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COLLEGE STATION, Texas — As Mike Elko settles in at Texas A&M, he’s familiar with all of the untapped potential. He saw the promise as the Aggies’ defensive coordinator on an Orange Bowl-winning team in 2020, and he has seen up close why unlocking that full potential remains tantalizing.

Not only has Texas A&M never reached the College Football Playoff, it has not won a conference title since 1998. It has failed to reach the SEC championship game since joining the conference in 2012.

In the wake of Elko’s remarkable revival of Duke in his two seasons there (17-9 after the team went 5-18 in the two years before his arrival), this question looms over College Station: Can Elko’s experience with both the power and the flaws of Texas A&M help unlock the potential?

He sat down with ESPN last month to discuss his tenure so far.

ESPN: What have the first few months been like?

Elko: A whirlwind of epic proportion. I don’t know that you can describe taking a job on the day that the portal window opens, two weeks before signing day with no staff, right? Trying to put all of that together into a puzzle, right? So yeah, I mean, it’s a lot, and you’ve got to be really patient and put it together the way you believe in and get it going where you want it to go.

ESPN: If you look back at the last two coaches at Texas A&M, there’s a case that neither built a solid foundation. There have been bursts of momentum but not a lot of consistency. What is it going to take to build a foundation here and go from there?

Elko: I think it starts with good people. That’s where every foundational program starts, is getting the right people, and so it starts with the right people on this floor of coaching. It starts with the right people in this building from a support staff, analytical role from the people in your strength and the conditioning department, and then you’ve got to build culture within your locker room. I think that’s a foundation that a lot of people lose sight of, right? This place has tremendous facility foundation, but within that, you still have to build a foundational core of who your program is going to be about.

ESPN: What lessons do you take from your last stint here?

Elko: The unique spot that I have sitting here for four years [as defensive coordinator] is I know all of the reasons why this place can win a national championship, and then I probably know some of the reasons why we failed, which I think gives me a unique perspective coming in. I come in with a lot more knowledge of what Texas A&M is all about. That can only help, and I just think we’ve got to be intelligent about how we go about building this place because it’s a place where it has high expectations and you have to win now for sure, but you’ve got to still focus on building it in a way that allows you to sustain the success that you have for long periods of time.

ESPN: We are a long way from kickoff, but what can we expect from Texas A&M this year?

Elko: I think you’re going to see a team that’s willing to play for each other and play for this university. I think you’re going to see a team that plays with an awful lot of grit and toughness. I think those have been what you’ve seen from any defense that I’ve coached in the last two years at Duke. It’s certainly what you saw, and I think we’re going to go to work to make that the product, and I think our fans are going to love coming out and supporting this team and how they conduct themselves and how they go about playing game.

ESPN: How much did you learn in those two years at Duke? You have been at a lot of places, obviously, and a lot of different types of places, but there’s nothing like being in the chair.

Elko: You just learn how to be the CEO of the football program. You can do all the preparation you want, until you get in the chair and you feel what it’s really like to have everything around the program involved in the decision-makings. You have to take part of understanding that you’re responsible for everything from overseeing ticket sales to everything. You got to have your hand in every piece of the program. You can’t quantify that when you’re a defensive coordinator. And so I think just getting an understanding of what it all looks like, how to put it all together. We certainly had a lot of success at Duke, but we certainly look back at two years and say there’s a lot of areas we could have done it better and we could have fixed some things or done some things different.

ESPN: You talked a little bit about some of the intangibles of what you want in your identity. What about on the field? You have an established quarterback in Conner Weigman, which is a big piece of that whole thing.

Elko: So Conner’s unique, so I actually recruited the Cypress (Texas) area, which is where Conner comes from. And then obviously everybody knows Conner was a phenomenal baseball player from out of high school, and he was always in the same organization as my son [who plays at Richmond]. And as the years went on, Michael actually kind of played with him a couple of times towards the end of the career, but it was just always a name. He always knew Conner. Conner was a kid that kind of was that big fish in Texas on the baseball field and on the football field. So it’s come full circle to get a chance to coach him for finally a year or two.

ESPN: One of your big gets is Collin Klein as offensive coordinator. Obviously he and Conner are going to be linked together at the hip this next year. Again, it’s very early, but what’s that been like so far?

Elko: I think first, it’s having Collin Klein, who is one of the brightest young minds in all of college football right now, and certainly a guy that played the position in an extremely high level and did it from a toughness standpoint at an extremely high level. And I think all of that commands a certain level of respect. And so you announced Collin as the OC and all of a sudden Conner’s up here 12 hours later and he wants to talk to him. And so you see those guys starting to meet and formulate those relationships. And we also have two other quarterbacks, Jaylen Henderson and Marcel Reed, who are also very talented and we started seeing those guys come around. And so that [quarterback] room means everything, right? Everybody knows this, from NFL to college football. Your ability to develop and play at a high level at quarterback is what helps win and lose football games. I think that’s going in a really good direction.

ESPN: A lot has been made about who has left this offseason. But one thing that was clear in the recruitment of a lot of those guys are the resources that are here. Walk me through a little bit of what you think is available here for you to potentially build an elite SEC roster.

Elko: I think you look at a place that’s spent almost a billion dollars in facilities renovations in the last 10 years. I think you look at a place that sits in the most talent-rich state in the entire country, kind of right in between two of the most talent-producing cities in the entire country in Dallas and Houston. So I think you have everything that you could ever want and need to build a championship-level program. I think we just, I told this to our team when I met with them the first time, we know what we’re capable of, but we also got to understand where we are and that there’s a lot of work to get from where we are to where we’re capable of being.

ESPN: This is familiar territory for the Elko crew. Where did you all go to eat when everyone came back?

Elko: First place we went to eat was the Walk-On’s. We kind of sneaked into a back corner of Walk-On’s and yeah, had a really good meal.

ESPN: Lot of new-coach optimism here. What can this place become?

Elko: I think in the modern day of college football, this is one of the places that has an opportunity to be at the top of the game, and there’s not many places that have all of the foundation and haven’t done it yet. And so I think to some degree there’s places uniquely special and that somebody’s going get in here, some group of players, some group of coaches, and do this right, really for the first time in the modern era of college football. I’m excited to be part of that for sure. And I think there’s going to be a lot of people that buy into that story.

ESPN: Lot of folks will be paying attention right away with Notre Dame coming as the opener.

Elko: Obviously, all of the ironies that come into that. Both from my time at Notre Dame, and obviously there’s a quarterback over there that I’m fairly familiar with. [Former Duke QB Riley Leonard transferred to Notre Dame this offseason.] But I think you come back to a place like this for those types of opportunities and those types of stages, and that’d obviously be a great opening game for us and certainly a challenge we look forward to.

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Utes’ Whittingham reenergized after ’24 free fall

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Utes' Whittingham reenergized after '24 free fall

FRISCO, Texas — A dynamic new quarterback, a new offensive system and two projected first-round picks up front have Utah coach Kyle Whittingham feeling enthusiastic about the Utes’ chances of bouncing back from a disastrous debut season in the Big 12.

Utah was voted No. 1 in the Big 12 preseason poll last year after joining from the Pac-12, but a brutal run of injuries and inconsistency resulted in a seven-game conference losing streak and a 5-7 finish — the program’s first losing season since 2013.

After weeks of contemplation about his future and what was best for the program, Whittingham, the third-longest-tenured head coach in FBS, decided in December to return for his 21st season with the Utes.

“The bottom line and the final analysis was I couldn’t step away on that note,” Whittingham told ESPN at Big 12 media days Wednesday. “It was too frustrating, too disappointing. As much as college football has changed with all the other factors that might pull you away, that was the overriding reason: That’s not us, that’s not who we are. It just left a bad taste in my mouth. I did not want to miss the opportunity to try to get that taste out.”

“The bottom line and the final analysis was I couldn’t step away on that note. It was too frustrating, too disappointing. … That’s not us. That’s not who we are. It just left a bad taste in my mouth. I did not want to miss the opportunity to try to get that taste out.”

Utah coach Kyle Whittingham on going 5-7 in 2024

Whittingham and Utes defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley conducted a national search for a new offensive coordinator and quickly zeroed in on New Mexico‘s Jason Beck. Then they managed to land Devon Dampier, Beck’s first-team All-Mountain West quarterback, via the transfer portal.

After finishing 11th nationally in total offense with 3,934 yards and 31 total touchdowns and putting up the fourth-most rushing yards (1,166) among all FBS starters, Dampier followed his coach to Salt Lake City and immediately asserted himself as a difference-maker for a program that had to start four different QBs in 2024.

“He’s a terrific athlete,” Whittingham said. “He’s a guy that, if spring is any indication, he’s an exciting player, and we can’t wait to watch him this season. … He’s got that ‘it’ factor. He’s a leader. Needless to say, very excited to see what he does for us.”

They’ve surrounded Dampier with 21 more newcomers via the transfer portal and will protect him with two returning starters at tackle in Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu, who are projected first-round NFL draft picks by ESPN’s Matt Miller.

“We feel they’re the best tandem in the country,” Whittingham said. “The offensive line in general, I feel, it’s the best since I’ve been there. And that’s quite a statement. We’ve had some really good offensive lines. We’ve got two first-rounders and three seniors inside that have played a lot of good football for us. That better be a strength of ours, and that’s what we’re counting on.”

Whittingham has previously said he did not want to coach past the age of 65. Now that he’s 65, he acknowledges that he might’ve arrived at a different decision about his future had the Utes ended up winning the Big 12 in 2024. He is reenergized about getting them back into contention, but he’s not ready to say whether this season might be his last.

“The best answer I can give you is, right now, I’m excited and passionate about going to work every single day,” Whittingham said. “As soon as that changes, I’ll know it’s time. I’m just counting on knowing when the time is right. I can’t tell you exactly what the circumstances will be other than losing the fire in the belly.”

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MLB to utilize ABS challenge system during ASG

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MLB to utilize ABS challenge system during ASG

The automated ball-strike system is coming to the All-Star Game next week in Atlanta.

MLB officials added the feature to the annual exhibition game knowing it could be a precursor to becoming a permanent part of the major leagues as soon as next year.

The same process used this past spring training will be used for the Midsummer Classic: Each team will be given two challenges with the ability to retain them if successful. Only a pitcher, catcher or hitter can ask for a challenge and it has to happen almost immediately after the pitch. The player will tap his hat or helmet indicating to the umpire he wants to challenge while any help from the dugout or other players on the field is not allowed.

MLB officials say 72% of fans who were polled during spring training said the impact of ABS on their experience at the game was a “positive” one. Sixty-nine percent said they’d like it part of the game moving forward. Just 10% expressed negativity toward it.

MLB’s competition committee will meet later this summer to determine if ABS will be instituted next season after the league tested the robotic system throughout the minor leagues and spring training in recent years. Like almost any rule change, there were mixed reviews from players about using ABS but nearly all parties agree on one point: They prefer a challenge system as opposed to the technology calling every pitch.

As was the case in spring training, once a review is initiated, an animated replay of the pitch will be shown on the scoreboard and the home plate umpire will either uphold the call or overturn it. ABS uses Hawk-Eye system technology which tracks the pitch trajectory and location in relation to the strike zone, providing an instant assessment which can be relayed to the home plate umpire.

The All-Star Game will be played at Truist Park in Atlanta on Tuesday.

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Royals sign former Cy Young winner Keuchel

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Royals sign former Cy Young winner Keuchel

The Kansas City Royals have signed former Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel to a minor league contract, the team announced Wednesday.

The 37-year-old left-hander will start at Triple-A Omaha and will earn a prorated $2 million salary if he reaches the big leagues, sources tell ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

Keuchel has not pitched in the majors for nearly a full calendar year. He elected to become a free agent on July 18, 2024, after being designated for assignment by the Milwaukee Brewers.

In four starts with the Brewers last season, Keuchel had a 5.40 ERA in 16 2/3 innings without a decision. In 13 major league seasons, the 2015 American League Cy Young winner with the Houston Astros is 103-92 with a 4.04 ERA in 282 appearances (267 starts).

After pitching his first seven seasons with the Astros, Keuchel has made appearances for six different teams since 2019. He won a World Series with Houston in 2017 and is a two-time All-Star selection and five-time Gold Glove winner.

Information from Field Level Media was used in this report.

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