Texas A&M heads into Thursday night with a clean 3-0 record and a chance to answer a question that lingered from last season: how much better are these Aggies now?
The early returns have been loud. Texas A&M rolled past UL Monroe 108-67 on Monday night, with transfer guards PJ Haggerty and Jordan Pope doing the heavy lifting. Haggerty finished with 22 points, Pope added 19, and McNeese transfer guard Tyshawn Archie kept making his case as the bench’s most dangerous scoring punch with 12 points, highlighted by a thunderous dunk over a 6'9" forward.
That win came with a little extra context, too. TCU needed overtime to beat UL Monroe 100-92 on Tuesday night, which only sharpened the contrast as the Aggies turn to what looks like their toughest challenge so far: Oklahoma State at home Thursday night.
This is also a chance for Texas A&M to settle some unfinished business. Last season, in Bucky McMillan’s first year on the job, the Aggies got handled by the Cowboys 87-63 before later losing at home to UCF, a stretch that left some fans questioning whether this team was really built for an NCAA Tournament push.
McMillan answered that in a big way. He guided Texas A&M to the Round of 32, where the Aggies ran into a stronger Houston team, but the run gave the program real momentum and helped shape the roster now in place. The current group has the kind of talent that can make a serious postseason run.
Oklahoma State brings its own firepower. Senior forward Andrija Grbovic leads the Cowboys at 13.5 points per game, and five players are scoring in double figures. The numbers suggest a fast, efficient offensive night could be in play, with the Cowboys shooting 53% overall and 47% from three-point range.
Texas A&M, meanwhile, has plenty of scoring balance of its own. Haggerty and Pope are both averaging 18 points per game, while Archie, Jalen Shelley, and Mackenzie Mgabako are all in double figures as well.
ESPN FPI likes the Aggies at home, giving Texas A&M a 58.2% chance to win Thursday night.
The game is set for 7:00 p.m. and will stream on SEC Network+.
In Other News...
Texas A&M's QB Search Just Got A Lot More Expensive
The quarterback market is getting pricier by the day, and Texas A&M is feeling the squeeze before the offseason even fully takes shape. Mississippi States Kamario Taylor is reportedly finalizing a $7.5 million deal to return for the 2027 season, a move that would put him in line to become the highest-paid quarterback in college football and remove one of the more intriguing names from the transfer board.
For the Aggies, the bigger issue is what that kind of number says about the market they are about to enter. High-production quarterbacks are increasingly choosing to stay put instead of testing the portal, and the ones who do become available are commanding eye-popping money. That leaves Texas A&M staring at a quarterback search that could be as much about financial muscle as football fit, with the next move likely to come at a steep cost. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Elko Faces One Huge Choice In Texas A&Ms CFP Push
Texas A&Ms push toward the expanded College Football Playoff is already being shaped by the decisions Mike Elko will have to make as the program looks ahead to the 2027 season. In his third year, Elko will be balancing continuity and change, with offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins and quarterback Marcel Reed sitting at the center of the Aggies offensive outlook while the defense shows encouraging signs under first-year coordinator Lyle Hemphill.
The bigger picture for the Aggies is straightforward enough: if they are going to get back into the playoff conversation, the roster has to keep getting stronger. Recruiting and the transfer portal should give Texas A&M chances to add more talent, but the offense still has to settle into a clear direction and the quarterback situation has to stay on track. For a team with postseason expectations rising along with the new format, those choices could end up defining how far this group can go. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Bowl Hopes Suddenly Feel More Fragile Before Tennessee
Texas A&M heads into its matchup with Tennessee in a spot it would rather avoid this late in the season, sitting at 4-5 and needing two wins in its final three games just to reach bowl eligibility. The margin for error is thin enough already, and the injury report only adds to the uncertainty, with five Aggies listed and wide receiver Mario Craver questionable as the team continues to manage several season-ending absences.
Tennessee has its own injury issues to sort through, including multiple players ruled out and defensive lineman Tyree Weathersby done for the year. Even so, this is the kind of game that can swing a seasons tone in a hurry, and for Texas A&M the pressure is obvious: find a way to hold serve now, or the path to December football gets a lot steeper. [Read more 🡒]