Saban calls Texas A&M 'reloaded' for 2026 CFP run, endorses Elko on McAfee Show

At SEC Media Days in Tampa, former Alabama head coach Nick Saban used an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show to praise Texas A&M and third-year head coach Mike Elko, declaring the Aggies have 'reloaded' and will be a team opponents must reckon with in the SEC this season. Saban, now an analyst for ESPN and the SEC Network, has been a supporter of Elko since he was hired following the 2023 season.

Well, I'm a Mike Elko guy in terms of you know what he's done at A&M. They had 10 guys drafted. That's more than they've ever had. They've got some of the highest rated recruiting classes, which they've never had in the past. He's one of the best defensive coaches in the country, scheme-wise, I think. And I think they've reloaded. I think Marcel Reed is a really, really good quarterback who puts a lot of pressure on the defense. And I think they did a good job in a portal, and they did a good job of recruiting. I think they're going to be one of the teams that people need to contend with in the SEC.

— Nick Saban, Pat McAfee Show

Texas A&M went 11-2 last season before falling to Miami 10-3 in the first round of the College Football Playoff — the program's first-ever CFP appearance. A record 10 Aggies were selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, headlined by unanimous All-American edge rusher Cashius Howell, who led the SEC with 11.5 sacks. Despite those departures, the Aggies will return 65 percent of their 2025 roster, with quarterback Marcel Reed back for his second full starting season after throwing for a career-high 3,169 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.

Pate Also Buys Stock in the Aggies

Saban's endorsement follows a similar vote of confidence from On3 analyst Josh Pate, who named Texas A&M one of three programs he is 'buying stock in' ahead of the 2026 season, alongside Virginia Tech and Florida. Pate cited the addition of Northwestern transfer edge rusher Anto Saka as a key move to offset the loss of Howell, and pointed to the program's NIL resources, recruiting trajectory, and NFL development pipeline as reasons to believe Elko can eventually deliver a national championship during his new six-year deal.

On offense, Reed will have new weapons to work with, including Alabama transfer wide receiver Isaiah Horton, a 6-foot-4 target expected to stretch the field and create space for returning receivers Mario Craver, Ashton Bethel-Roman, and Terry Bussey. The Aggies also added 17 players through the transfer portal this offseason to reinforce depth at multiple positions.

The path back to the CFP will not be straightforward. Texas A&M faces a nine-game SEC schedule that includes road trips to LSU, Missouri, Alabama, South Carolina, and Oklahoma, before closing the regular season by hosting Texas. Elko, when asked what motivates his team entering the new campaign, was characteristically blunt: 'I show them our trophy case and it's empty.'