Transfers are weathering the 'Mike Elko storm' this spring

Click here to view Texas A&M’s Thursday press conference.

The weather on Thursday morning was cool and overcast. A couple of hours later, it was warm and sunny.

It was like the calm after the storm — the Mike Elko storm.

The Aggies were highly productive on the fourth day of spring football practice. Their strong showing might have been a matter of adjusting to the elements.

“Today was good,” defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill said. “Today was the best energy I felt, for sure. I think (players) got their legs back underneath themselves.

“I think the first couple of days, they didn’t know that was actually coming — the ‘Mike Elko Storm’, I call it. It hit them hard, but they got their legs underneath them today, and they had some juice there.”

Elko was still storming through the practice sessions. He shouted instructions. He yelled corrections. Sometimes with colorful language.

Obviously, the storm hasn’t passed. It doesn’t figure to pass until spring football concludes on April 18.

But players, especially the newcomers, have adjusted.

A&M brought in 18 players from the transfer portal. Half of them are defensive players that Hemphill is working with closely.

Hemphill said transfers’ learning how to weather the “Mike Elko Storm” was a major reason the practice was so productive.

“I think the impression I’ve got so far is (transfers) all want to be great,” he said. “They just don’t quite know how to do it our way yet. They don’t know how to do it our way. That’s our job, and they’re getting there.

“That’s probably one of the bigger jumps we had today was they started to catch up to the way we do things here. As they catch up, since there’s so many of them, we’re going to end up being in a better defense for it.”

Senior defensive end T.J. Searcy, himself a transfer from Florida last year, is duly impressed with the newcomers.

“I like a lot of these transfers we’ve got,” he said. “I didn’t expect them to be this nice. It’s a lot of them that’s really surprising.”

Will Huffman, TexAgs

T.J. Searcy had 31 tackles, 6.5 TFLs and 1.5 sacks in 13 games for the Aggies in 2025.

It’s even more encouraging because there are big voids that must be replaced from last season’s defensive unit.

The Aggies were 18th in the nation in scoring defense in 2025. They were fourth in sacks, first in third-down defense and 16th in passing defense.

But six starters have left to pursue NFL careers. A&M will turn to transfers to fill a lot of those holes.

For example, there is hope Northwestern transfer Anto Saka can replace some of the pass rush provided by defensive end Cashius Howell, who led the Aggies with 11.5 sacks.

“He’s just different than the other guys,” Hemphill said of the 6-foot-4, 255-pound graduate transfer. “He’s kind of a bull in the china shop kind of guy. He’s very productive in what he does. He’s productive on his Northwestern film. He’s been productive since he’s been here in four practices.

“He’s just a little different. He’d rather run through you than run around you type of guy, of which I have no problem with. You know, however you get there works for me.”

Will Huffman, TexAgs

Lyle Hemphill joined Texas A&M’s staff in January of 2025.

Hemphill also had encouraging thoughts on linebacker Ray Coney, cornerback Rickey Gibson III and defensive lineman CJ Mims.

Coney, who last season was 10th in the nation with 129 tackles at Tulsa, was brought in as a potential replacement for All-SEC linebacker Taurean York, who opted to enter the NFL Draft.

“We didn’t know Taurean was leaving until Taurean decided to leave,” Hemphill said. “It was always kind of up in the air.

“But on the flip side of that, you’ve always got to have a contingency play. You know, Ray was the guy we targeted as ‘the guy’ if Taurean had left. He left, so we went and got Ray.

Hemphill praised Coney’s athletic ability, sure tackling and sideline-to-sideline speed.

“I felt he was someone that fit our defense really well,” he said.

Gibson, a transfer from Tennessee, also appeared to be a perfect fit. He missed some of last season with an injury. Now healthy, he figures to fill the shoes of All-SEC cornerback Will Lee III.

“He’s one of the guys, the first couple of practices, he struggled a little bit with the tempo and just the way we do things around here,” Hemphill said. “He wasn’t used to it, but he’s starting to get his legs underneath him. You’re starting to see him make some plays.

“I mean, he can cover people.”

Hemphill was also asked specifically about Mims, a senior from North Carolina. Last season, Mims posted 42 tackles, two sacks and forced a fumble for the Tar Heels.

There are hopes he can help replace defensive tackles Tyler Onyedim and Albert Regis.

Hemphill said Mims is making progress.

“I think he showed up a little bit better today,” he said. “I think he’s starting to pick up the defense a little bit better. Again, it’s a big change coming from the defense that he played in to playing in this defense.

“What we’re asking him to do is a little bit different, but I think he’s adjusting really well.”

The Aggies are looking for more progress from those transfers and others throughout the rest of spring football.

If they continue to adjust, perhaps they’ll play key roles that — by next season — could take the Southeastern Conference by storm.