Texas A&M is heading into Mike Elko’s third season with plenty of momentum, even if the buzz around the Aggies still doesn’t quite match the talent on the roster. That disconnect is exactly why CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford slotted Texas A&M into his “undervalued” category when he ranked SEC programs as overhyped, overlooked, undervalued and underrated.
The timing around College Station is straightforward enough: the 2026 season opener against Missouri State is a little over five weeks away, and preseason work begins early next month. It has been a busy offseason for Elko, who guided Texas A&M to the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history and then signed a six-year extension just weeks before the end of the 2025 season.
That deal made sense for a coach who has quickly built a reputation as one of the top football minds in the sport. Penn State reportedly tried to lure the New Jersey native away before ultimately hiring Iowa State coach Matt Campbell.
The roster he’s working with is no small thing, either. Texas A&M retained 65% of its 2025 roster, added 17 players through the transfer portal and brought in the 2026 signing class. The Aggies also return redshirt junior quarterback Marcel Reed, who is entering his second full season as the starter after posting career highs of 3,169 passing yards, 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions last year.
There’s talent on both sides of the ball. Texas A&M’s secondary can stack up with Alabama’s on paper, thanks to a deep cornerback and safety group that now includes transfer CB Rickey Gibson and former Colorado safety Tawfiq Byard. Up front, the Aggies will lean on senior DT DJ Hicks and Northwestern transfer edge Anto Saka, who is already drawing attention from NFL scouts.
The schedule is the part that keeps Texas A&M from being treated like an automatic CFP team again. Road trips to LSU, Missouri, South Carolina, Alabama and Oklahoma are no easy lift, and Texas comes to College Station. Add in the new nine-game SEC slate, and every team in the league is going to feel the strain in different ways.
Still, the case for Texas A&M being undervalued is hard to miss. If Reed gets protection from four new offensive line starters, the Aggies should have a dangerous passing game with Alabama transfer WR Isaiah Horton joining junior Mario Craver to form what looks like one of the best receiver duos in the country. And with Elko calling the defensive plays for a second straight season, there’s plenty for Aggie fans to feel good about.
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Texas A&M Has A New Roster Question Mike Elko Must Answer
Texas A&M heads into the new season with plenty of momentum after an 11-2 finish in 2025, but a fresh roster wrinkle has emerged as the Aggies continue sorting out what Mike Elkos team will look like when camp gets moving. A recent ruling making all class of 2022 athletes eligible this season has opened the door to some intriguing possibilities, and it has naturally led to conversation about whether the Aggies could look back to the past to help shape the present.
For now, though, the question is less about what names might be available and more about whether Texas A&M will choose to act on the option at all. There has been no official announcement about adding anyone to the roster, which leaves the situation in a familiar holding pattern for a program trying to balance continuity, roster management and the reality that unexpected eligibility changes can quickly alter the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Former Texas A&M WR Is Giving Aggies Fans A Painful Reminder
Noah Thomas has already turned into one of those former Texas A&M wideouts Aggies fans cant help but keep an eye on. After transferring to Georgia, Thomas went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft and is now trying to carve out a place for himself in NFL Training Camp with the Cincinnati Bengals, where every strong rep matters and every catch gets noticed.
Thomas helped create a little extra buzz in camp with a notable grab against veteran cornerback D.J. Ivey, a reminder of the kind of size and ball skills that once made him such an intriguing prospect. Back in College Station, Texas A&M has already taken steps to address its own receiver room by adding Isaiah Horton from Alabama, a move meant to help with the size concerns that have lingered on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Has One Roster Battle That Could Shape Everything
Texas A&M heads into 2026 with the kind of buzz that comes from a first College Football Playoff appearance, and the roster has been reinforced accordingly. The Aggies brought in four offensive line transfers while also keeping important pieces in place, giving the staff plenty of options as fall camp gets underway.
Still, the most important question in College Station is not about talent so much as fit. The starting offensive line has yet to be settled, and the coaching staff is sorting through how the group comes together, knowing chemistry and cohesion up front can define what this team becomes. [Read more 🡒]