When your job comes with a warning, you’ve got to be on high alert. That’s how things are for the Texas A&M head coach, Mike Elko. His buyout must be $27 million per USA Sports. But that does not give him any assurance when he heads a program that dished out $76 million to get rid of Jimbo Fisher. So, programs might already be under the impression of Elko standing on loose ground. That’s when QB Marcel Reed jumped into the scene to flip the narrative and threaten the 134 FBS programs. 

Right now, Elko’s job is tough. He got to learn from Fisher’s past without taking his path. While it still looks manageable, what’s not is breaking their 10-win season drought. The last time Elko’s Aggies gifted fans 10 games was in 2012. But Reed counts on his mates and comes with a ‘proceed with warning’ placard.

On August 27, Elko’s quarterback visited with 12th Man Productions’ Will Johnson on the eve of the start of the season. During the event, he faced the media when he faced a question from a reporter who pointed out that wide receivers Izaiah Williams and Ashton Bethel-Roman stood out during spring practices and in games. “There are plays for these guys, and they are not to be slept on in that receiving pool,” said the analyst. To which Reed totally agreed. “100% not to be slept on.”

Elko’s quarterback continued, “We had a lot of people in the receiving room last year. Obviously, they were freshman, so they didn’t really get their chance, but they were always dogs in the practice field. And they have their chance now. I feel like the Aggies are going to be really excited to see all those guys get on the field and see what they can do, cuz they’ve been going all summer and they’ve been big weapons for us.” 

Bethel-Roman has been a quiet contributor in 2024 with just 4 catches. However, his lone touchdown did all the talking, showing his body control and red zone instincts. Could emerge as a WR-X rotation piece. Bethel-Roman has already won Elko’s trust. “Ashton came to us as a track kid who could run really fast… He has developed into an elite wide receiver, too. I think he’s learned to polish his game, he’s put some really good weight on… I think all of that combined points to him having a really big season for us,” said the Aggies head coach as reported by beat writer Tony Catalina.

Panning the focus to Williams, he has been the spring buzz magnet. After seeing limited action as a freshman, Williams made waves with a standout performance in the 2025 spring game. Yes, he is undersized, but no doubt that Elko’s WR is electric. Besides the WR room, Elko’s confidence about Reed is hitting the roof.  

Summer grind pays off for Marcel Reed

Even though Reed’s 2024 season has not been a complete washout with 1864 yards and 15 touchdowns, Elko’s quarterback failed to gain that trust in the spring. In April, he was a hot topic of conversation on That SEC Football Podcast. Host Michael Bratton asked, “Is there a returning starting quarterback in the SEC that I think the overall SEC fans have less confidence in than Marcel Reed?” Given Reed’s struggle in the pocket and downfield accuracy, his bar has been set quite low.

To which SEC analyst Cousin Shane replied, “I think Reed is the one. It’s kind of funny; not funny, it’s sad. But I’ve talked about this multiple times. Would you be surprised in November if we’re not talking about Reed as one of the best quarterbacks in this conference? I wouldn’t be blown away.” Looks like in the summer, Reed has worked to fix the loopholes in his playing scheme. And it did not go unnoticed. This summer, Elko’s quarterback has put in the work, focused on improving his touch, timing, and deep ball accuracy.

Elko has been so impressed with the efforts that he did not shy away from putting all the spotlight on Reed during the first SEC weekly Zoom conference of the year. “I think he understands what it takes to be a quarterback in the conference and this league, and you’ll start to see the star that he is,” said the Texas A&M head coach.

We are yet to find out about Marcel Reed’s improvement score during Texas A&M’s season opener against UTSA. As of now, Mike Elko’s starter is making strides off the field. Reed partnered with private jet company ENG Aviation. And guess what? The deal comes with a heartfelt purpose. While Reed gains access to ENG’s private jets, he will use the deal to educate the public about organ donations. A sharper quarterback and a fired-up WR unit might finally help Elko deliver the long-awaited double-digit win season.