Andy Staples talks Elko hire, A&M's pursuit of Aranda, CFP title game

Key notes from Andy Staples interview

• A&M needed to hire a good defensive coordinator and they did with Mike Elko. He is interesting because Notre Dame was really bad before he got there and he came in and turned them around and got them right very quickly. I remember talking to Georgia coaches before they played Notre Dame and the defense was completely different because Elko got guys in positions to make plays. That’s an underrated job of a coordinator, just getting guys in a position to make plays.
   
• I think the key is giving him the ability to go get athletes that Texas A&M can get and has gotten. They had the number one pick in the draft last year in Myles Garrett. Look at a guy like Duke Ejiofor at Wake Forest that was super disruptive in Mike Elko’s defense. Imagine what an athlete like Myles Garrett could be in that system.
   
• I think Dave Aranda used this as a chance to make life changing money as a defensive coordinator. Aranda is a guy who is not at the top of the list to become a head coach and likes being a defensive coordinator. I think he and his agent did a really good job at getting what they wanted. It would have been a disaster had LSU lost him. LSU won nine games this year, but probably should’ve had 10 or 11 wins.
   
• I’m taking Alabama in the national championship, but I have zero confidence in that pick. If they play defense like they did the other night then they will win, but I don’t know if they can do that. Jake Fromm is a better quarterback than people are giving him credit for. He makes some big time throws and was a big part of Georgia beating Oklahoma. I don’t know if Jalen Hurts can make the same throws that Fromm does. I feel like these two teams are almost mirror images of each other.
   
• I think there is a shot that Sumlin goes to Arizona, but I have no idea what the Wildcats are going to do at head coach. I think Kevin Sumlin could do some great things with Khalil Tate at quarterback.