It’s an exciting time to be a college football fan, and one fan base that is excited for the season is Texas A&M football fans. The Aggies have a good amount of hype coming into the 2024 season because of their new head coach, Mike Elko.
We're almost there. Another long college football offseason is almost over as the calendar now reads August, and the first games will begin on the 24th. College football fans everywhere are eager for the new beginning. College football fever is rampant across the country as we get closer to the season, but this offseason was a bit easier than others because of the new EA Sports NCAA 25 video game that just came out in mid July.
First off, there are going to be some rules changes this year in college football, and some fans aren’t going to like them. Perhaps the biggest change is the addition of the two-minute warning, like in the NFL. If you are like most college football fans, you're getting sick of the amount of commercials that we see during games. Well, the two-minute warning is just another way for TV Networks to pack another break into the action.
There are more changes, however, and these are ones that more fans in favor of, but some still don't like them. College football is going to look completely different next year because of expansion to the College Football Playoff to 12 teams and conference realignment. California schools playing in the Atlantic Coast Conference? Yeah, things are changing.
Conference realignment has made things look a lot different. The power five is no longer a thing as the Pac-12 is essentially dead. Every team left for a new conference except for Oregon State and Washington State. Those two teams have scheduling alliances with the Mountain West, but they aren't actually in the conference.
Every other Pac-12 school found a new home. Utah, Colorado, Arizona and Arizona State are now in the Big 12. Oregon, Oregon State, USC and UCLA joined the Big Ten. Lastly, Cal and Stanford joined the ACC (makes a ton of sense, right?).
The other big change with conferences comes in the SEC. Oklahoma and Texas are both leaving the Big 12 and they will join the SEC. The Big Ten and the SEC are loaded with good teams, and some think that things could be heading in the direction of two super conferences.
This season, we will also see 12 teams make the College Football Playoff instead of just four. For about a month, the College Football Playoff will be happening. Some people aren’t in favor of the big expansion, but there will be more marquee college football games, and it’s hard to be too upset about that.
All in all, this is going to be one of the biggest college football seasons of all time. The game is changing, and this is the start of a new era.
Texas A&M is a team to keep an eye on this year
Texas A&M football is going to be an intriguing team to watch this season. The Aggies will be breaking in a new head coach as Mike Elko is coming over from Duke. Elko did a great job with the Blue Devils, but the pressure will certainly be on in College Station. Texas A&M fans are expecting big things from him after the disastrous Jimbo Fisher era, and he is expected to deliver quickly.
This isn't an instance where the head coach is coming in for a rebuild and he can have a few down years without fans getting on him about it. Texas A&M has good talent as Jimbo Fisher consistently brought in top recruiting classes, but he just couldn't do anything with the talent. Because of that, there really isn't a rebuild in place. The talent is there, Texas A&M just needs a coach that can get the most out of his players. Mike Elko has to quickly show that he can do that.
Mike Elko was able to find success at Duke, so that is a great sign. The Blue Devils are a basketball school. They don't have the resources to compete with the premier programs in college football, but Elko did a great job developing the players that he had and finding a way to be successful. Now, he has the resources at Texas A&M to build an elite squad.
Elko has already done a good job of using those resources with the transfer portal. Texas A&M has added 28 transfers this offseason. When a new head coach comes in, there are bound to be some departures, and that has been the case for the Aggies as they lost 31 players to the portal. However, Elko did a good job of reloading as well. Here is one transfer that should have a big impact this year:
Cyrus Allen, WR, Louisiana Tech
One crucial aspect of this season for Texas A&M football is going to be the play of quarterback Connor Weigman. Weigman was injured last season, but he is doing better now, and Aggies fans are expecting big things from him. One thing that will help is having weapons on the outside, and Cyrus Allen should be an explosive one.
Cyrus Allen spent the first two years of his college career at Louisiana Tech, and he is now taking things to another level with this move to the SEC. Competition will be stiffer, but Allen was a stud with the Bulldogs. During his first year, he hauled in 22 receptions for 500 yards and four touchdowns. That's a good way to start a career.
Last season, Cyrus Allen had an even better year as he caught 46 passes for 778 yards and four touchdowns. He seems poised for a big 2024 campaign.
One concern could be the step up in competition, but Cyrus Allen has faced SEC and other power five competition at Louisiana Tech, and he has played very well. Allen had one nice reception for 31 yards against #5 Clemson in 2022, but he was incredibly impressive against Missouri, an SEC team, in that same season. In that game, Allen caught five passes for 121 yards and he scored two touchdowns. He'll be just fine in the SEC.
There are 28 transfers coming in this year for Texas A&M, and they are all talented. However, Cyrus Allen is one that Aggies fans should especially be excited about.
Follow Us
Subscribe