Texas A&M’s rise under Mike Elko has been impossible to ignore, and On3 is betting that the Aggies stay in the national playoff conversation in 2026. Chris Low’s latest College Football Playoff projection slots Texas A&M in as the 11-seed, setting up a first-round matchup with 6-seed Oregon.
That would be the first meeting between the programs on the football field, and Low expects plenty of offense if the two teams actually line up against each other. He wrote:
"Two evenly matched teams, and two teams with elite talent on both sides of the ball, go at it on a rainy night in Eugene. The Aggies’ receivers do what they’ve done all season, and that’s produce explosive plays.
Mike Elko has made it a priority to make the offense more explosive. The Ducks are able to match that explosiveness with Dakorien Moore catching two touchdowns and tight end Jamari Johnson making a key third-down catch to keep the ball away from the Aggies late in the game.
But the biggest difference? The game is played at Autzen Stadium."
Texas A&M has already checked off some major boxes in Elko’s brief tenure. His second season ended with the program’s first-ever trip to the College Football Playoff, and the Aggies also sent a record 10 players into the 2026 NFL Draft, a clear sign of how quickly the roster has been developed across the board.
Even with major turnover, the national respect is still there. Before the AP Top 25 is released on Monday, Texas A&M landed at No. 8 in the US LBM Coaches Poll despite losing a big chunk of its 2025 roster.
The Aggies went into the offseason having returned 65% of that 2025 team and added 17 transfer portal players to go with the 2026 signing class. One of the biggest reasons for optimism is quarterback Marcel Reed, now a redshirt junior and entering his second full season as the starter. Reed threw for 3,169 yards, 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions last fall, and he has looked sharp through the first seven preseason practices.
The receiving group should help keep the offense humming, and Holmon Wiggins’ first year as offensive coordinator is expected to lean into that strength. Alabama transfer Isaiah Horton gives Texas A&M a bigger body and a more reliable red-zone option, which should fit into a passing attack built to create more explosive plays.
Defensively, the Aggies have some intriguing new pieces as well. Northwestern transfer Edge Anto Saka has already drawn attention after his first media appearance on Wednesday, with social media buzzing over his mature physique. Alongside rising sophomore Marco Jones, he gives Texas A&M a path forward after losing Cashius Howell without having to rebuild the pass rush from scratch.
The bigger question sits up front on offense. Replacing four starters along the offensive line could end up determining whether the Aggies get back to the playoff or not.
That challenge gets even tougher with the new nine-game SEC schedule. Texas A&M’s second-half slate looks brutal, with road trips to Alabama, South Carolina and Oklahoma, plus home games against Tennessee and Texas.
In Other News...
Texas A&M Anniversary Uniform Reveal Is Turning Into A Fan Backlash
Texas A&Ms 150th-anniversary uniform plan was supposed to give the season a little extra flair, with the program lining up alternate looks for a pair of SEC games. The set includes all-black uniforms for Tennessee and camouflage uniforms for Arkansas, a nod to the schools milestone that was meant to stand out on a meaningful fall weekend.
Instead, the camo design has become the conversation, and not in the way the Aggies likely hoped. Public reaction has tilted negative, with plenty of fans taking aim at the look on social media, even as a few voices around the program, including Kellen Mond, have backed it. The black uniforms have drawn far less attention, leaving the anniversary rollout with one of its biggest reveals still tied up in the debate over whether the camo was a fitting tribute or a misfire. [Read more 🡒]
KJ Edwards Is Making Texas A&Ms Backfield Battle Harder To Ignore
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The bigger question now is how the Aggies want to sort out the depth behind the top options. Offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins has said Tiger Riden is expected to have a role in short-yardage and red zone work, and the coaching staff will continue sorting through how those pieces fit together as camp moves along. Whether Texas A&M leans on one back or spreads the work around is becoming one of the more interesting decisions left on the preseason checklist. [Read more 🡒]
The 5 Aggies Who Will Define Texas A&Ms 2026 Season
As Texas A&M looks ahead to the 2026 season, the conversation naturally starts with the players most likely to shape where the Aggies go next. Marcel Reed is central to that discussion at quarterback, while Rueben Owens gives the offense a dynamic option in the backfield and Mark Nabou Jr. brings needed stability up front. On the other side of the ball, Ratcliffe stands out as a defensive captain whose presence should matter as much in the huddle as it does on the field.
What makes this group important is not just talent, but how each piece fits into the larger picture of the Aggies identity. Reeds growth, Owens production, Nabou Jr.s work in the trenches and Ratcliffes leadership all point to a team that will be shaped by a few defining voices. If Texas A&M is going to make the kind of move it wants in 2026, it is hard to imagine the path there without those players carrying a heavy share of the load. [Read more 🡒]