Texas A&M’s season has gone from lofty expectations to a far rougher reality, but Mike Elko is still trying to keep the final stretch from turning into a total free fall.
The Aggies entered Elko’s third season with real momentum after reaching the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history. Instead, they’re sitting at 4-4 overall and 1-4 in SEC play, a slide shaped in part by offseason moves that haven’t paid off the way the program hoped. That includes the promotions of Holmon Wiggins and Lyle Hemphill into the offensive and defensive coordinator roles.
The struggles haven’t stopped at the coaching changes. Senior quarterback Marcel Reed, who posted a career-best 3,169 passing yards and 25 touchdowns last season, has taken a noticeable step back.
Through eight starts, he has thrown eight touchdowns and eight interceptions, and the offense has not seen much improvement from him. For now, though, Reed remains the starter, with backup Brady Hart not ready to take over.
Texas A&M’s issues run deeper than the quarterback spot. A rotating offensive line has made things harder up front, while coverage busts in the secondary and shaky tackling - especially from the linebacker group - have contributed to the lopsided losses that have piled up.
On Wednesday, during his weekly Aggie Football Hour appearance, Elko addressed the mindset around the season’s final four regular-season games and made clear he still sees something worth fighting for.
"I told the guys, 'Listen, we had high expectations for where this thing could go, and obviously we haven’t met those, but there’s still a massive difference between 4-8 and 8-4.'"
"So when you say there’s nothing to play for, in my opinion, there’s a lot to play for. There’s a lot to play for every single week in terms of continuing to invest in what we started this journey to be about."
That message will get its next test Saturday, when the Aggies visit No. 21 South Carolina coming out of their bye. Texas A&M will need a more physical showing on both sides of the ball, and Reed will have to connect on the high-percentage throws while recapturing the first-half form he showed in the Week 8 road loss to Alabama.
In Other News...
Texas A&M Heads To South Carolina With Two Key Pieces In Doubt
Texas A&M heads into Saturdays trip to South Carolina with a little more uncertainty than it would like this late in the week. Running back KJ Edwards and linebacker Noah Mikhail were both listed as questionable on the SECs initial availability report, adding some intrigue to a matchup that kicks off at 2 p.m. CT in Columbia and will be shown on ESPN.
The Aggies also already know they will be without three other players because of injuries, so the availability picture is not exactly settling in their favor. For a team trying to manage the grind of the SEC schedule, the status of Edwards and Mikhail matters on both sides of the ball, and the next update will tell a lot about how Texas A&M plans to handle this one. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolina Could Hit Texas A&M With A Bigger Loss Saturday
With Texas A&M and South Carolina set to meet this weekend, the recruiting subplot around Frederick Ards III adds another layer to a game that already has plenty of attention. The four-star edge rusher has been committed to the Aggies, but his recent visit to South Carolina has put him squarely in the middle of a familiar late-cycle tug-of-war between SEC programs.
Ards is one of the more highly regarded 2027 prospects in the country, and his offer sheet reflects how many major programs are still chasing him. South Carolina is reportedly trying to get him to rethink his commitment, which means this matchup could carry some off-field significance for Texas A&M beyond the scoreboard and the usual conference stakes. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M's 2027 Class Faces Another Recruiting Test
Texas A&Ms 2027 recruiting class is already drawing the kind of attention that comes with a strong start, and the pressure is only picking up as Early Signing Day approaches. The Aggies have built momentum with a group that has other programs looking closely, but that also means the class is being tested in real time as rivals continue to push for flips and visits.
Aston Whiteside has already changed course, flipping his commitment to Miami, while Kaden Henderson is reportedly set to visit Notre Dame. Damani Warren is also expected to take a trip to Oregon State, though his commitment to Texas A&M is still considered solid according to sources, giving the Aggies at least one encouraging sign as the next round of recruiting battles unfolds. [Read more 🡒]