DALLAS -- The Jimbo Fisher regime at Texas A&M was so loud that Mike Elko was still answering for its shortcomings at SEC Media Days.

"A lot of conversation about last year," Elko said after fielding another question about what he was fixing. "We're not trying to fix things from last year, focus on things from last year."

Elko isn't correcting last year, he's correcting Texas A&M. The Aggies - with their TBD national championship trophies and top-ranked recruiting classes - used to dominate the offseason headlines. Elko prefers to work in silence.

"We can't verbalize what we are. Facts tell us who we are," Elko said. "And we were a 12–13 football program the last two years."

Accountability at A&M

Touting a culture change brought by a new head coach is a Media Day cliche, but Texas A&M was in dire need of a switch up. Eight of the top 12 recruits from Texas A&M's No.1-ranked recruiting class, which Elko helped erect but wasn't around to coach, transferred. Multiple players were suspended for disciplinary reasons during their Aggie tenure. 

"If you can't trust someone to be in class or on time to meetings, you can't trust them on the field," left tackle Trey Zuhn said. "That's really something he's cracked down on and made a point of."

Senior defensive lineman Shemar Turner arrived at Media Day with 30 pounds added to his frame in preparation for a shift to defensive tackle. Yet he still looked just as lean, remarkable given he spent months rehabbing a shoulder injury.

"The work ethic, it's changed in everyone," Turner said. "It's not just a handful of people on both sides of the ball that really want to win and really want to be great."

New Swagger in the Trenches

Texas A&M ranked 86th in the nation last season allowing 2.31 sacks per game and had to play three quarterbacks in each of the last two seasons. But with an influx of transfers paired with veteran returners, linebacker Taurean York faced a different unit in spring practice. He shouted out Kansas transfer Ar'maj Reed-Adams for lighting a fire underneath everyone.

"I feel like the offensive line is much nastier," York said.

Zuhn, a team captain in the spring game, will play left tackle while Chase Bisontis slides to guard, likely with Mark Nabou Jr. Those returning starters have had to prove themselves with a new coaching staff.

"If we're running a sprint or an IC, for example, (and) Mark or Chase kind of catching up to me, I'll give it that extra two percent," Zuhn said. "Just that competition where we're making each other better and making ourselves better."

Defense

Elko served as Texas A&M's defensive coordinator from 2018-21 and briefly revived the 'Wrecking Crew' defense, ranking third in the nation in 2021 allowing just 15.9 points per game. His Duke defenses allowed 22 and 19 points per game, respectively, in two years. Now, he's teaching guys he once recruited to College Station the defense he envisioned running with them. 

"The scheme is a lot more sophisticated," York said. "My sophomore year has been harder than my freshman year just because of the level of difficulty of the defense and the amount of communication that it takes to run the defense."

York is the leader at Mike linebacker after a Freshman All-American season, while eight defensive back transfers replenish last year's subpar secondary.