coach the bowl game despite being named Syracuse’s new defensive coordinator earlier this week.
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