Texas A&M’s offense already has a familiar headliner in Marcel Reed, but Terry Bussey may be the piece that gives the Aggies a different kind of punch in 2026.
That’s the part worth watching as Mike Elko’s group tries to build on a season that ended with the school’s first-ever College Football Playoff appearance and one of the best regular seasons in recent memory. With the roster being reloaded ahead of 2026, Texas A&M is looking for another path back into the postseason, and Bussey’s growing role could matter more than his numbers suggest.
The hype around Bussey started the moment he arrived in College Station. He came in as the No. 1 receiver in his class and the No. 11 prospect in the country, and the staff saw him as one of the biggest prizes in the class - a player expected to make a real impact over time.
He has already started to flash that upside. Over his first two seasons, Bussey has played in 25 games and appeared in every game last season. He has 411 yards on 35 catches with one touchdown, averaging 11.7 yards per reception.
Even with that production, he has been viewed as a possible X-factor for the Aggies in 2026. His frame may be a little smaller, but at 5-foot-1 and 205 pounds, he has the strength to hold up in one-on-one battles on the outside.
Bussey also won’t need to carry the offense for Texas A&M to benefit from him. Mario Craver and Isaiah Horton are expected to take most of the snaps again, and that could actually work in Bussey’s favor. With defenses focused on those two, his speed and route-running give him a chance to find openings elsewhere.
The coaching staff has been encouraged by his offseason growth, and that has led to more trust in him as a potential key contributor this year. He could even get a look at punt return, and the offense’s shift toward more empty sets should create more chances for him to get on the field.
If that expanded role translates the way Texas A&M believes it can, Bussey might end up being the player who helps unlock the offense.
In Other News...
Texas A&M Has A Backup QB Battle Worth Watching
With Marcel Reed settled in as Texas A&Ms starting quarterback for 2026, the spotlight has shifted to a backup job that could matter more than it usually does in College Station. Redshirt freshman Brady Hart has the early edge in that competition, helped by his early enrollment, some game experience and the physical development that comes with another year in the program. It is the kind of quiet offseason battle that rarely gets the same attention as the starting job, but it can shape how a team handles the inevitable bumps over a long season.
Mike Elko has made clear, though, that nothing is locked in behind Reed. Hart is ahead for now, but he still has to keep improving to hold off the rest of the room, and that is what makes this one worth tracking as spring and summer move along. For an Aggies team with bigger goals in 2026, the difference between a steady No. 2 and an unsettled depth chart could end up meaning more than it looks like in March. [Read more 🡒]
Houston Thomas Is Already Showing Why Texas A&M Needed Him
Texas A&M went into the offseason looking for a tighter fit at tight end, and Houston Thomas arrived with that job description in mind. The transfer from UTSA was brought in to help the offense for the 2026 season, and early fall camp work has given the Aggies reason to think they may have found a more useful piece at the position than they had a year ago.
Thomas has already stood out in practices, flashing the kind of receiving ability Texas A&M was missing in its tight end group. He has been making notable catches against the defense, including one against safety Tawfiq Byard, and the early signs suggest the Aggies may have added a player who can change the conversation around that spot. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Just Added The Kind Of Scorer SEC Teams Fear
Texas A&M is bringing in the kind of proven perimeter scoring that can change how SEC defenses game-plan overnight. PJ Haggerty, one of the top 10 NCAA scorers in the 2025-26 season, is returning to college basketball for a fifth season, and his next stop is College Station after a winding path through TCU, Tulsa, Memphis and Kansas State.
Haggerty has been a high-volume scorer in recent seasons, and the Aggies are getting a veteran guard who has already shown he can carry an offense. He is not the only major scorer staying in school, either, with Juke Harris also opting out of the NBA Draft after two seasons at Wake Forest and choosing to continue his college career with Tennessee, a reminder that the top end of the transfer and draft markets is still very much in motion. [Read more 🡒]
