Note: This story is featured in the 2026 edition of Dave Campbell's Texas Football's Summer Magazine, which you can order here.

_

DCTF’S TAKE  

Repeating the success of 2025 will prove difficult for an Aggie program that lost its offensive coordinator, leading receiver, four of five starters along the offensive line, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year at defensive end, and a multiple-year team captain at linebacker. Head coach Mike Elko is 19-7 over two years in College Station and deserves the benefit of the doubt when it comes to rebuilding the roster and coaching staff, however.  

The good news is that QB Marcel Reed is a multiple-year starter and he’ll have WR Mario Craver and a strong stable of running backs. The bad news is that their SEC schedule is harder in 2026 than in 2025 and includes trips to LSU, Alabama, and Oklahoma.  

 

THE OFFENSE  

Head coach Mike Elko elevated wide receiver coach Holmon Wiggins to offensive coordinator after Collin Klein left the program to lead Kansas State. Wiggins joined the Texas A&M staff in 2024 following six years at Alabama, where he mentored Heisman Trophy and Biletnikoff Award winner DeVonta Smith, as well as NFL picks such as Jaylen Waddle, Jameson Williams, and Jerry Jeudy.  

“Holmon Wiggins is a guy with a phenomenal offensive resumé and has been everything you can be other than a play caller,” Elko said. “It seems like a natural evolution to allow him the opportunity (to call plays) and to support him with a strong staff, which also creates continuity for a returning quarterback.”  

That starting quarterback is Marcel Reed, who took strides forward as a passer in his first full season as the man behind center for the Aggies. He threw for 3,169 yards and 25 touchdowns to 12 interceptions while adding 493 yards and six scores on the ground as a sophomore. He enters his junior season with more than 20 starts under his belt.  

Reed must improve against the elite teams on the schedule, however. He threw for 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in nine games against Power Four teams compared to nine touchdowns and only one pick against the G6. And he only managed two touchdowns in three games against ranked opponents, and none of those came in the losses to Texas and Miami.  

Elko isn’t worried, however. If Reed takes the same type of jump between 2025 and 2026 as he did the year before, the offense will be fine.  

“He’s continuing every year to get better and better as a quarterback,” Elko said of Reed. “I think he’s learning how to play the position. He’s learning how to see things and he’s learning how to process things.” 

Reed will be working behind a remade offensive line. The Aggies added four players in the trenches who’ve started in the SEC in Wilkin Formby (Alabama), Tyree Adams (LSU), Coen Echols (LSU), and Trovon Baugh (South Carolina). Mark Nabou returns as the starting center. The new additions will compete with a pool of young guys who were recruited into the program like former five-star Lamont Rogers.  

Reed also lost his best wide receiver with KC Concepcion off to the NFL. The good news is that no returning wide receiver in the SEC had more catches or yards than Mario Craver, who will step into the WR1 role in 2026. Ashton Bethel-Roman emerged as the third receiver last year with 24 catches for 503 yards and five scores in a breakout campaign. Texas A&M also went into the portal to add Alabama’s Isaiah Horton, who provides size on the outside that the program never had.  

The running back room also lost familiar faces in Le’Veon Moss, Amari Daniels, and EJ Smith. Reuben Owens was healthy this offseason and that could unlock his full potential. He led the team in rushing last season with 639 yards while averaging 5.4 yards a carry. Jamarion Morrow showed flashes of his potential when provided opportunities last year as a freshman, and he’ll see a larger share of carries this season. True freshman KJ Edwards is a five-star prospect that will get touches in his first year at Texas A&M after a stellar career at Carthage.  

BY THE NUMBERS  

2 – Touchdowns thrown by Marcel Reed in three games against ranked opponents. He didn’t throw a touchdown in either of the two losses.  

38.1 – Average points per game scored in the 11 wins last year. The Aggies scored 10 points per game in the two losses.  

43 – Number of tackles for loss allowed by the Texas A&M offensive line, which was tied for third-best in the country and were fewest in the SEC.  

 

KEEP AN EYE ON  

Texas A&M reworked the tight end room after losing Theo Melin Ohrstrom to SMU in the transfer portal and Nate Boerkircher to eligibility. Those two combined for 38 catches for 366 yards and four touchdowns last season. The Aggies added Houston Thomas from UTSA and Richie Anderson from Fresno State in the portal. Thomas, a College Station native, was a Third Team All-American Conference selection in 2025 after recording 34 catches for 347 yards and two scores. He had 78 receptions in his four seasons with the Roadrunners. Anderson caught 31 passes with Fresno State in 2025.   

 

BREAKOUT CANDIDATES  

WR Isaiah Horton – A 6-foot-4, 208-pound junior who impressed at the spring game with contested catches and a rare blend of size and athleticism. He’ll offer the Aggie offense something different at wide receiver and give QB Marcel Reed a big body to find down the field and in the red zone.  

RB Jamarion Morrow – The Tennessee native impressed as a freshman in reserve duty, rushing for 182 yards and a touchdown on 43 attempts last season. He’ll serve as the primary backup to Reuben Owens as a sophomore and could surpass 100 carries in 2026. Morrow was a four-star prospect out of high school.  

 

PROJECTED STARTERS  

QB 10 Marcel Reed 6-1, 185, Jr. Nashville, Tenn.  

RB 4 Reuben Owens 5-11, 215, Jr. El Campo 

WR 1 Mario Craver 5-9, 165, Jr. Birmingham, Ala.  

WR 3 Ashton Bethel-Roman 6-0, 185, Soph. Ridge Point  

WR 7 Isaiah Horton 6-4, 208, Sr. Nashville, Tenn.   

TE 87 Houston Thomas 6-5, 245, Sr. College Station   

LT 71 Tyree Adams 6-7, 310 Marrero, La.   

LG 78 Coen Echols 6-4, 315, Soph. Katy 

C 54 Mark Nabou 6-4, 330, Sr. Lynnwood, Wash.  

RG 76 Trovon Baugh 6-4, 335, Sr. Atlanta, Ga.  

RT 75 Wilkin Formby 6-7, 295, Sr. Tuscaloosa, Ala. 

K 24 David Olano 5-11, 180, Sr. Naperville, Ill.  

 

THE DEFENSE  

Mike Elko didn’t need to look far to find former defensive coordinator Jay Bateman’s replacement because there was already a succession plan. Elko, of course, will still call the defense but he is happy that a familiar face will run the room and that a seamless transition was possible on defense considering all the other changes for the roster and the coaching staff.  

“We hired (Lyle) Hemphill and brought him here with the expectation that there would be a transition,” Elko said. “When (Jay) Bateman decided to go to Kentucky, the transition became natural."  

And transition is the best word to describe the Aggies, even on defense. The Wrecking Crew must replace multiple starters in the trenches, including SEC Defensive Player of the Year in Cashius Howell and defensive tackles Albert Regis and Tyler Onyedim. The unit must also replace a multiple-year starter and team captain at linebacker in Taurean York and the team’s best cover corner in Will Lee III.  

Elko and Hemphill are relying on a combination of portal players and in-house development to plug those gaps. Up front, Northwestern transfer Anto Saka was one of the prized possessions at edge rusher in the portal over the offseason. He was an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention pick in 2025 after recording four tackles for loss, three sacks, and two forced fumbles in 11 starts. Ryan Henderson from San Diego State was also added to the defensive end room.  

T.J. Searcy, Marco Jones, and Sam M’Pemba return at defensive end. Searcy recorded 31 tackles, including 6.5 for loss and 1.5 sacks in his first season in College Station. M’Pemba only played in three games because of injury. The X-factor is Jones, a former five-star who got his feet wet as a true freshman in 2025 with 2.5 sacks in 13 games.  

The Aggies also added nose tackles CJ Mims (North Carolina) and Angelo McCullom (Illinois) to the interior of the defensive line. Former five-star DJ Hicks is the old man in the room now and had a breakout campaign a year ago. DJ Sanders is a former highly regarded recruit who should see more snaps in 2026.  

“We feel good about the fact that we’ve had more D-linemen drafted than anyone in the country since I got here in 2018,” Elko said. “Replacing NFL players along the defensive line is becoming a reoccurring theme for us.”  

Daymion Sanford was supposed to be the next superstar for the Aggies at linebacker but an injury in the spring game puts his 2026 in jeopardy. Texas A&M did sign Ray Coney (Tulsa) and TJ Smith (Houston Christian) through the portal. Coney was tied for 10th in the FBS last year in tackles with 129.  

Dezz Ricks, Julio Humphrey, and Tennessee transfer Rickey Gibson III give Texas A&M three options at cornerback with SEC experience. Ricks came on in 2025 and is starting to live up to his hype. True freshman Brandon Arrington was the gem of the 2026 recruiting class and could crack the rotation.  

Dalton Brooks and Marcus Ratcliffe return at the deep safety positions. Those two combined for 127 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, and 1 interception. Tawfiq Byard was brought in from Colorado to push those starters and Myles Davis is a junior that the staff was high on entering 2025.  

 

BY THE NUMBERS  

22.89 – Percentage of third down conversions allowed by the Wrecking Crew, which was 5 percent fewer than any other defense in the country.  

3.31 – Sacks per game racked up by the Texas A&M defense, which was second-most in the country behind Oklahoma. The Aggies compiled 43 sacks on the season.  

196.5 – Average rushing yards allowed per game in Texas A&M’s two losses. The Aggies allowed 166.5 per game against teams that finished the season with winning records.  

 

KEEP AN EYE ON  

Bryce Anderson has moved from deep safety to nickel and is in the mix to replace Tyreek Chappell as the starter. Anderson, who overcame a scary looking injury early in the season against Notre Dame, was never healthy last year and only played in five games. Jordan Shaw might be the favorite to start at nickel, however. He played well against Miami in the College Football Playoff and registered 18 tackles and broke up a pass in 11 appearances last year. He started 20 times over two seasons at Washington and began his career at Indiana.  

 

BREAKOUT CANDIDATES  

DE Anto Saka – Saka was the jewel of the Aggies’ 2026 portal class on the defensive side of the ball and his production should improve in Texas A&M’s defense. Saka racked up 12 sacks over three seasons at Northwestern and will instantly be one of the most athletically gifted edge rushers in the SEC.  

LB Ray Coney – Coney was tied for 10th in the entire FBS last year in tackles with 129 last year at Tulsa, earning him First Team All-American Conference honors. The Ohio native began his college career at East Tennessee State and is in the mix to start at linebacker in his first season with the Aggies.  

PROJECTED STARTERS  

DE 14 Anto Saka 6-4, 255, Sr. Baltimore, Md.  

DT 92 CJ Mims 6-2, 300, Sr. New Bern, N.C.  

DT 5 DJ Hicks 6-3, 295, Sr. Katy Paetow   

DE 18 T.J. Searcy 6-5, 255, Sr. Thomaston, Ga.  

LB 21 Ray Coney 6-2, 240, Sr. Fairfield, Ohio  

LB 27 Daymion Sanford 6-2, 230, Sr. Katy Paetow 

CB 9 Rickey Gibson III 6-0, 185, Sr. Trussville, Ala.  

CB 2 Dezz Ricks 6-1, 188, Jr. Norfolk, Va.   

NB 8 Jordan Shaw 5-11, 182, Jr. Los Angeles, Calif.  

SS 7 Dalton Brooks 6-0, 193, Sr. Shiner   

FS 3 Marcus Ratcliffe 6-2, 209, Sr. Chula Vista, Calif.  

P 37 Tyler White 6-3, 225, Jr. Southlake Carroll