Texas A&M walks into its matchup with Arizona State as a heavy favorite, but the real test in this one isn’t the spread. It’s Marcel Reed.
The Aggies are favored by two touchdowns or more, and whether they cash in on that number may come down to the quarterback who surged into the spotlight last season. Reed helped Texas A&M stack 11 straight wins to open the year before the final two games turned ugly, and those last two outings left plenty of the criticism aimed squarely at him.
Texas and Miami leaned on the same answer against the Aggies: keep everything in front, don’t let the explosive stuff beat you over the top, and make Reed prove he could string together drives. For the most part, that plan worked.
Texas A&M still had the deep-ball fireworks, but the passing game too often lacked rhythm and consistency. The issue wasn’t simply accuracy.
More often, Reed seemed to lock onto the shot play instead of taking the open throw underneath.
That tendency pushed the Aggies toward a run-heavy approach when the passing game stalled. It eventually helped them pull away from Missouri, where the Tigers used that same kind of approach and A&M ripped off 10.5 yards per carry in the second half.
But against Texas and Miami, the script never really flipped. Part of that came down to those defenses controlling the line of scrimmage with lighter boxes, and part of it, as the source reporting notes, didn’t seem to get much help from the play calling.
Reed said this offseason that one of his biggest growth points was learning to take the checkdown when it’s there - to take what the defense gives him. Saturday against Arizona State should tell us a lot about whether that lesson has stuck.
The Sun Devils face a real dilemma in how they want to defend Texas A&M. They can bring pressure and try to rattle Reed early while playing man coverage outside, or they can stay conservative and force him to work methodically down the field. The expectation is that Arizona State may open with the safer choice, especially after seeing how that style can frustrate an offense.
If that happens, Reed gets the kind of proving ground that matters. Nobody doubts the deep ball.
He’s already shown that part. What still needs to be proven is whether he can keep taking the easy answer, read after read, and make a defense pay over the course of a long drive.
There’s also the possibility that the Aggies’ offensive front simply takes over. If Texas A&M starts mauling the Sun Devils on the ground, the offense could lean hard on Owens, Morrow, Edwards, and Baker and force Arizona State to crowd the box. That would create the kind of space that can reopen the explosive passing game the Aggies are built around.
Still, the bigger strategic question is whether the coaches want to see Reed solve the conservative looks that bothered him last year. Holmon Wiggins and Joey Lynch have been working on that with him all offseason, and Saturday should give the first real glimpse of whether it’s showing up on the field.
In Other News...
Texas A&M Has A Huge Week 2 Recruiting Opportunity
Texas A&Ms Week 2 matchup with Arizona State is shaping up to matter well beyond the scoreboard. The home game will bring a packed recruiting guest list to College Station, with the Aggies set to host several top football prospects from the 2027, 2028 and 2029 classes, including a mix of highly ranked commits and other marquee targets.
Mike Elko and GM Derek Miller will use the weekend to keep building those relationships with a group that includes multiple five-star and four-star recruits. The trip also gives Texas A&M a chance to continue pushing for 2027 four-star athlete Za'Kari Johnson, as the Aggies are viewed as a favorite to flip him from Florida State. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Could Steal A Receiver Florida State Thought It Had
The early recruiting buzz around Texas A&Ms 2027 class has started to circle a name Florida State has spent time trying to keep in the fold. Wide receiver ZaKari Johnson, who reclassified from 2028 into 2027, made a visit to College Station for the Aggies season opener and reportedly came away impressed by both the atmosphere and the program, enough to put Texas A&M in position as the current leader in a possible flip race.
Johnson remains committed to Florida State for now, but the momentum around this recruitment is worth watching because the Aggies are clearly in the conversation and have already made a strong in-person impression. For Texas A&M, this is the kind of battle that can shape the early look of a class, and for Florida State, it is another reminder that holding onto a commitment after a big visit elsewhere is rarely simple. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Secondary Faces A Real Test Against Arizona State
Texas A&Ms defensive backfield is still sorting itself out as the Aggies get ready for Arizona State, with safety Tawfiq Byard expected to be out after missing warmups while recovering from an injury. His absence puts added pressure on a secondary that will need to stay steady against a real test, and the Aggies are likely to lean heavily on Marcus Ratcliffe and Dalton Brooks to handle most of the work at safety.
There is at least some encouraging news on the defensive side, though, with linebacker Daymion Sanford trending toward a return after being sidelined by a spring game injury. Sanford did not play last week, so his availability would give Texas A&M another layer of help as it tries to manage the matchup and compensate for the missing pieces in the back end. [Read more 🡒]