Texas A&M isn’t diving headfirst into the quarterback market this transfer cycle, and that’s by design. But when former Aggie commit Husan Longstreet popped back into the portal, it naturally raised a few eyebrows.
Familiar names tend to do that - they spark curiosity, if nothing else. Would the staff at least pick up the phone?
Kick the tires? Turns out, not really.
The Aggies are all-in on Marcel Reed as their guy in 2026. Barring injury, he’s the clear QB1.
The real question - and the one that keeps coaches up at night - is what happens if something goes wrong. College football has always had a bit of a “next man up” mystique.
Even before NIL and the portal reshaped the landscape, depth at quarterback was the kind of thing that separated contenders from cautionary tales.
Just look at what happened at Ole Miss. Austin Simmons won the starting job in the offseason, but an early injury opened the door.
Enter Trinidad Chambliss, a Division II transfer who didn’t just hold the line - he took over, led the Rebels on a playoff run, and never looked back. That’s the kind of depth story coaches dream about, but only if the right pieces are in place.
Which brings us back to A&M. With Miles O’Neill heading to North Carolina, the depth chart behind Reed is thin on experience.
Brady Hart has talent and the staff likes what they see, but he’s still green. Then there’s incoming freshman Helamen Casuga, who’s yet to take a college snap.
That’s not exactly a safety net.
So, the idea of adding a veteran - someone in the mold of a Jacob Zeno - isn’t far-fetched. Not someone to push Reed for the starting job, but a steady, proven presence who could step in if needed. A quarterback who’s been through the wars, understands the tempo of the college game, and can manage an offense in a pinch.
Was Longstreet that guy? No, not really.
The staff may have done their due diligence, but he was never a serious target this time around. There are simply too many other needs on the roster that take precedence, and quarterback, at least for this cycle, remains low on the priority list.
And now the door officially closes on that chapter. Longstreet has committed to LSU - a program that’s already stocked up on quarterbacks through the portal. That ends any lingering speculation about a potential reunion in College Station.
The transfer portal window closes Jan. 16, so if A&M is going to make a move for a backup QB, the clock is ticking. But for now, it’s clear: the Aggies are riding with Reed, and any reinforcements will be about depth, not drama.