Just as Mike Elko solidified Texas A&M as a recruiting powerhouse, a key departure to an ACC rival threatens to dismantle the very foundation of that success. The Aggies suffered a major loss, not because a player decommitted but because Elko lost a key piece of his puzzle.

“SMU is expected to hire DJ Mann as Director of Player Personnel for offense, a source tells 247Sports,” reported 247Sports’ national recruiting analyst Mike Roach. “A former #txhsfb coach, Mann joins SMU from Texas A&M, where he served as an associate DPP and director of high school relations. Before A&M, Mann worked at Ole Miss.”

DJ Mann wasn’t just another staffer. He was Mike Elko’s bridge to Texas high school coaches and a key connector in building the 2027 pipeline. With ACC rivals SMU hiring him, those relationships can now work against A&M in head-to-head battles for the same Lone Star recruits.

At SMU, Mann will be tasked with more than just identifying talent; he’ll be instrumental in overhauling their on-campus recruiting and ensuring prospects transition smoothly into the program, which is a key weakness for the Mustangs. That might have made SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee bring in DJ Mann. 

Mann, who has now caught the eye of Rhett Lashlee, first impressed Elko back in January 2025, earning him a key role on the Aggies’ staff. It was a time when the Texas A&M head coach was desperate to build strong relationships with high school coaches in the state. For that, he brought Mann back home to the Lone Star State as Texas A&M’s Associate Director of Player Personnel.

Elko’s entire recruiting philosophy hinges on dominating the in-state footprint by earning the genuine trust of Texas high school coaches. Mann was the absolute linchpin of that strategy. Without his established goodwill, navigating the state’s complex recruiting politics, the Aggies risk losing ground in crucial living room battles this spring.

A Lubbock native and 2006 Texas A&M graduate, Mann’s entire career has been built on Texas soil, from his early days as an assistant across the state to his head coaching tenure at Lubbock Coronado. This deep-seated history is what made him so valuable. However, even before Mann’s success in Mississippi, his exposure in high school was what helped Texas A&M benefit in the recruiting field.

The coach has been a member of the Texas High School Coaches Association since 2007. After that, from 2021 to 2023, he held the head coaching chair at Lubbock Coronado. Between 2006 and 2021, Mann gained experience in three different roles – offensive coordinator, recruiting coordinator, and assistant coach across the state of Texas.

But why does losing Mann take a hit on Texas A&M’s recruiting? Even though the Aggies enjoy the No.2 rank in the 2027 recruiting list and have two top 30 recruits in the 2027 class, Elko still has some unfinished business in the recruiting field. 

For instance, they are still fighting hard to land a commitment from a three-star Texas cornerback, Trenton Blaylock. With coaching stops stretching from DFW to Houston and all the way across East and West Texas, Mann has planted lasting ties in nearly every corner of the Lone Star State, which could have tilted things towards the Aggies in the Blaylock race. However, in this crucial moment, Lashlee got lucky. 

Rhett Lashlee counts on the Texas A&M Aggies’ assistant to fill the 2027 recruiting gap

Lashlee walks into 2026 carrying a huge bag of expectations. The program has trusted him for another seven years, signing an extension last November. So, Lashlee will now have to take SMU to a double-digit score after closing last season with a 9-4 record. 

The first area they need to fix is their recruiting. According to On3’s 2027 Industry Ranking Football Team Recruiting Rankings, the Mustangs could not find themselves a place even in the top 35. So far, they have locked in only two recruits, while Mann’s Aggies proudly flexed ten commits. In such a condition, Mann will be the ultimate problem-fixer.

“He [Mann] knows head coaches from everywhere,” said North Crowley head coach Ray Gates, who coached with the Texas A&M coach at Cedar Hill. “He’s really connected with college coaches across the nation, so he’s a well-connected guy.

Texas is overflowing with elite 2027 prospects, and SMU hopes to snag two, possibly three, of the Lone Star State’s best. And that does not seem to be impossible with the Texas A&M Aggies’ DJ Mann on their roster.