ESPN’s latest Football Power Index has Texas A&M sitting just outside the top 10, landing at No. 11 as the Aggies head toward a 2026 season that’s suddenly getting close. With kickoff set for Saturday, Sept. 5, the new ranking gives an early read on where Mike Elko’s team stands after a busy offseason and a roster that looks very different from a year ago.
Texas A&M is the fifth-highest ranked SEC team in the updated FPI, and ESPN gives the Aggies an 8.4-3.8 win-loss projection along with a 39.1% chance to make the College Football Playoff. That comes after the program reached the tournament for the first time in school history last fall.
There’s plenty of reason for optimism, but also a few real questions. Elko enters his third season with a roster that is 65% returning players from the 2025 team, plus 17 transfer additions and 26 freshmen from the 2026 recruiting class. The Aggies also had a record 10 players selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, and the offseason staff changes added another layer of uncertainty.
One of the biggest moves was elevating WR coach Holmon Wiggins to offensive coordinator and playcaller. The hire comes with risk, but Wiggins’ background matters too - he previously worked as former Alabama coach Nick Saban’s assistant head coach and served as co-offensive coordinator for former OC Collin Klein.
Defensively, Texas A&M has reloaded, even with unanimous All-American edge Cashius Howell gone. The addition of former Northwestern edge Anto Saka stands out, especially with Saka taking part in the annual Sack Summit this weekend. Under Elko and new defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill, the defense is not expected to be the issue.
That shifts the spotlight to quarterback Marcel Reed. After a career year, Reed now gets to work with one of the country’s strongest receiver groups, a room that now includes Alabama transfer Isaiah Horton. Junior Mario Craver, coming off 59 catches for 917 yards and 4 touchdowns last season, leads that unit.
The biggest swing factor may be up front. Reed will be operating behind four new offensive line starters, and that group could end up deciding whether the Aggies get back to the postseason.
In Other News...
Texas A&M's Scheduling Stance Says Plenty About The Aggies' Future
Texas A&M has again made a scheduling choice that says as much about where the program is headed as it does about the opponent in question. Texas Tech has been trying to line up future non-conference games, but the Aggies are among several schools, including Mississippi State, USC and NC State, that have passed on the offer, with Joey McGuire acknowledging that multiple programs have told the Red Raiders no.
For A&M, the decision fits into a bigger picture shaped by the SECs scheduling format and the way playoff positioning now affects every future date on the calendar. It is less about avoiding a regional matchup than about protecting flexibility in a landscape where one extra game can carry real consequences, and the Aggies appear to be treating that margin with the same seriousness as everything else on the road ahead. [Read more 🡒]
KJ Edwards Is Already Making Texas A&M's Backfield Battle Harder Ignore
Texas A&Ms running back competition already had some intrigue entering 2026, with redshirt junior Rueben Owens and rising sophomore Jamarion Morrow positioned as the main contenders for the starting job. Owens appears to have a slight edge for now, but the addition of blue-chip signee KJ Edwards has only made the picture more complicated for a room that was expected to sort itself out over time.
Edwards turned heads during a recent open practice by showing the kind of explosiveness and vision that can force a staff to think twice about waiting its turn. He still has less familiarity with the offense than the older backs in the room, but his athleticism gives him a clear path to earn more work sooner rather than later, which is exactly the kind of development that can reshape a backfield race before it really settles. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Faces A Terry Bussey Decision That Could Unlock Its Offense
Terry Bussey is heading into his junior year at Texas A&M with the kind of skill set that can make an offense look a little different just by being on the field. The Aggies have seen enough from him as both a receiver and a return specialist to know he brings more than one-way value, and the coaching staff appears intent on finding spots where his speed and versatility can stress defenses and create favorable matchups.
What makes Bussey such an interesting piece for Texas A&M is the choice his role presents. He can be sharpened into a more traditional receiver, but his broader experience gives the Aggies a chance to move him around and use him in a variety of offensive looks, with special teams still part of the equation. For a team searching for ways to unlock more production, how it handles Bussey could say a lot about the direction of the offense. [Read more 🡒]