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Texas A&M’s 2025 season is shaping up to be a high-stakes affair, with a clear objective: achieve a 10-win season for the first time since 2012. And Mike Elko seemed ready to do just that last year, beginning with a strong 7-1 start and a 5-0 run in SEC play. But a disappointing 1-4 finish derailed their progress, leaving them at 8-5 after a bowl game loss to USC. Now, Mike Elko’s team has the talent, depth, and returning experience to make another push, but a growing list of injuries could potentially derail their shot at the playoffs.

As Elko heads into his second year at Texas A&M, he’s in a similar position to Kiffin, Kelly, and Smart before their breakthrough second seasons. However, his margin for error feels extremely small. After a quick rebuild and 9-4 debut at Duke, he now has the resources at A&M: a top-10 recruiting class, the 11th-ranked portal class, and 11 returning starters (including seven offensive linemen). The additions of portal receivers like Kevin Concepcion and Mario Craver, who totaled 828 yards and nine touchdowns, only raise expectations. But injuries could derail their progress.

Looks like Texas A&M just can’t catch a break from misery. The Aggies received awful injury news just before the UTSA season opener. Jerome Myles will be out for the season. Unfortunately, he sustained a lower leg injury during camp that required surgery. Papa Ahfua will be out for the season. Same kind of deal. He had a lower leg injury that he’s going to require surgery for, that’s out for the year. And then Reuben “Deuce” Fatheree will be out for at least the first few games. We’ll kind of see timeline-wise in terms of getting him back,” Mike Elko said to the media.

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Well, losing players always hurts, but Myles’ loss stings the most. The six-foot-two, 210-pound receiver from Draper, Utah, was a highly touted prospect, ranked No. 5 among wide receivers and No. 30 overall in the 2025 class. Before heading to College Station, he showcased his speed at Corner Canyon High School, breaking a 43-year-old state record with a 10.36-second 100-meter dash. Despite injuries in high school, he was ready to compete for playing time in a receiver group bolstered by transfers.

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Then there’s Ahfua, whose absence adds to the offensive line concerns. The former four-star recruit from Seattle played in one game last season against New Mexico State and just saw 16 snaps. But this year was his breakout season. And his rankings back up the hype. ESPN has Ahfua at 141 in his top 300 in the nation. And that’s no small feat. Yet even with all the development now, A&M will rely on junior guard Chase Bisontis and redshirt senior Dametrious Crownover to fortify the line while Ahfua recovers.

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And Fatheree’s situation adds complexity. The local product has played in 41 career games and earned Freshman All-American honors in 2021. He started every game in 2022, playing 785 snaps and establishing himself as one of the SEC’s top tackles. Expected to be a key contributor in 2025, his early absence forces the Aggies to immediately test their depth. Elko maintains the roster is ready, but this rash of injuries puts A&M’s season on edge right from the start.

But Mike Elko’s not missing a beat as he announces his backup QB.

What’s your perspective on:

Can Mike Elko overcome the injury curse and lead Texas A&M to a historic 10-win season?

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Mike Elko gets real on Marcel Reed’s backup

With the UTSA season opener just five days away, Mike Elko made a crucial decision, and that’s making his redshirt freshman Miles O’Neill the backup quarterback to support Marcel Reed. But what makes O’Neill a perfect backup option? Well, this 6-foot-5, 220-pound freak from New Jersey was the sole quarterback signed in the 2023 class after a stellar high school career. And who can ignore an All-Northeastern Conference honor and New Jersey Prep A Offensive Player of the Year, right?

On top of that, his senior year stats of throwing for 2,151 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, and only five interceptions show his caliber. And that resume backs Mike Elko’s decision perfectly. “Yeah, we’re going to go with Miles O’Neill. I think Miles had a really, really strong camp. I think he’s a kid that we believe has a really, really bright future. He’s got a big, strong arm. And so, you know, he kind of went out and won that job, and so he’ll go into the year as number two, and he’ll be ready to go if something happens to Marcel,” Elko said.

While O’Neill might not be the same dual-threat quarterback as Reed, he’s athletic enough to ensure the play-calling remains consistent. Last year, he showed off his strong arm and mobility in the opportunities he got, and he carried that momentum into the 2025 Spring Game, where he went head-to-head against veteran transfer Jacob Zeno. Those performances solidified his position as a reliable backup.

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What’s cool is that Miles O’Neill didn’t shy away from competition. Reed was already at the school from the 2023 class, yet O’Neill still signed. His attitude was simple: “It doesn’t play a big factor in my decision because I like to compete. There is no problem for me in being a part of a 2 QB class, and I can’t wait to get to work.” That really speaks volumes about his approach—hungry, patient, and prepared. Now, let’s see how this season turns out for him.

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Can Mike Elko overcome the injury curse and lead Texas A&M to a historic 10-win season?

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