Week 3 brings Texas A&M its first SEC test of the season, and Kentucky is headed to Kyle Field with a few players capable of making the afternoon messy for the Aggies.
The Wildcats are coming off a 45-17 loss to Alabama, but that game still offered a glimpse of what they can do when things are clicking early. They led at halftime before the second half went quiet, and a few Kentucky standouts still managed to flash enough to demand attention from A&M.
Kenny Minchey is the headliner on offense. The 6-foot-2 senior didn’t light up the stat sheet against Alabama, finishing with 146 total yards on 18 completions in 31 attempts, plus a touchdown and an interception.
But he did enough to get noticed by anyone watching closely. That came a week after he torched Week 1 with more than 300 passing yards and four touchdowns.
In the Will Stein system, he has shown arm talent, a quick release and enough mobility to move around the pocket and find his targets. His football IQ and command of the playbook make him the kind of quarterback Texas A&M cannot afford to let settle in.
CJ Baxter gives Kentucky another threat to keep the Aggies honest. After three years in South Bend, he entered the transfer portal and landed in Lexington, where he has fit in well so far.
Through two games, he has 20 carries for 77 yards and two touchdowns, with a long run of 15 yards. Before Kentucky, his time with Texas produced 855 yards and five touchdowns.
Baxter runs with patience, can take contact and keep churning out yards in zone schemes, and he can also show up as a receiver. That combination gives Mike Elko and the A&M defense another name to track on every snap.
Then there’s Tavion Gadson, the player who can make life hard for Marcel Reed if he starts winning up front. The 6-foot-5 senior already has 1.5 sacks and two solo tackles through two weeks, and he did not play in Kentucky’s opener before making an impact against Alabama.
His quickness jumps off the page, and his long arms help him hold up against double teams. He is also a strong tackler with the kind of aggressive, violent burst that can disrupt a pocket in a hurry.
If Gadson starts getting through cleanly, Texas A&M’s offense could be in for a long day.
In Other News...
ESPN Voice Refuses To Call Texas College Footballs Best Team
Rece Davis is not ready to follow the polls when it comes to Texas, even after the Longhorns walked out of Columbus with one of the seasons most eye-catching wins. On The Pat McAfee Show, the ESPN College GameDay host said he currently has Notre Dame at No. 1 and Texas at No. 2, a stance that runs against the AP and Coaches polls, which both have Texas on top.
Davis did give Texas credit for the comeback against Ohio State, but he said he is still not convinced the Longhorns have played like the nations best team across the full game. For Texas fans, it is a familiar kind of debate: the rsum is strong, the ranking says one thing, and a national voice on ESPN is still waiting for more proof before fully buying in. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Still Has One Offensive Problem Before SEC Play
Two weeks into the 2026 season, Texas A&M is still unbeaten, but the offense has not looked fully settled heading into SEC play. Marcel Reeds passing production has been the biggest talking point, and the Aggies have not gotten enough consistent help through the air to make the unit feel as dangerous as it needs to be. Injuries have played a part, and the tight end group has not provided much lift either, leaving the passing game with more questions than answers.
That puts extra focus on offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins as the league schedule arrives. Texas A&M needs more out of its receivers, especially Isaiah Horton, Mario Craver and Ashton Bethel-Roman, if the offense is going to keep pace once the competition stiffens. The record still looks clean, but the next stretch will show whether the Aggies can turn talent into production before the margin for error gets much smaller. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Enters SEC Opener With Plenty Still To Prove
Texas A&M kept its starting lineup unchanged for its SEC opener against Kentucky, sticking with the same depth chart it used in last weeks win over Arizona State. The Aggies enter the matchup 2-0, and their defense showed up in a big way in the most recent game, a sign that the early-season foundation is starting to settle in as conference play begins.
Kentucky arrives at Kyle Field coming off a loss to Alabama, which gives this one an early feel of a measuring-stick game for both teams. For A&M, the question is less about who is on the field and more about whether the Aggies can carry that same defensive edge into SEC competition, where every week tends to reveal a little more about what a team really is. [Read more 🡒]