College football is never short on chaos. Every fall, teams go from punchlines to playoff threats, or vice versa. So when Phil Steele dropped a surprise pick for his No. 2 “non-top-10 team,” eyebrows arched across the SEC. And this team’s got a lot to prove. Because behind all the smoke and mirrors of offseason hype, he sees something real brewing down in College Station. Welcome to the year 2 of the Mike Elko era where whispers are turning into roars. 

Fall camp opened in Aggieland on Wednesday evening and you could practically smell the air of expectations. Mike Elko is back after guiding Texas A&M to an 8-5 (5-3 in SEC play) finish in 2024. It’s not something to lose your breath over but remember, they started 7-1 and were a win away from the SEC title game. And now, they’re chasing the program’s first ever 12-team college football playoff berth. So what does Phil Steele think about this dark horse? 

When Phil Steele dialed in on TexAgs on July 31, he didn’t mince words. He first began with the head of the Aggies saying, “Coach Elko is three for three in overachieving my expectations for a year. You go back to Duke both years he finished higher than I expected.” And what about the team he’s building? Steele’s digital magazine has Texas A&M ranked No. 6 in returning experience after being 56th last year. And he’s especially bullish on one position group that could be a game changer.

Phil Steele is very high on Texas A&M’s offensive line. “The offensive line is probably one of the biggest areas of improvement,” he said. He recounted their conversation on the O-line that went from “Phil, I think we’re probably middle of the pack in the SEC” last year to “We’re really talented. We’re top tier SEC. We’re a Joe Moore award contender” this year. As Steele added, “So, I think that sort of speaks volume, not only the offensive line, but the overall team.” Because the upgrades don’t stop there. 

Sophomore QB Marcel Reed returns with a chip on his shoulder and a loaded supporting cast. Transfers KC Concepcion and Mario Craver add spark to the receiving corps. In the backfield, Le’Veon Moss, Rueben Owens, and Amari Daniels could each be RB1 on any given Saturday. And that defense is formidable. Taurean York, Will Lee III, and Cashius Howell headline a veteran-heavy unit that looks ready to pop. Phil Steele got them favored in nine games. The three potential L’s are at Notre Dame, at LSU, and the Longhorn reunion in Austin. “Pull one upset and all of a sudden, A&M’s in the playoff with the two loss team,” he said. But there’s one catch…

Phil Steele reveals his fear for Texas A&M

For all the optimism swirling around College Station, Phil Steele isn’t boarding the hype train without pumping the brakes on one critical concern. Quarterback play. “Let’s say Marcel Reed gets injured or Marcel Reed doesn’t have a great year. I think that would hurt the Aggies,” he said. “I do think he’s bulked up. He’s somebody that I believe will have a better year, but that would probably be my my biggest concern.” And he’s not wrong. Marcel Reed showed flashes last season. He wasn’t expected to be the guy in Year 1, but circumstances shoved him under center with Conner Weigman going down. Now, there’s no veteran QB waiting in the wings. It’s him or bust.

Marcel Reed has spent the offseason bulking up, tightening his mechanics, and sharpening his decision-making. But the questions still linger. Can he stretch the field vertically? Can he limit turnovers in pressure-packed SEC atmospheres like Baton Rouge or Austin? Can he carry the offense when the run game gets bottled up? And he isn’t ducking the scrutiny. “I know y’all have all also heard it, just like I have, I’m not a passer,” he said during his fall camp presser. But he also gave fans a reason to stay hopeful. “I feel like I’ve had tremendous growth in my passing this offseason.” Even KC Concepcion, after just one day of fall camp, sounded sold. “I feel like he’s gonna make a major leap this year,” the receiver said.

The leap better be real. ESPN’s strength of schedule model ranks Texas’ A&M’s slate at No. 9. The Aggies open the party on August 30 at Kyle Field, but dates with Notre Dame, LSU, and Texas loom large. Yet, even J.D. PicKell of On3 Sports is all in. “I think if you were to give A&M a different logo,” he said on The Paul Finebaum Show. “There would be a lot more people picking them to be in the College Football Playoff.” So now the question is, will 2025 be the year College Station finally shakes off the underachiever label?