Texas A&M’s offensive line is still taking shape, and Mike Elko isn’t pretending otherwise.
After Tuesday’s 11th preseason practice, the third-year coach met with local media for the first time since Saturday’s closed scrimmage. That session remains largely a mystery to everyone outside the program, with only a few clips released by Texas A&M’s media team. Still, Elko and new offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins spent time discussing how much progress both sides of the ball have made.
One of the clearest developments in camp has been at quarterback, where redshirt junior Marcel Reed is reportedly making another jump as a pocket passer. His mechanics - from footwork to decision-making - have sharpened, and his accuracy has stood out. Texas A&M’s media team even captured Reed connecting with Alabama transfer receiver Isaiah Horton on a 30-plus-yard strike that was right on point.
That receiver group looks loaded. Horton joins junior Mario Craver, Ashton Bethel-Roman, Terry Bussey and freshman Aaron Gregory, giving Reed what appears to be the best wideout room he’s had with the Aggies.
Up front, though, the picture is much less settled. Texas A&M sent four of its 2025 starting offensive linemen into the 2026 NFL Draft, and all four were selected among the record 10 players taken. Elko and offensive line coach Adam Cushing prepared for that hit by bringing in four SEC starting linemen to go with several returners, creating a brand-new look for the 2026 unit.
For now, senior center Mark Nabou is the only holdover in the group. The transfers Wilkin Formby, Tyree Adams, Coen Echols and Trovon Baugh are expected to round out the starting five, but Elko says the competition is still very much alive.
"I think you can see a lot of things in practice. I think you can identify a lot of things just from years of experience doing it and knowing what it should look like.
The biggest challenge you always have in fall camp is there's not a lot of relative comparison that you've played with on a field in SEC football," Elko said. "We've got two groups battling that are all relative unknowns.
I think until you get to September 5 and start rolling it out there against competitive people, it'll be a little bit of a wait-and-see."
That wait-and-see label fits the entire line right now. Even with the presumed starters in place, there are still open battles at tackle and guard, and players like Robert Bourdon plus redshirt freshmen Lamont Rogers, Tyler Thomas and Blake Ivy are all in the mix for starting jobs or important reserve roles.
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