After the rivalry defeat to the Longhorns, Texas A&M’s playoff hopes may have taken a slight hit, but the 11-1 Aggies still have a clear path to the CPF, and the team is standing on the edge of creating history. Marcel Reed, the dual-threat QB who drove this offense with over 3,000 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, and six more on the run, is this team’s heart and soul. But when he went down with a first-quarter injury and with NFL scouts circling after his breakout season, fans have been wondering if their star QB bolts early.

“BREAKING: Marcel Reed will be returning to Texas A&M next year and will not be entering the NFL Draft in 2026, he tells @Gretegiii and me exclusively in new episode of@OuttaPocketRG3#GigEm” Robert Griffin III reported in an X post.

In a recent episode of Outta Pocket with Robert Griffin III, Reed ended every rumor with one confident answer. “I’m coming back,” he said. “I’ll be back.” And with that, the Aggies secured a win without stepping into the field. Texas A&M received the rare gift of certainty in a time when playoff teams lose quarterbacks due to portal deadlines and draft choices. And honestly, with a $2.1 million NIL valuation and NFL scouts already circling him, Reed had every reason to go, but he chose loyalty.

With two years of eligibility left, he would have been one of the most valuable players on the market. But he doubled down on his loyalty.

“I mean, I got offers after my freshman year, ” Reed said. “I thought that this was the best place to be. I didn’t think there was any reason to leave Texas A&M. I have the job and it’s mine to lose. But like, there’s no reason for me to leave.”

With that, now the Aggies can push into the CFP with the confidence that their leader isn’t going anywhere. And all eyes turned to Mike Elko’s take on the night that shook A&M.

Elko says Reed’s injury wasn’t the issue

When Marcel Reed stayed on the field following that early tackle in Austin, the whole A&M sideline had to hold their breath. The noise from the stadium briefly faded away and everyone’s only concern was whether the most key player for the Aggies could even stand.

He ultimately made a comeback, but the rhythm never really came back. One of Reed’s few awful nights unfolded with no touchdowns, stopped drives, and two late fumbles that dashed A&M’s hopes of bouncing back. But Mike Elko wasn’t buying it, even if everyone was pointing the finger at the ankle injury during the first quarter.

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“I don’t think the ankle affected him,” Elko said. “I think he still ran the ball well. Until we got to the end of the game, I felt like he was doing the things we needed him to do. I thought we didn’t do a very good job of keeping clean pockets for him, and I feel like it got very, very gray for him trying to find routes and receivers. We’ve got to do a better job with that. But that’s kind of where we’re at.”

And honestly? He was right. Reed still fought for 180 passing yards and 71 on the ground, keeping A&M’s pulse alive until those back-breaking picks in the final minutes. Now that the SEC title is out of the question and their unbeaten dream has been dashed, A&M falls to No. 7 but is still very much in the CFP picture. And they’ll surely need Reed at full strength who carried them to 11-0 in the first place.