Texas A&M is heading into 2026 with real buzz, and the preseason coaches poll reflected it.
The Aggies landed at No. 8 in Tuesday’s first Preseason US LBM Coaches Poll, a fitting spot for a program that just reached the College Football Playoff for the first time in school history and now brings back Mike Elko for his third season. The momentum hasn’t stopped there. Elko also watched 10 players hear their names called in the 2026 NFL Draft, including former transfer wide receiver KC Concepcion, who went 24th overall to the Cleveland Browns.
What Texas A&M has done this offseason helps explain the ranking. The Aggies returned 65% of their 2025 roster and added 17 transfer portal newcomers, then folded that group into the 2026 signing class. That mix is expected to cover key departures and shore up depth across the board.
At quarterback, redshirt junior Marcel Reed is back after re-signing with the Aggies in January. Reed put together his best season yet in 2025, throwing for 3,169 yards, 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He’ll be working with a receiver group that already features Mario Craver and now includes Alabama transfer Isaiah Horton.
Texas A&M also had to reload on the edge after losing unanimous All-American Cashius Howell, who led the SEC with 11.5 sacks last season and was taken in the second round by the Cincinnati Bengals. Elko answered that loss by bringing in former Northwestern Edge Anto Saka, who totaled 41 tackles, 12 sacks and 3 forced fumbles in his career with the Wildcats and posted 30 pressures and 18 QB hurries last season.
The offensive line is another major reset, with four of Texas A&M’s 2025 starting linemen going in the 2026 NFL Draft. Senior center Mark Nabou is the only returning starter, but Elko and OL coach Adam Cushing had already fortified the group by landing four SEC starting offensive linemen out of the portal. Add in several promising linemen from the 2025 signing class, and the Aggies appear well stocked up front.
Texas A&M opens the 2026 season against Missouri State on Saturday, Sept. 5. The full top 25 had Ohio State at No. 1, followed by Oregon, Georgia, Texas and Notre Dame, with Indiana, Miami, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Mississippi rounding out the top 10.
In Other News...
Texas A&M Camp Opens With 3 Offensive Questions Fans Can't Ignore
Preseason camp is set to open Wednesday for Texas A&M, and the first few days should tell plenty about how this offense is going to look when the Aggies head toward their 2026 opener against Missouri State. Mike Elko is scheduled to speak Tuesday, giving the staff a chance to explain how a roster built around 65% returning players, 17 transfer additions and a strong recruiting class is coming together after an offseason of major turnover.
The most immediate questions are all on offense, where Texas A&M is trying to sort out a running back pecking order, settle on the right mix up front and get comfortable with Holmon Wiggins directing the scheme. The line will have to be reassembled with so many moving parts, and the way Wiggins chooses to deploy his personnel will be one of the most revealing storylines of camp as the Aggies begin to define their identity. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Faces A Quiet QB Battle Behind Marcel Reed
Behind Marcel Reed, Texas A&Ms quarterback picture is starting to take shape as fall camp approaches. Mike Elko said Brady Hart will open camp as the backup, a nod to the redshirt freshmans familiarity with the staff and the steady progress he has made since arriving on campus.
The more interesting part is what happens behind him, where Helaman Casuga and Eli Morcos are still in the mix. Casuga brings the profile of a four-star recruit from the 2026 class, while Morcos arrived as a three-star in 2025, and the battle for that next spot is still very much alive as the Aggies get ready for the season. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Fans Need To Let The LeVeon Moss Idea Go
LeVeon Moss has become a familiar name again around College Station, but mostly because of a technicality that has stirred up a lot of wishful thinking. A recent ruling giving members of the high school class of 2022 a path back to college, if they have not signed an NFL contract, briefly opened the door for fans to wonder whether the former Texas A&M running back could be part of the picture after an injury-riddled 2024 season and a quiet NFL Draft weekend.
The problem for Aggies supporters is that the football side of the story never really got far enough to make a comeback feel realistic. Moss has already announced his retirement from football, has not been actively playing, and is also dealing with personal issues, which makes the odds of him resurfacing in maroon and white seem remote at best. For a fan base always looking for a spark in the backfield, it is an understandable idea to chase, but this one probably needs to stay in the past. [Read more 🡒]