Mike Elko has produced a strong showing at Duke with a quick turnaround for the Blue Devils.

Despite an injury-plagued season in 2023, Elko has gone 15-8 overall since taking over the program in 2022. That includes a 9-win debut and bowl win to cap the season.

As a result, Elko’s name has been included in early candidate lists for a number of jobs across the country. On Sunday, that included reports that Texas A&M has made the decision to part ways with Jimbo Fisher.

ESPN’s Pete Thamel was quick to put together a list of potential candidates for the job and cited the distinction that “money is no object” for the Aggies. Thamel included Elko’s name on the list alongside Florida State’s Mike Norvell, Oregon’s Dan Lanning, Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin, Washington’s Kalen DeBoer and others.

It is not hard to see why Elko might eventually be a serious candidate for Texas A&M. Prior to Duke, he was Fisher’s DC for the Aggies from 2018-21 with A&M winning at least 8 games every season in that stretch.

We’ll see how that shapes up moving forward with two weeks left in the regular season and the Blue Devils looking at a return trip to bowl season.