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While Duke football head coach Manny Diaz has quickly garnered good will in Durham after an improbable ACC Championship crown last year, his predecessor Mike Elko, continues to stack accomplishments since leaving the Bull City for Texas A&M in late 2023.
Elko's latest milestone came this past week during the 2026 NFL Draft, when he saw 10 of his Aggies selected by one of the 32 NFL franchises. The historic class underscores Elko's reputation as one of the premier program builders and talent developers in the sport.
Ahead of the Aggies' first-round CFP game, Elko reflected on his transfer additions, many of whom ended up being a part of the ensuing draft class.
"Maybe it's a testament to our ability to evaluate players and who the right players and right fits are and then to develop them and fit them into our culture and our system so that they can go out and perform at an elite level," he said.
For Blue Devil fans, that kind of success must feel familiar. Elko's teams in Durham were built on physical identities and elite player development. In just two seasons, Elko reshaped expectations around what Duke football could be and proved that the program could develop and identify underrated talent that was capable of reaching NFL heights.
A clear and obvious example of one of these players was three-star quarterback Riley Leonard who was a hidden gem out of Fairhope, AL and quickly blossomed into one of the best signal-callers in program history.
Now, armed with the resources and recruiting reach at Texas A&M, Elko has been able to attract top talent from both the transfer and high school ranks. If the Aggies' historic draft class is any indicator, nobody should be surprised to see the Elko and his program in national title conversations in the very near future.
This article originally appeared on Duke Wire: Elko NFL Draft haul reflects success post Duke football
Continue reading...
Elko's latest milestone came this past week during the 2026 NFL Draft, when he saw 10 of his Aggies selected by one of the 32 NFL franchises. The historic class underscores Elko's reputation as one of the premier program builders and talent developers in the sport.
Ahead of the Aggies' first-round CFP game, Elko reflected on his transfer additions, many of whom ended up being a part of the ensuing draft class.
"Maybe it's a testament to our ability to evaluate players and who the right players and right fits are and then to develop them and fit them into our culture and our system so that they can go out and perform at an elite level," he said.
For Blue Devil fans, that kind of success must feel familiar. Elko's teams in Durham were built on physical identities and elite player development. In just two seasons, Elko reshaped expectations around what Duke football could be and proved that the program could develop and identify underrated talent that was capable of reaching NFL heights.
A clear and obvious example of one of these players was three-star quarterback Riley Leonard who was a hidden gem out of Fairhope, AL and quickly blossomed into one of the best signal-callers in program history.
Now, armed with the resources and recruiting reach at Texas A&M, Elko has been able to attract top talent from both the transfer and high school ranks. If the Aggies' historic draft class is any indicator, nobody should be surprised to see the Elko and his program in national title conversations in the very near future.
This article originally appeared on Duke Wire: Elko NFL Draft haul reflects success post Duke football
Continue reading...
