Texas A&M got a lot out of its 50-0 rout of Missouri State, but one of the clearest takeaways came from a freshman who needed only one touch to announce himself.
Carsyn Baker turned his first collegiate carry into a 12-yard touchdown in the second half, flashing the burst and feel that made the 6-foot, 210-pound back a four-star recruit. It was the kind of debut that can change a depth chart fast, and it came in a game where the Aggies had plenty of room to evaluate young talent.
Afterward, Mike Elko made it plain that Baker is not going to be a one-game storyline. The Texas A&M coach also singled out freshman back KJ Edwards, saying, "Those two kids are going to play a lot. They will play much more meaningful reps (going forward)."
Baker’s path to College Station adds another layer to the story. He landed with the Aggies after Jonathan Hatton decommitted and signed with Oklahoma, which opened the door for A&M to flip Baker away from Florida. Texas A&M then beat out North Carolina and South Carolina to secure his commitment.
His emergence matters even more because Texas A&M has already taken a hit in the backfield. Tiger Riden suffered a season-ending injury near the end of fall camp, leaving the Aggies with a bigger need for someone who can handle meaningful carries. Baker now looks positioned to benefit from that opening.
What stood out on Saturday was the full package. Baker finished with seven carries for 52 yards, a 7.4 yards-per-carry average, and showed the kind of explosiveness, balance and physical running style Texas A&M will lean on as the schedule gets tougher. That’s especially important with former running back Le'Veon Moss no longer on the roster.
The Aggies have depth at the position, but they still need a runner who can bring some power and break things open when defenses tighten up in SEC play. Baker looked like that kind of back against Missouri State, and his high school numbers in Georgia only reinforced the profile, as he averaged 10 yards a carry there.
All signs point to a larger workload when Texas A&M hosts Arizona State on Saturday afternoon at Kyle Field. If Baker’s first outing is any clue, the freshman is just getting started.
In Other News...
Texas A&M Revives A Meaningful Tradition For Arizona State Game
Texas A&M is using its September 12 game against Arizona State to revisit one of the programs most recognizable traditions, tying the night to both the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and the nations 250th birthday. The school will again sell Standing for America T-shirts, keeping a patriotic fundraiser that fits neatly with the Aggies military-rooted identity and the way the university has long framed these moments as part of its football culture.
This years proceeds are set to support the expansion of the Hall of Honor at the Memorial Student Center, giving the tribute a destination beyond the stadium and a direct link to campus history. The game itself will carry the usual emotional weight of a remembrance night, but the added wrinkle is how much this version of the tradition will continue to connect on-field pageantry with a project that could shape how future generations experience Texas A&Ms story. [Read more 🡒]
Dabo Swinneys Week 1 Fallout Just Got More Uncomfortable
Clemsons ugly Week 1 loss to LSU has already put Dabo Swinney under an uncomfortable spotlight, and the conversation only got sharper when he met the media before Week 2. Asked about whether he had any regrets with the way the roster was built, Swinney did not give a direct answer, instead steering the discussion toward the end of the season and away from drawing conclusions after one game.
He also showed visible frustration with the direction of the questions while his team sits at 0-1, a reminder that the fallout from a one-sided opening loss is about more than the score itself. For anyone following Clemson from a Texas A&M angle, it is the kind of early-season noise that can linger if the Tigers do not settle things quickly, and Swinney is already being pressed on decisions he would clearly rather leave for later. [Read more 🡒]
Familiar Aggies Are Showing Up In Some Unexpected NFL Places
Texas A&Ms NFL footprint is still stretching well beyond the usual landing spots, with former Aggies popping up all over the league as the 2026 season gets underway. The program has 41 ex-Aggies on active rosters, including a record-tying 10 from the 2026 draft class, a reminder that the pipeline to Sundays keeps widening even as the names and destinations keep changing.
Some of the movement has been especially eye-catching, with Myles Garrett landing with the Los Angeles Rams, Mike Evans heading to the San Francisco 49ers and Von Miller joining the Dallas Cowboys. For Aggies fans, the intrigue is in tracking not just who made it, but where they ended up, and the full list of active NFL homes gives a decent snapshot of how far Texas A&M talent is spreading this fall. [Read more 🡒]