Press Conference: Elko, Aggies are just nine days away from kickoff

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

Mike Elko

• A couple of updates: Chace Sims and Tiger Riden Jr. will be out for this season due to injury. No longer on the roster are Nelson McGuire and Jerome Myles for personal reasons.
   
• A lot of it is mental toughness. The heat has been on high the last week. I am proud of how we pushed through, and that shows a team coming together. The football won't be pretty at times, but we continue to push through.
   
• Isaiah Horton has been what we hoped we were getting. He has the ability to go make contested catches. 
   
• Rueben Owens II has been here for a while without it going the way he had mapped it out. You have a healthy, mature version of him that is ready for a long SEC season. We are excited for him to be at his healthiest, foot forward, heading into a new season.
   
• Marco Jones has taken steps. Last year, he was a kid who had potential and was learning how to play fundamental football. He is big, athletic, and has detailed his craft.
   
• Anto Saka has maturity. He has played a lot of football. He’s been on the block for a little bit. I think we have a strong, deep group of defensive ends.
   
• You don't ever want someone to get hurt like Daymion Sanford, but those reps had to go somewhere, and all of the LBs have taken a step forward.
   
• The NFL back to NCAA thing is a statement about where we are from a governance standpoint. We are talking about roster management on August 27, with games on tonight. We are not sure who can even be on our team. We entertain everything until you figure out what the landscape will look like. We are comfortable with the culture we have built. We are comfortable with what we have in the building.
   
• If you go back to Notre Dame, the feeling around this program is the way it is because we converted a 4th & 11. We have to be the team that makes those winning plays. We didn't do that in the playoff game. That's football. You try to put them in spots to be successful.
   
• Lyle Hemphill likes being in the box. It’s where he thinks he can be successful. He will be talking to the green dot. Holmon Wiggins will be in the box. That's where he feels most comfortable. He will talk with the green dot.
   
• We are happy with what KJ Edwards and Carsyn Baker have done in camp. We believe Owens can be that guy for us every down.