ESPN’s latest Football Power Index dropped Thursday afternoon, and Texas A&M landed just outside the top 10 at No. 11.
That puts the Aggies as the fifth-highest ranked team in the SEC, a sign that Mike Elko’s group is being viewed as a legitimate contender heading into a season that is now only eight weeks away. Texas A&M opens the 2026 campaign on Saturday, Sept. 5, and the early numbers back up the idea that this roster can again make noise on the national stage.
The projection model gives the Aggies an 8.4-3.8 record and a 39.1% shot at reaching the College Football Playoff. That’s notable after Texas A&M made the tournament for the first time in program history last fall.
There’s reason for the optimism, even with plenty of turnover. Elko enters his third season with a roster that has been reshaped after a record 10 players were selected in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The offseason also brought staff changes, including wide receivers coach Holmon Wiggins moving into the offensive coordinator and playcalling role. That was a bold move with a revamped roster, but Wiggins’ résumé matters - he previously worked as Alabama coach Nick Saban’s assistant head coach and served as co-offensive coordinator under former OC Collin Klein.
The roster itself is a mix of continuity and fresh faces: 65% returning players from the 2025 team, 17 transfer portal additions, and 26 freshmen from the 2026 recruiting class.
Defensively, Texas A&M added help even while losing unanimous All-American edge Cashius Howell. The key pickup was former Northwestern edge Anto Saka, who is now taking part in the annual Sack Summit this weekend. Under Elko and new defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill, the Aggies are expected to be solid on that side of the ball.
That shifts the spotlight to quarterback Marcel Reed. After a career year, Reed will have plenty of weapons, including Alabama transfer Isaiah Horton and star junior Mario Craver, who posted 59 catches, 917 yards, and 4 touchdowns last season.
But the biggest question may be up front, where Reed will play behind four new offensive line starters. That group could end up determining whether Texas A&M gets back to the postseason.
ESPN FPI rankings: Ohio State, Texas, Notre Dame, Oregon, Georgia, Indiana, Miami, Alabama, LSU, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, USC, Ole Miss, Michigan, Tennessee, Penn State, Florida, Clemson, BYU, Missouri, Auburn, South Carolina, SMU, Iowa.
In Other News...
Arkansas Just Sent A Clear Signal Ahead Of SEC Media Days
Arkansas is heading into SEC Media Days with a clear emphasis on experience, sending senior defensive end Quincy Rhodes, senior center Caden Kitler and senior tailback Sutton Smith to Tampa alongside first-year coach Ryan Silverfield. The group gives the Razorbacks a veteran face for the league's biggest summer stage, while also offering a first look at how Silverfield plans to present the program as he settles into the job.
The lineup also says something about where Arkansas stands right now, with the starting quarterback job still not announced and the staff opting to keep that decision out of the spotlight for the moment. The Razorbacks will close out the event on the final day with LSU, Mississippi State and Texas, a setting that should keep the attention on how Silverfield and his chosen representatives frame the season ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Calipari Is Pushing For Another Elite Guard Arkansas Fans Will Want
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Gibsons profile helps explain why the pursuit has picked up. He has backed up the hype in top event settings and shown the kind of two-way guard game Calipari has long sold to elite backcourt prospects. For Arkansas, the appeal is obvious: keep stacking future perimeter talent and stay in the mix with the kind of player who can change the ceiling of a class, even if the race for him is still very much unfolding. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Just Landed A Fast-Rising Big Man Fans Needed To See
Arkansas has spent recent seasons looking for more size and sturdiness in the frontcourt, so landing Caleb Ourigou gives the Razorbacks a clear win on a priority front. The 4-star center from New York is already viewed as one of the better big men in the 2027 class, and his stock has been helped by strong showings on the summer camp and circuit scene, enough for Arkansas to extend a scholarship and ultimately secure his commitment.
What makes this one especially worth watching is that Ourigou is still early in the process, with the possibility of moving up a cycle hanging over everything. If he stays put, he would join Davion Thompson as part of Arkansas 2027 class, giving the Razorbacks an encouraging early foundation as they keep building out a roster that has been in need of more length inside. [Read more 🡒]