Texas A&M is already being cast as a possible player for a very different kind of quarterback race in 2027.
The Aggies’ situation under center could look nothing like it does now. With redshirt junior Marcel Reed sliding backward and backup Brady Hart unlikely to be ready to step in as the starter this season or in 2027, Mike Elko may end up shopping for a top-tier transfer quarterback and paying accordingly.
There are other names to monitor, too. Current Alabama backup Austin Mack and Oregon State quarterback Brandon Atkenson are among the options expected to draw interest from multiple Power Four programs that need a quarterback.
But the bigger buzz this week has centered on Texas quarterback Arch Manning.
The Longhorns have stumbled badly this season, dropping back-to-back SEC games to unranked Oklahoma and Florida. Manning has struggled through both losses, including a 173-yard, one-touchdown outing against Florida’s shaky secondary.
On “That SEC Podcast,” hosts Michael Bratton and Cousin Shane floated several programs that could go after the former five-star recruit, and Texas A&M was one of them - but only if Texas misses the College Football Playoff for a second straight year and potentially makes a coaching change from Steve Sarkisian.
Manning still has the arm talent to succeed in College Station, according to the discussion, but Texas’ problems have piled up fast. Sarkisian’s play-calling and poor protection up front have been part of the Longhorns’ surprising skid.
The comparison to former Texas A&M quarterback and Houston Cougars standout Conner Weigman also came up, with the suggestion that Manning, like Weigman, might benefit from a fresh start and a different setting in the NFL.
Still, there’s skepticism that Texas A&M would seriously become involved if Manning hit the portal. Oklahoma, LSU, Ole Miss - where his grandfather and uncle played - South Carolina and Tennessee were also mentioned as possible destinations.
In Other News...
Texas A&M Could Be Pulled Into A Massive QB Portal Chase
Texas A&Ms quarterback room is already drawing offseason scrutiny, and the sense around the program is that changes could be on the horizon next season. With questions about how the current options are performing and whether they are ready for the next step, the Aggies could be forced to look hard at the transfer portal for a proven answer rather than simply hoping the depth chart sorts itself out.
That search could quickly become part of a much bigger market, with Texas A&M linked in conversation to portal names such as Austin Mack and Brandon Atkenson. There is also speculation around Texas quarterback Arch Manning and whether he might ever consider a move if the right conditions develop, which would only intensify what could already be a crowded sweepstakes for programs hunting a high-end solution under center. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&Ms New-Look Roster Already Has One Huge National Signal
Texas A&Ms second season under Bucky McMillan is still months away, but the early buzz around the Aggies is already louder than most programs can expect in a full preseason. The 2026-27 schedule opens Nov. 3 at home against Alabama State, and the conversation around College Station has quickly shifted to a roster that looks very different from a year ago. Transfer guard PJ Haggerty is the headline name, but he is part of a wider overhaul that gives McMillan a new foundation to work with.
What makes the picture even more interesting is how much national attention this group seems capable of drawing before it has played a game together. The roster has enough new faces and enough upside to fuel preseason honors and tournament chatter, and the main question now is how quickly the pieces settle in once the games begin. If the Aggies are going to turn that buzz into something real, the first few weeks will go a long way toward showing whether this new look is more than just paper depth. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Suddenly Has A Bigger Offensive Problem Than Expected
Texas A&Ms first-half offensive issues have been easier to explain than to solve after a 2025 season that sent the program into the College Football Playoff conversation. A near undefeated regular season created a new level of expectation, but the Aggies have spent much of 2026 trying to replace key pieces, including KC Concepcion and much of the offensive line, after both were pulled away by the NFL draft.
The result has been a unit that looks noticeably less settled than it did a year ago, even with senior transfer kicker David Olano providing steady work on special teams. Marcel Reed remains the projected starter at quarterback, but his production has dipped enough to make the offense feel like more than just a rebuilding job. For a team that entered the season expecting some regression, the bigger concern now is whether the passing game can recover before the hole gets any deeper. [Read more 🡒]