Sep 27, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies wide receiver Mario Craver (1) motions against the Auburn Tigers during the first half at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Transfer Impact: How Texas A&M's 2025 Portal Class Has Made an Instant Splash

Originally posted on Texas A&M Aggies on SI
By Noah Ruiz | Last updated Oct 3, 2025 11:00 AM ET

Quality over quantity is surely the best way to describe how Texas A&M football attacked the transfer portal this past offseason. Taking an internal look at strengths and weaknesses and then addressing them with an evaluation of potential transfer was the way head coach Mike Elko elected to go about the process, and it has proved to be a winning strategy.

Starting on offense, a true downfield threat was more than necessary, so Elko and his staff brought in not one, but two WR1-caliber pass catchers to give quarterback Marcel Reed the power needed to take the top off of the defense.

As for the other side of the ball, help on the defensive line has allowed the Aggies to impose their will on the line of scrimmage, as a handful of defenders have made their presence known when their number has been called.

Country-Wide Talent

Building a championship roster is no longer a one-dimensional undertaking, as the transfer portal presents itself as an avenue to bring in experienced talent and buy them into the culture that is being built.

While some colleges opt to overhaul their rosters with a surplus of new players, other colleges, like A&M, have a system in place that helps them seek out those who best fit the program. For example, the Aggies struggled in explosive pass plays a season ago.

The solution? Bringing the dynamic duo of wide receivers Mario Craver and KC Concepcion to College Station and watching them rack up 817 yards in just 4 games. Therefore, by evaluating two players, assessing their fit, and bringing them in, the Aggies have addressed a 2024 problem with two portal signings. Not to mention the game-winning touchdown against Notre Dame coming down at the hands of Nebraska transfer tight end Nate Boerkircher.

Now on defense, the Maroon and White saw three of their top defenders drafted in the first two days of the 2025 NFL Draft, and needed to fill those gaps. Rather than chasing flashy names and big dollar signs, Elko and his staff landed commitments from the likes of defensive linemen Dayon Hayes and Tyler Onyedim.

The pair has thus far done exactly what they were brought in to do: perform. Onyedim is fifth on the team in total tackles, while Hayes has applied heavy pressure on opposing offensive lines, so much so that he earned his first sack as an Aggie in a game-winning play on Auburn quarterback Jackson Arnold.

While not the basis of building a football program, the portal has been a useful tool in creating the vision Elko has had since he joined the Aggies as head man. And when your 2025 transfers combine for nine total touchdowns and over 40 tackles, you know you're doing something right.

This article first appeared on Texas A&M Aggies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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