Texas A&M’s path back to the College Football Playoff in 2027 may come down to a few hard offseason calls from Mike Elko.
The biggest questions are sitting right in front of him: whether to replace first-year offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins and whether to move on from veteran starting quarterback Marcel Reed. For now, Elko’s choice to keep Reed as the starter and hold onto Wiggins for the final three games looks more like a calculated move than a final answer.
The frustration around the program is real, and the Aggie fan base has every reason to be angry. Still, writing off Elko after three seasons would be too quick, especially after the New Jersey native guided Texas A&M to its first College Football Playoff appearance last season. If he does decide to move on from Wiggins and Reed, bring in a proven play-caller and spend what it takes to land a quarterback with NFL potential, the Aggies could be in position to bounce back in 2027.
There’s also reason to think the defense can keep moving forward. First-year defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill should be back next season after the unit showed improvement, even with Texas A&M’s two-game skid. The growth of several young defenders has stood out as well.
On top of that, Texas A&M’s financial edge should help the roster reload through both the transfer portal and recruiting. If the offensive coordinator and quarterback situations get solved, there’s little reason to doubt the team will take a step forward.
That’s not just one opinion, either. On That SEC Podcast, Cousin Shane picked Texas A&M as his team to get back to the College Football Playoff in 2027, with the expanded 24-team field set to debut next year.
Under those new playoff rules, a 9-3 finish could be enough for the Aggies to get in, since Power Four teams with only two or three losses are expected to be locks for the field.
In Other News...
Texas A&M's QB Search Just Got A Lot More Expensive
The quarterback market is getting pricier by the day, and Texas A&M is feeling the ripple effect before the offseason even fully arrives. Mississippi States Kamario Taylor is reportedly finalizing a $7.5 million deal to return for the 2027 season, a move that could make him the highest-paid quarterback in college football and further tighten an already thin pool of proven transfer options.
For the Aggies, the bigger issue is not just that Taylor is off the board, but that the market is shifting toward retention instead of movement. More high-production quarterbacks are choosing to stay put rather than test the portal, which means Texas A&M may have to spend more aggressively than ever just to stay in the conversation for top-end help. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Elkos Emotional Response Adds To Texas A&Ms Offensive Tension
Texas A&Ms offensive issues have become impossible to ignore this season, with the Aggies sitting near the bottom of the national rankings in both points and yards per game. As the pressure has mounted, head coach Mike Elko has tried to steady the conversation around offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins, saying he remains confident in the current coaching setup even as the results have left plenty to be desired.
Elkos tone only added to the intrigue when he was asked about his long-term confidence in Wiggins during a recent press conference, and his emotional response stood out in a week already defined by offensive frustration. For a program trying to find answers on that side of the ball, the public show of support may have been meant to calm things down, but it also underscored just how much tension now surrounds the Aggies offense. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Heads Into Tennessee With A Growing Problem At Receiver
Texas A&Ms passing game showed some life against South Carolina, but the Aggies still left with a familiar concern hanging over the offense. Quarterback Marcel Reed turned in his best performance of the season, completing 25 of 43 passes for 251 yards, yet the unit still couldnt find the end zone, a reminder that progress through the air has not translated into the kind of production this team needs.
The bigger question heading into Tennessee is who Reed will have available to throw to. Wide receivers Ashton Bethel-Roman and Kelshaun Johnson both sat out the South Carolina game, and Mike Elko did not provide any updates on their status, leaving their availability uncertain as the Aggies keep searching for answers at receiver. Offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins is expected to remain in place for the rest of the season, so for now the focus shifts to whether Texas A&M can get healthier in time to give Reed a fuller set of options. [Read more 🡒]