Texas A&M football has a massive job to do in the 2026 season. Now reloaded with talent from the portal and freshmen recruits, the Aggies are changing things up in their prep. Mike Elko and Co. marked a major shift in the norms for this spring schedule, something that the public and media are happy about. 

Texas A&M beat writer Carter Karels reported that the team will have five open dates of spring practice, which is quite a lot compared to previous seasons. According to The Athletic’s Sam Khan Jr., this might be the first time since the Aggies joined the SEC that they have so many open dates. However, these will be open only to the media, not the fans.

Spring practices are important because they provide the first look at the team. It is markedly different from last year’s group, since there are transfer additions and new recruits coming in. The media gets to see how these players are integrating into the team and where things stand at this early stage. Since fans will not get to see them firsthand, they rely heavily on the media for the inside info.

The Aggies have blocked six dates in March, including March 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, and 31, and the remaining nine practices are for April, completing their 15-practice spring games. Their annual Maroon & White Game is set for April 18. By this time, people should get a good understanding of what the team could look like during the season.

“Some might not care much, but when done right, it helps everybody: the media learns more about the team/produces better content (which is great for the fans), and the program/players get more exposure + better/more accurate coverage,” Karels added.

There are a lot of eyes on the Aggies this season, especially because of their commanding run to the playoffs in 2025. This is now a team that can challenge others in the league. More media attention is actually a strong move for a program, because some choose to close practices to avoid external noise and people nitpicking at the players. Naturally, a lot is expected out of TAMU now.

There is a lot of hype about players who can prove to be impactful this season. Texas A&M should see a major development in KC Concepcion, who transferred in, and returning WR Mario Craver. There’s also the development of Marcel Reed, who couldn’t clean up his most alarming mistake last year. Turnovers piled up on him, which damaged his reputation as one of the most prolific quarterbacks in the SEC. The Aggies need a better Marcel Reed if they hope to go the whole distance in the season.

The most important doubt surrounding Texas A&M, however, is the brand-new leadership that will be at the helm.

Crucial test for the Texas A&M Aggies this spring

Mike Elko’s Year 2 in the Aggies squad came with an 11-2 record, a CFP appearance, and a nation-leading 13 players at the NFL combine. But Elko is heading into the 2026 season with a shakeup in his staff. He will deploy two new coaches in Holmon Wiggins (offensive coordinator), and Lyle Hemphill (defensive coordinator). Elko will still be calling the defensive plays.

John Perry will take over as wide receivers coach, while Joe Lynch will coach the quarterbacks. With so many new faces on the staff, it is crucial that this team, particularly the offense, gels together during the spring. It is a tough challenge for the Aggies, especially now that they have been to the playoffs.

According to FanDuel, Texas A&M is one of the ten teams from last year that can make a repeat experience this season. That is why this spring will be so important for the program. Maybe the added pressure from having the media witness the practices will toughen the Aggies up in time for fall camp.