Press Conference: Mike Elko's Aggies continue to progress during spring

Texas A&M hit the practice field on Tuesday for the ninth time as the spring slate continues on in Aggieland as the Maroon & White prepare for the 2024 campaign. On Wednesday, Mike Elko addressed the media to provide another spring football update.

The following are live, paraphrased notes from the Wednesday afternoon media availability:

• Good luck to coach Gerrod Chadwell and the women’s golf team. Huge congratulations to Jackie Sherill on being inducted into the Texas Sports Hall Of Fame. 
   
• I would describe us as a work in progress, to be expected. They are all learning things for the first time. We have managed to stay really healthy. We are a long way from the football product. That is not to say we are disappointed. That is a reality with a new everything. We had our first scrimmage yesterday. Going into Kyle Field is still something. We got 121 plays in yesterday. 
   
• Rueben Owens has been good. He was a big name being recruited. He has had a really good spring, and he needs to do things to take his game to the next level. He just needs to learn how to be a running back in the SEC, the four and five-yard gains. 
   
• The soccer game and George Strait concert are great for A&M to get that kind of exposure.
   
• Conner Weigman had earned the No. 1 right into spring, but Conner knows there is a level of play he needs to reach to be No. 1. Our other two guys bring something to the table. Jaylen Henderson is getting more comfortable in the system. Marcel Reed is a young kid. You saw in the Texas Bowl game, he has really high potential. We want to see more consistent operation from him. 
   
• Regardless of the coach or program, it’s a challenge for a freshman to shift to high school to SEC football. You should be going to prom, not tackling guys like Owens or Le’Veon Moss. You have to put your arm around them and not let them get frustrated. 
   
• I feel good about where we are at corner. I am happy with that group. Guys are competing for reps. In terms of a nickel role, some guys feel the guys are better there. I see that with Jaydon Hill, a little with Bravion Rogers and Tyreek Chappell could help at both spots.
   
• Our focus is a lot less on cohesiveness and more on strain along the OL. We want to see kids play harder and block better. 
   
• No clue who will enter the portal. This portal staff is so wild and crazy. I know our kids are happy. To what level, if a kid feels like he is buried on the depth chart, I don't know. You never know where the line is drawn for each kid. We will be very open in the spring portal if we see value to be added. 
   
• Conner Weigman is not 100 percent. He will not be 100 percent coming out of spring. He is still recovering from the ankle. He is a tough kid. We have guys who are knocked up, and they understand how important it is for them to practice. Conner is doing that. The challenge we will have coming out of spring ball is understanding where we are after spring and into summer. We need to be 100 days better. 
   
• Benchmarks are useless. Anybody who thinks they have them, they don't work. There has to be an urgency today. 
   
• We were able to add a lot of quality. Certain ones jump up. Nic Scourton will have a big impact. Ar’maj Reed-Adams is having a really good spring. Every secondary kid is creating competition, like Marcus Ratcliffe and Will Lee. Dezz Ricks, we need to get healthy. Tre Watson has stood out. He is dealing with a shoulder thing right now. 
   
• Bryce Anderson is a safety. I don't think he is a nickel. Bryce is having a good spring. Dalton Brooks has taken a huge step. He is an elite run and hit safety. Trey Jones is still recovering. That’s not even bringing up the freshmen, Myles Davis and Jordan Pride.
   
• Evaluation is critical when it comes to recruiting and the portal. You wonder whether to take a small or big school guy. The path is to take the right players. Look at our baseball team. They got the three right ones, and they are the No. 3 team in the nation. We have a really good scouting staff. As things happen, we already have write-ups and know who to target. 
   
• When we were recruiting Nic Scourton, he said he was mad I didn't recruit him out of high school. I told him if I knew, you would have looked like this... He had a really good senior fall in high school. That was my last year here. He is a different human now. He is a grown man. He has tremendous strength and power. It worked out. 
   
• I don’t put expectations on kids like Nic. I hope is a really good player on a really successful team.