SEC Network Analyst Has Harsh Words for Texas A&M Assistant Coach

Offensive coordinator Collin Klein and the entire Texas A&M offensive staff were in a tough spot last season.

They went from having a Heisman trophy candidate in pure pocket passer Conner Weigman and planning the offense around him to scheming around dual-threat young gun Marcel Reed. The variability between the two created a scouting nightmare, both for other teams and the Aggies alike.

Former Auburn center and current sports analyst Cole Cubelic discussed Klein’s 2024 performance and what he needs to improve heading into year two of the Elko era Thursday on The Paul Finebaum Show.

Cole Cubelic’s Comments

Klein is heading into year two of being the offensive coordinator at one of the biggest programs in the country, in arguably the toughest conference in all of college football.

“I think Colin Klein has got to grow a little bit,” Cubelic said. “There were times last year where A&M’s running the football and then, all of a sudden, they’re turning into an air-raid, spread-it-out, throw-it-around offense. And hearing Mike Elko discuss some of the things he wants to get back to defensively, I think, is going to make that group a little more sound, a little less high-risk.”

The Aggies’ run game is enough to make any offensive coordinator lick their chops. Texas A&M is returning every major contributor on the offensive line, last year’s two-headed snake in running back Le’Veon Moss and Amari Daniels and is gaining potential superstar Rueben Owens back from injury. On the ground, the Fightin’ Farmers accumulated 2,541 yards and 27 touchdowns and secured the second-best rushing attack in the SEC.

In today’s environment of college football, it is very enticing to air it out, especially when you land players like KC Concepcion and Mario Craver in the transfer portal. Klein could very well stretch the field early on, trying to feel out his new weapons in the wide receiver room. He just has to be careful about abandoning the sleeping giant he has in the Aggies’ run game.

Before getting into coaching, Klein was a quarterback at Kansas State from 2008-12. He was a Heisman finalist his final season, and ironically finished third in the voting, losing to none other than Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel.

Upon graduation, Klein played one season in the Canadian Football League with the Montreal Allouettes before moving into coaching at his alma mater. Klein worked his way up the coaching ranks before being named the offensive coordinator in 2022. He joined the Aggies when Elko came to town in the same position.