Andrew Monaco joins TexAgs Live on A&M's first day of fall practice

Aggie football is back! The "Voice of the Aggies" joined us in-studio ahead of Texas A&M's first practice in Mike Elko's second year at the helm. Andrew Monaco spoke about the team's mentality approaching this fall, names to watch out for and much more.

Key notes from Andrew Monaco interview

• I think it's that you look at the track record of Mike Elko. The second year is an improvement from the first. We've talked about how good he is at retaining players. By retaining an offensive line that has a chip on their shoulder and running backs that have chips on their shoulder... Elko said this. You had seven people on the defense who came from different schools. You don't have that number now. If we talk about camaraderie, we are going to learn from Marcel Reed and KC Concepcion. Now, think of the communication on the backend.
   
• With Elko and Jay Bateman's defense, after year one, it's top down. Once there's that understanding, now it's a completely different level of what they know they need to do, or they can talk to Elko or Bateman differently than they have in the past. I like that confidence because it's, “Hey, we know what we did last year and don't want that opportunity to go by.” I think this is something to build on and do this every season with that quiet confidence.
   
• In Las Vegas, you had the defensive linemen who were going to the NFL. Rylan Kennedy was being referred to as a young fella by the other lineman. You watched him in the past, and go man, he could be something special. You knew DJ Hicks was on the radar early because McKinnley Jackson talked about Hicks. That's the way the defensive line was talking about Kennedy. I'm going to say this because he had such a good spring. Elko said, “We can't put everything on Terry Bussey because he's 17 years old.” Can we say the same thing? Let's not put everything on Marco Jones?
   
• When you go through your first camp, we are all excited. How about waking up tomorrow? You've never been through that before. It's not high school. And what do you do in the middle when there's no light at the end of the tunnel? How do you fight through that?
   
• They've all been through it. Ashton Bethel-Roman, you saw a little of him last year. Isaiah Williams, you hear about him and his speed. You watch him in practice and say, “I see what you're talking about.” When you have that understanding of what camp is about and how to prepare. But also, you have some great leaders around you, that's when guys blossom.
   
• We talk about the fog when they're young. The fog lifts through sweat equity. That's what camp and July and all that is, that sweat equity. Don't be surprised when all these names are making plays.
   
• Cashius Howell is so intriguing with all he can do from that position. I use the word hybrid a lot. That defensive end position has really changed. Has it not? Now, we're talking about the bend and the edge. Now, there's a guy like Howell who can cover. He might be one of those guys you just want to watch sometimes.
   
• If you don't block Howell, your offense is in for a long afternoon. I hope it's that way, but I think he's one of those leaders. When you change your body a little bit and then see the results, I feel like it takes you to another level.
   
• It goes back to what you said originally. Theo Melin Öhrström has that quiet confidence where there are some games I just have to block. There are some plays where I'll be the receiver. There's that trust. When he first came here, they said, “Man, he's going to have a skill set.” Now he's got it. He's there now. There's something else, too, now knowing you're going to be one of the guys. That sometimes gets lost. I think that the tight end room is as good as ever.
   
• You have a lot of different people, like, can Amari Niblack be like Jace Sternberger? With Melin Öhrström changing the body, he had to learn that OK, I need to catch the ball, but I have to block. All the responsibilities of now becoming the sixth offensive lineman on that line. I believe that fog has lifted and he's got an understanding. When you know you're good, it takes you to another level. I think the acceptance by your teammates and Aggies has made a difference, too.
   
• You forget cause he wasn't in the backfield, but being healthy, missing it a little bit with the desire to be the best and be the Rueben Owens we know he can be. I think it makes it really exciting. Combined with the experienced offensive line. You can have the best line but the worst quarterback and running back, and no one will know that's a Joe Moore award-winning line. With a quarterback who can make plays and a stable of running backs like that will make the offensive line will shine.
   
• Now, at some point, I want that, because I want to be that team every year. I want people to be sick of us every year. We got to learn that right, we just can't say it. Last year, it was exceeding expectations, then we got to November, and we talked about it before that got to stink. Unless you do something about it, it's going to happen again. We want to put ourselves in the same position, but this time it comes through in November. That's what it is, and that's what's missing in years past.
   
• We look at KC Concepcion, he said, "You know what helped? I coached against him.” When we talked to him, there was an understanding. Look, he's out there. How many schools are out there? They are all contacting him. Now, he's a difference maker.
   
• You can't always be an underdog. I love the chip on the shoulder to get rid of the sting and bad taste from last year. If you get to November and the ranking is in single digits, everyone is taking a shot. That can change over the course of the year.
   
• To me, it's having that familiarity and having this group coming back. Bateman is not going to have to tell anybody what to do. Taurean York, Howell or Dezz Ricks will. That's the difference. That is from the past, Elko coming in as defensive coordinator, and he's preaching to everybody what they want to do. Then the year goes on, guess what, Leon O'Neal Jr. is now talking to Keldrick Carper, who's talking to Demani Richardson... That's the difference. That's where I agree with you. It's not going to be fixed because the coaches say to fix it, but it's the players saying it.
   
• The missed tackles, unacceptable. The change in South Carolina... You tackle LaNorris Sellers, you change the game. Le'Veon Moss went out, yes. If you do what's different, maybe the season is different. That's what I think is now in their memory. You have to go through it. It gets fixed because they want to, not because coaches are telling them to tackle better.
   
• There's no way you can finish a season if you don’t finish a game, a half, a quarter or a play. What's the most important play? The next one. I know the former coach said it, but stay with me. Win your position more times than your opponent, and the scoreboard will say what you want it to say. That is that mentality. It resonates more with mature players than with younger ones.