Under Jimbo Fisher, the Aggies struggled to close tight games, finishing 54th nationally in 2023. With Mike Elko’s arrival at Texas A&M in 2024, not only did their performance improve, but they also achieved a historic 11–0 regular-season start in 2025. Though the Aggies fell short in their first-ever CFP appearance, QB Marcel Reed is candid about their last two years’ success.

“Our name is Texas A&M. We’re always known for having good recruiting classes but not doing anything with them,” stated Reed this week. “But these past two years have been different than what it has been before. I think people should start noticing that, because we’re tired of it, obviously. We think we should have as much recognition as anybody else because we’re up-and-coming, and we’ve proved it.”

Elko has maintained Texas A&M’s status as a recruiting powerhouse. His 2025 recruiting class finished as the No. 6 class in the nation, according to On3. This season, the Aggies followed up with another consensus top-10 unit, ranking No. 7 nationally, featuring CB Brandon Arrington and edge rusher Bryce Perry-Wright, among others. However, the head coach has also turned the program’s fortunes on the field.

Last season, Texas A&M executed a spectacular 27-point second-half comeback to defeat South Carolina 31–30, and during the victory, Reed threw for a career-high 439 passing yards. The Aggies even secured a thrilling 41–40 road win against Notre Dame. In the game against the Irish, with just 13 seconds remaining on the clock, Marcel Reed escaped heavy pocket pressure and threw an 11-yard TD, and kicker Randy Bond converted the extra point to seal the victory. This was Texas A&M’s first road win against a Top-25 opponent since 2014.

During the campaign, Texas A&M embarrassed LSU 49–25, a result that even cost Brian Kelly his job in Baton Rouge. Reed was outstanding as a dual-threat playmaker, throwing for 202 passing yards and running for 108 rushing yards. Texas A&M finished with an 11–2 overall record. However, Reed still has areas to improve, as seen in his late-season struggles against Texas and Miami.

A 27–17 loss to the Longhorns shattered A&M’s perfect season and eliminated them from the SEC Championship game. In that game, Reed went 25 of 39 for 237 passing yards but threw 0 TDs. Then, their 10–3 loss to Miami in the first round of the CFP ended their national title hopes. Despite holding home-field advantage as the #7 seed, the Aggies’ offense completely stalled, and Reed recorded 180 yards along with 0 TDs. Concerns also emerged because Reed was sacked seven times.

And while the Aggies may still not get the same hype as their in-state rivals (the Longhorns) heading into the 2026 season, Mike Elko’s team will head into the campaign to prove their success wasn’t a fluke. 

Mike Elko’s confidence in Marcel Reed

Despite his struggles in the postseason, the Aggies’ head coach trusts his QB. Morever, Reed saw 26 dropped passes over the course of the season, which ranked 6th-highest in the FBS.

“We had confidence in him,” said Elko. “We know the kind of quarterback he is. We know what he’s capable of being. Obviously, we had to go out and get some weapons around him, and we were able to do that. And I think he’s taken the next evolution to being a kid who can win games both with his legs and with his arm.”

This season, Marcel Reed heavily leaned on his returning star wide receiver, Mario Craver. During the 2026 spring game, out of Reed’s 80 total passing yards, 64 yards went to Craver.

Even the QB clearly aimed at redeeming previous season-ending losses to Texas and Miami, stating, “Where the heart is. Let’s finish what was started, Aggieland!”