Texas A&M's Houston-Influenced Recruiting Class Focuses on Values Over NIL

BOOK AWAY GAME TRAVEL NOW!
Flights | Hotels | Vacation Rentals | Rental Cars | Experiences

In the ever-evolving world of college football, the NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) era has brought some wild new twists to recruiting. Even with all the talk about money, Texas A&M’s head coach Mike Elko keeps pointing to personal relationships and cultural fit as the real difference-makers.

He’s managed to put together a top-10 recruiting class by focusing on athletes who actually care about more than just the biggest check. It’s a bit of a throwback approach, and honestly, it’s kind of refreshing.

Table of Contents

Building a Culture Beyond Dollars

Mike Elko isn’t shy about his views in this NIL age. Sure, financial incentives matter, but he’s convinced that most recruits and their families are still looking for the right fit and real connections.

That’s the foundation for a program that’s built to last. Elko’s way of doing things comes down to a few big ideas:

Personal Relationships: For Elko, recruiting is all about honest connections and respect that goes both ways.
Cultural Fit: He wants players who pick Texas A&M because of its values and the sense of community—not just for the NIL perks.
Long-term Vision: The goal is to create a culture that sticks, built on substance and relationships, not just hype.

Top-10 Recruiting Class

This philosophy seems to be working. Texas A&M landed a top-10 recruiting class nationally, according to On3.

The group includes 28 new Aggies from 10 different states, and some of them really stand out:

Brandon Arrington: A five-star safety who once broke a 200-meter record held by Olympic sprinter Noah Lyles. Not too shabby.
KJ Edwards: The offensive engine behind Carthage’s playoff run.
Qui Beck: The defensive anchor for that same Carthage squad.

Focus on Multi-Sport Recruits

Elko has a soft spot for multi-sport athletes, especially those from Houston. He’s convinced they bring something extra—maybe it’s that competitive edge or just a broader skill set.

A couple of names worth mentioning:

Avery Morcho: At 6-foot-6 from Ridge Point, he’s pegged as a future offensive tackle.
KK Johnson: A quarterback out of Fort Bend Marshall, but most likely headed for tight end at A&M.

Importance of Houston

Houston’s always been a huge recruiting spot for Texas A&M. Elko doesn’t hide it either: Houston has always been really important to Texas A&M. It will continue to be important to Texas A&M.

National Reach

But it’s not just about Texas. Elko and his staff have pulled talent from all over the country.

Here are a few examples:

California: Defensive lineman Samu Moala.
Georgia: Defensive lineman Bryce Perry-Wright.
Ohio: Cornerback Vic Singleton.

Legacy Recruits

Some recruits grew up surrounded by Aggie pride—maroon everywhere, probably even on the dog’s collar. These legacy kids mean a lot to the program:

Mike Brown: Son of Reggie Brown (a Wrecking Crew-era star and first-round pick) and Kerrie Patterson-Brown, who played women’s basketball for the Aggies.
Hunter McKinney: Son of Steve McKinney, who played at A&M and then with the Texans.

The Transfer Portal

Elko hasn’t ignored the transfer portal, either. He brought in 22 scholarship players during the January 2024 window, and 20 of them were full-time starters at their old schools.

Still, he admits you can’t just build a program on transfers. High school recruiting’s got to stay at the heart of it all—there’s really no way around that.

Shaping the Program

Elko sees the current landscape as a real chance to shape the program in his own way. He says, *If you want to build a transactional program that is only about money, you can.*

*If you want to build a program that’s very transient, you can.* But he adds, *I also think if you want to build a program that’s built in substance and built in relationships, you can, and I think that’s what we’re trying to do here at Texas A&M.*

For more details on Texas A&M’s recruiting strategy and Mike Elko’s philosophy, you can read the full article on the Houston Chronicle’s website here.

Joe Hughes is the founder of CollegeNetWorth.com, a comprehensive resource on college athletes' earnings potential in the NIL era. Combining his passion for sports with expertise in collegiate athletics, Joe provides valuable insights for athletes, fans, and institutions navigating this new landscape.

Additional Reading: