Texas A&M’s early-season surge has the Aggies climbing again in the AP Top 25, and Saturday’s 48-20 win over Arizona State is the reason why.
The No. 9 ranking puts Texas A&M one spot behind No. 8 Ole Miss and one ahead of No.
10 Alabama after a second straight dominant showing to open the 2026 season. The Aggies improved to 2-0, and the fourth quarter was where they really separated, piling up 24 points against the Sun Devils.
Texas A&M is one of nine SEC teams included in the latest poll. Along with the Aggies, the conference is represented by No.
1 Texas, No. 2 Georgia, No.
7 LSU, No. 15 Tennessee, No.
20 Missouri and No. 24 Oklahoma, among others in the rankings.
The full AP Top 25 has Texas at No. 1, followed by Georgia, Notre Dame, Indiana, Miami and Ohio State. LSU checks in at No.
7, Ole Miss at No. 8, Texas A&M at No. 9 and Alabama at No.
- The rest of the poll runs through Virginia at No.
Next up, the Aggies turn to SEC play with Kentucky coming to College Station. Texas A&M will be at home for the final game of a three-game home stand to start the season, and the Wildcats arrive at 1-1.
Kentucky is led by new head coach Will Stein, and the Wildcats are coming off a 45-17 loss to Alabama.
The matchup gives Texas A&M its first conference game before what looks like an even bigger challenge the following week, when the Aggies hit the road to face No. 7 LSU.
Mike Elko’s team will need to stay locked in against Kentucky before the schedule sharpens again, but for now Texas A&M has put itself squarely among the top teams in the country.
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Marcel Reed Faces The Question Texas A&M Can't Avoid
Marcel Reed has already shown Texas A&M he can make things happen when the picture opens up, and that part of his game gives the Aggies a real dimension at quarterback. Through the early part of the 2026 season, the benefit for Texas A&M has been clear enough: Reed can extend plays, create stress on defenses and help the offense capitalize on the talent around him.
The harder question is whether that is enough when the opposition gets better and the margin for error shrinks. Texas A&M has found ways to win with defense and with its other offensive weapons doing their share, but Reed still has to prove he can be more than a useful piece and become the player who consistently drives the offense in the biggest spots. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Is Still In The Hunt For An Elite 2028 Receiver
Texas A&M is already working well ahead on its 2028 class, and wide receiver Braylon Clark is one of the names worth tracking. The Aggies made Clarks recent top 12 finalist list, putting them in a mix that also includes heavyweights such as Ohio State and LSU as the early recruiting picture starts to take shape.
Clark is expected to get a closer look at College Station when he visits for Texas A&Ms home game against Arkansas on October 3. For the Aggies, that trip offers an important chance to stay in the conversation with one of the more sought-after receivers in the cycle, even if the battle for his commitment is still just beginning. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Has A Big Recruiting Chance With Another Top Edge Target
Texas A&Ms closing stretch at home in 2026 is shaping up to matter well beyond the standings, with Mike Elko and his staff treating those games as prime recruiting weekends for the 2028 class. The Aggies already have momentum with five-star quarterback Donald Tabron III and four-star Edge Chance Archangel committed, and the staff will get another chance to stack visits from top prospects as the season rolls on.
One of the bigger names on the board is four-star Edge David Dotson, who is slated to come through campus and has already put Texas A&M among the programs drawing his attention. For a staff trying to build around elite talent on both sides of the ball, these home dates could be especially valuable in showing Dotson and other visitors what the Aggies' pitch looks like in person. [Read more 🡒]