Turning over a new leaf in any football program is difficult. Texas A&M has possibly done the deed according to new head coach Mike Elko and the rest of his appointed team leaders.
“We have been able to blend together these past couple of months, working hard and competing against each other in the weight room and on the field,” junior LG Trey Zuhn said. “We are making each other better and ourselves.”
Zuhn is a key piece to Elko’s chessboard of skilled athletes and leaders, returning for his fourth season at a pivotal spot on an offensive line that has struggled in past years. Zuhn has witnessed his fair share of quarterback injuries to sophomore Conner Weigman, junior Jaylen Henderson and senior Max Johnson.
“We need to work harder and make sure the guy behind us, whoever it [may be], is protected 100%,” Zuhn said. “[The offensive line] takes that [task] on personally, it makes us work harder so that no matter who is behind us, they can be safe and able to make the plays they need to make.”
A change is needed. Elko and Company know it and have seemingly addressed many of the issues that plagued the squad, which finished 4-4 in the SEC last season.
“I do not think this is a very patient era,” Elko said. “You have to establish a culture, an identity [and] a way you want to play football. I am excited because I think we have embraced that [and] bought into what [our program] wants to be about and the direction we want to go. I am really happy with the progress we have made in my first seven months on the job, now we have to go finish and be successful in the fall.”
Another key figure on the roster, senior DL Shemar Turner, has been a prime factor in the Aggies’ defense. Turner finished the 2023 season with 10.5 tackles for loss and was second on the team with 6 sacks last season under former defensive coordinator DJ Durkin.
“Being the guy that annoys every offensive coordinator … is who I want to be,” Turner said.
Turner is no stranger to change; he has seen plenty of coaches and athletes come and leave Aggieland. However, Turner was initially recruited by Elko during the coach’s time as a DC under former head coach Jimbo Fisher. Upon learning about the recent coaching situation, a familiar face in Aggieland helped sway the DeSoto native into staying with A&M.
“Having a guy like Elko come back … knowing the kind of coach he is, put a smile on my face,” Turner said. “He has brought so much stability back … he [has] leveled the playing field and slowed everything down for us. Not only are we confident in ourselves, we are confident in our coach as well.”
Turner has encountered trials and tribulations before with previous Aggie teams. The idea that the program needs to change is not a new conversation to him.
“The work ethic has changed in everyone, not just a handful of people,” Turner said. “On both sides of the ball, [everyone] wants to win and be great. I feel like everyone’s mentality has switched over because Elko harps on being a hard worker [and] building a relationship with [our] teammates. [This has] made everybody work harder for each other and not just themselves.”
While high hopes are on all the Aggies’ minds, there are still 43 days until Texas A&M faces off against Notre Dame on Saturday, August 31, under the nose of the 12th Man in Kyle Field. Until then, the Aggies are going to continue working.