South Carolina’s Nov. 7 date with Texas A&M brings the Aggies back to Williams-Brice Stadium for the first time since the Gamecocks’ 44-20 win on Nov. 2, 2024. This one is set for an afternoon kickoff, and it comes with Texas A&M arriving off a bye week after a trip to Tuscaloosa.
Mike Elko’s team is coming off an 11-2 season that included a 7-1 record in SEC play and a College Football Playoff berth. The Aggies hosted Miami in the first round but lost to the Hurricanes, who went on to reach the National Championship game.
Texas A&M’s offense has plenty of production to replace, but the core still looks dangerous. The Aggies averaged 33.7 points per game last season, good for fourth in the SEC, while piling up 444.5 total yards per game. That included 259.8 passing yards per game and 184.7 on the ground.
Marcel Reed is back at quarterback after throwing for 3,169 yards, 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions last season. He also added 493 rushing yards and six scores as he helped push the Aggies into the playoff field.
The backfield starts with Rueben Owens II, who returns as Texas A&M’s leading rusher after gaining 639 yards and scoring five times on 119 carries in 2025. Le'Veon Moss, Amari Daniels and EJ Smith, who finished third, fourth and fifth in rushing, are gone. Jamarion Marrow is also back after posting 182 yards and a touchdown last season.
At receiver, the Aggies have to make up for the loss of first-round draft pick KC Concepcion. Still, Mario Craver and Ashton Bethel-Roman return after finishing with 917 and 503 receiving yards, respectively, in 2025. Texas A&M also added Alabama transfer Isaiah Horton, who had 511 yards and eight touchdowns last season.
The offensive line took a hit too, with four Aggies selected in the 2026 NFL Draft. Trovon Baugh, who transferred to Texas A&M from South Carolina, could step into a starting role. The Aggies also brought in Wilkin Formby from Alabama, along with LSU transfers Tyree Adams and Coen Echols.
Defensively, Texas A&M held opponents to 21 points per game last season, which ranked eighth in the SEC. Opposing offenses averaged 307.4 total yards per game, including 176.2 passing yards and 130.8 rushing yards.
That unit also lost four players to the 2026 NFL Draft, including defensive ends Cashius Howell and Tyler Onyedim. Howell, who had 11.5 sacks in 2025, went in the second round, while Onyedim was a third-round pick. To help fill that edge rush void, Elko and his staff added Northwestern transfer Anto Saka, who was credited with 12 sacks in the last three seasons.
Inside, DJ Hicks returns after making 26 tackles, with three for loss. North Carolina transfer CJ Mims could also factor heavily after recording 42 tackles for the Tar Heels a year ago.
Linebacker Taurean York, the team’s leading tackler last season, is off to the NFL. Daymion Sanford is back after posting 57 stops, though he suffered an injury in the spring game and could miss some time in 2026. Tulsa transfer Ray Coney is another linebacker to watch after totaling 128 tackles in 2025.
In the secondary, safeties Marcus Ratcliffe and Dalton Brooks return after finishing second and third on the team with 66 and 62 tackles. At cornerback, Dezz Ricks is a key name to know after his sophomore season produced 26 tackles and five pass breakups.
Special teams will also have a new face at kicker, with Randy Bond replaced by Illinois transfer David Olano. He made 20 of 23 field goals last season for the Illini, including 7 of 8 from 40 to 49 yards.
Tyler White is back at punter after averaging 44.3 yards on 50 punts in 2025. He had 16 punts of 50 or more yards and pinned 19 inside the 20.
In Other News...
Gamecocks Just Missed On Another Blue-Chip Linebacker Battle
South Carolina was in the mix for another coveted linebacker, but the latest blue-chip target came off the board with a decision that keeps the Gamecocks waiting for a bigger splash at the position. Mikahi Allen, a four-star prospect from Ramsey, N.J., is headed to Texas A&M for the 2027 class, a choice that also strengthens an Aggies recruiting haul already loaded with elite talent.
For South Carolina, the miss lands in a linebacker room where the future picture is still taking shape. The Gamecocks do have Jackson Ross committed in the class, but Allens profile as one of the better-rated defenders in the cycle shows how competitive these national battles have become, especially when Texas A&M is stacking commitments and forcing other programs to keep chasing the next opening. [Read more 🡒]
Gamecocks Pipeline Made Another Loud Statement In The MLB Draft
South Carolinas presence in the recent MLB Draft was hard to miss, with seven players tied to the program or its pipeline hearing their names called. The group included three players from last years team and four more from the recruiting class, a reminder that the Gamecocks continue to be a place where pro scouts find arms and upside.
Among the familiar names, right-handers Amp Phillips and Will Whelan stood out as part of that broader wave of interest, while Miguel Hugas, Ethan Sutton, Connor Shouse and Alex Philpott added to the list of South Carolina-connected players moving into the next phase of their careers. For a program that sells development as much as results, another draft class like this only reinforces how much attention the Gamecocks are drawing before the next season even begins. [Read more 🡒]