Having thunderous support from The 12th Man, dual-threat Marcel Reed is seeking guidance from a former Heisman finalist at College Station. With a No. 4 rank in the latest odds, after beating the LSU Tigers, the Aggies QB could be striking the Heisman pose in New York.

Offensive coordinator Collin Klein, who leads the No. 4-ranked SEC offense, doesn’t need an introduction. But what might be a lesser-known fact about him is his 2012 Heisman campaign. A celebrated quarterback at Kansas State, he led his program to its first conference championship in over a decade, placing the Wildcats at No. 2 spot in the AP Polls. Competing with Johnny Money Manzil, he finished third in the final voting.

Now, with a coach’s experience and a Heisman finalist’s instincts, he is molding the Aggies QB into a No. 1 Heisman product. Reed has been following Klein’s guidance, not just shouldering the offense but also handling the pressures and expectations that have seeped in on the QB1 race. “He just honestly just checks in on me and asks me if I’m handling this well,” shares Reed. “…You know, less as a coach, but more as a, you know, a friend. He’s making sure that this isn’t too much on my shoulders, and that I’m still focused and stuff like that.”

When Marcel Reed led the Aggies to their first win at the boisterous Death Valley since 1994, Coach Klein had proudly declared his QB an absolute Heisman candidate. Following that win, Reed hasn’t looked back, delivering another impressive performance against the Missouri Tigers, chipping in two touchdowns for 221 yards, finishing off with a QB rating of 90.1.

With three competitors ahead, Reed is making the most of the opportunity, learning and developing under Coach Klein. “So, we sit down every Sunday and talk about, you know, the upcoming week. How we did the day before, and just sit down and talk life and kind of understand each other.”

Back in April, Klein had remarked on the Aggies’ run game. Reed, along with his offensive weapons in KC Concepcion and Mario Craver, have been remarkable. They have recorded 22 touchdowns for 1,844 yards in the overall ground attack. Reed alone had rushed for six touchdowns. His 41-yard rush TD against LSU came as his 6th fastest sprint at 20.3 miles per hour. Remember how his recently revealed nickname, ‘Gingerbread man’, which is a popular nursery rhyme, painted his Heisman promise. When asked about the reason behind the moniker, Reed confidently said, “You can’t catch me.”

Coach Klein is a huge part of Marcel’s offensive prowess, which remains undefeated. “He’s been a great coach, a great mentor for me,” Marcel continues, adding to his point. “He was a Heisman finalist and so he’s been through this before…just making sure that you know I’m grounded in the same place and just worrying about the now is what he’s been doing for me.” As of now, Marcel Reed has +750 odds to win the Heisman.

Marcel Reed poses a threat to No. 3-ranked Ty Simpson

Presently, Alabama starting quarterback Ty Simpson ranks among the Top 3 Heisman prospects. However, Reed is rising fast. A quarterback who redshirted his last season, his 2025 rise seems impressive.

Against LSU, Marcel’s elusive 41-yard run, outpacing the defenders, left college football jaw-dropped in the first quarter. Analyst Steve Sanford went all in for his Heisman campaign. “I have Marcel at the top,” he said on the Pat McAfee show. “His weapons are fantastic.”

From +1000 odds in week 8 to +750 right now, he is making an impressive portfolio. With a smooth win against Missouri, his Heisman prospect remains unchanged since last weekend. According to On3’s poll, analyst have placed him on No. 4, saying, “For the first time in the last five games, Reed was kept out of the end zone on the ground. He’d made that a mainstay of his game in recent weeks, able to stretch defenses any number of ways. Still, it goes to show his overall versatility,” On3 wrote.

Over the season, he has recorded 2,193 yards and 19 touchdowns, and another six scores. Although his completion percentage poses a significant issue, as the Heisman selection is done after looking at overall performance.