Everything Texas A&M HC Mike Elko said at the Dallas A&M Club

Entering his third year at the helm, Texas A&M coach Mike Elko, like every college football coach at this point of the offseason, was in a good mood during the first Coach's Night of the season at the Dallas A&M Club on Wednesday night, excited to discuss his newly formed 2026 roster just weeks after the conclusion of the spring season.

However, just minutes before halftime of the Maroon & White Game, senior linebacker Daymion Sanford, one of the most important starters on the roster, suffered a brutal lower-body injury that will keep him sidelined for what many expect to be the first half of the 2026 season. While A&M isn't the only team facing early offseason adversity, Elko and his staff remain confident they have the depth to get through this hurdle.

Like last offseason, the expectations remain high, but the Aggies are not receiving much early national attention, flying under the radar compared to rival Texas, which Elko enjoys. Still, with redshirt junior quarterback Marcel Reed returning for his all-important second full starting season, plenty of pressure lies on the Tennessee native's shoulders to lead the Aggie offense back to the College Football Playoff.

After making several coaching elevations, including WR coach Holmon Wiggins becoming the new offensive coordinator, Lyle Hemphill taking over as the new defensive coordinator, and offensive analyst Joey Lynch now serving as quarterbacks coach, Mike Elko is hoping that the trust he's instilled in his coaching staff pays off.

For the first time this summer, here is everything Mike Elko had to say during his appearance at the Dallas A&M Club.

Mike Elko discusses Daymion Sanford's injury

"I'm not going to get into the Daymion Sanford injury. I know that's the elephant in the room a little bit. We're confident that we're going to get Daymion back playing really, really good football this fall. But it's way too early in the process for us to be able to put that down at any level that we want to. But I know a lot of people were praying for him coming out of the spring game. Please continue to do so. We're hopeful that that recovery goes and the rehab goes the way that we think it can, because if it does, I think he'll be able to have a really strong year for us."