Early last season, Marcel Reed threw 15 TDs to just four interceptions in his first seven games. Then, Texas A&M won 11 straight games and reached the CFP. But then, warning signs got louder against better teams in the later half, turning into a cautionary tale down the stretch.

“Marcel had 10 turnovers in their last five truly meaningful games,” Billy Liucci told That SEC Podcast. “I throw out Samford and one of them was a win against LSU where he played his ass off, but he had two turnovers, 10 turnovers in those five games. That’s not going to cut it.”

The two biggest games against Texas and Miami told the story. Marcel Reed didn’t make a single score but committed five total turnovers. Against Miami in the first-round CFP loss, he completed 25 of 39 passes for 237 yards after throwing two interceptions and losing a fumble. The final interception, a short touch pass intended for Theo Melin Öhrström, fell short and into the hands of safety Bryce Fitzgerald. And that ended their season. 

“It didn’t feel real,” Marcel Reed said after the 10-3 loss. “I didn’t want it to end. It sucked.” 

But it is what it is. The most frustrating part is that some of those plays were inches away from flipping the narrative. Liucci highlighted red-zone snaps where a missed block forced Marcel Reed to throw while falling away. 

News served to you like never before!

Prefer us on Google, To get latest news on feed

Prefer Us on Google

“If you go look at some of those plays, a lot of them were in the red zone kind of not seeing it right,” he said. “Several of them were somebody missed a block and he had somebody bearing down on him.”

Against Texas, Marcel Reed had a receiver open for a potential TD that would’ve cut it to 27-24 with three minutes left. Against Miami, one clean step into a throw could’ve meant overtime. Instead, the interception came and doubts started piling up. 

If you look at the numbers, Marcel Reed’s 2025 record is a strong one with a 62.1% pass completion rate and 31 total scores. But it’s those 12 interceptions, five fumbles, and a 49.4% completion rate on third down with five picks that pull his resume down. But at least, the QB is working on it and head coach Mike Elko isn’t short on confidence.

Mike Elko says Marcel Reed is yet to reach his ceiling

Marcel Reed believes he took a step forward. 

“I think I had a pretty decent season, definitely better than last year,” he said. “To grow for sure, I’m going into this offseason and just keep pounding, trying to make throws in tighter windows and stuff like that. Make sure my feet are set… I’m just going to keep growing over the years.” 

Growth is part of the job but this season is going to be about delivering when 102,000 people are holding their breath at Kyle Field and the playoff is on the line. They’ll be expecting less turnovers. But Mike Elko isn’t panicking. 

“There’s a ceiling there that he’s not close to hitting,” he said. “He’s a great kid and a hard worker. I know he’ll go back to work this offseason and I think you’ll get a much better of him next year.”

With a new OC in Holmon Wiggins and QB coach Joey Lynch in the mix, development will be under a microscope. Pro Football Focus labeled Texas A&M’s playoff odds as “medium,” and the biggest reason was QB progression. But if Marcel Reed cuts the turnovers in half, Texas A&M is a playoff team again. If he doesn’t, they remain a cautionary tale about wasted momentum.