Texas A&M football hasn’t been ranked in many way too early top 25 rankings coming out of the 2023 campaign due to its 13-12 record during the past two seasons, the well publicized departure of head football coach Jimbo Fisher from College Station, and the exodus of quite a few highly thought of players (from the perspective of their recruiting rankings) from the program via the NCAA transfer portal during the off season. However, new head football coach Mike Elko has managed to sell that there has been a badly needed change of culture in Aggieland and he has added experienced talent since his arrival to not only replace the departed but also perhaps provide even more depth than the Aggies had before. As a result, A&M football appears to be back on the rise as evidenced by the fact that they came in at number 20 in the US LBM 2024 pre season poll per USA Today. 

Under Fisher, A&M was a program that garnered big amounts of publiclity for a declining product on the field due to the fact he recruited extremely well, producing multiple top ten classes per the 247Sports Composite. In addition, those classes resulted in the Aggies being ranked in or near the top five in the 247Sports Team Talent Composite. In particular, the 2022 recruiting class was ranked as the best of all time. However, injuries racked the program during Fisher’s last three seasons, there were off the field issues that played a role in multiple departures after the 2022 season from the class, and Fisher’s offense was criticized as being outdated.

Elko has seemingly restored confidence in what A&M football is doing, getting buy in from the players that remained (as well as those that came in from the transfer portal) in an off season program designed not only to make them bigger but more injury resistant. As a result, A&M expects to be more physical on the field with under the radar players such as former five star quarterback Conner Weigman (injured most of last year) and edge Nic Scourton (who led the Big Ten in sacks in 2023 before transferring to Aggieland). In addition, the Aggies are a more experienced team given the fact that so many of their incoming transfers who are anticiapted to help them this season have at least a season of starting experience under their belts. Finally, the schedule could also help Elko and his team since they get fourth ranked Texas, seventh ranked Notre Dame, 11th ranked Missouri, and 12th ranked LSU at home).

If the Aggies can beat the Irish in their season opener, then this could set the tone for even bigger things such as a College Football Playoff berth (69 coaches voted and all first place votes in parentheses).

1. Georgia (46)
2. Ohio State (7)
3. Oregon
4. Texas (1)
5. Alabama
6. Ole Miss
7. Notre Dame
8. Michigan
9. Penn State
10. Florida State
11. Missouri
12. LSU
13. Utah
14. Clemson
15. Tennessee
16. Oklahoma
17. Kansas State
18. Oklahoma State
19. Miami (FL)
20. Texas A&M
21. Arizona
22. NC State
23. USC
24. Kansas
25. Iowa

Others receiving votes:

Washington (123); Louisville (95); Virginia Tech (64); SMU (47); Memphis (44); Boise State (30); Auburn (25); West Virginia (22); Wisconsin (17); Liberty (15); Iowa State (15); Kentucky (12); Florida (11); South Carolina (10); North Carolina (6); UNLV (5); Maryland (5); UCF (4); Texas Tech (4); UTSA (3); Tulane (2); Texas State (2); Nebraska (2); Colorado (2); Appalachian State (2); Troy (1); Syracuse (1); Miami (OH) (1); James Madison (1); Air Force (1)