Texas A&M opens its 2026 season on Saturday with a first-time matchup against Missouri State, and the consensus around the game is about as lopsided as it gets. The experts are nearly unanimous in backing the Aggies, with the only real debate centered on how big the margin will be.
That makes sense on paper. Missouri State gets a valuable early test against a top-tier program, while Texas A&M gets a chance to settle in, clean up the rough edges and build some rhythm on both sides of the ball.
There is still a clear football question inside the mismatch, though. Missouri State’s new head coach, Casey Woods, brings an offense built to stretch defenses from sideline to sideline across the full 160-foot width of the field.
His up-tempo approach should give Texas A&M’s defense a real early exam, especially for new defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill, whose unit has stressed speed and violence all through fall camp. Against a pace-driven scheme like this one, discipline and conditioning are going to matter.
On the other side, Texas A&M’s biggest focus is up front. The skill talent is expected to do its part, but the key is whether the offensive line can settle on the right combination, protect consistently and open enough running lanes to let the offense get moving.
So while the picks all point in one direction, Saturday still offers Texas A&M an important opening-night look at itself. The Aggies are expected to win comfortably, but Missouri State has enough talent to serve as a reminder that no game gets played on autopilot.
In Other News...
Texas A&M May Finally Unlock Terry Bussey In This Offense
Holmon Wiggins is already hinting that Terry Bussey could be one of the more interesting pieces in Texas A&Ms offense this fall. The Aggies offensive coordinator has talked about using Bussey in multiple roles, which fits the profile of a player whose versatility has stood out since fall camp. It is the kind of plan that suggests the staff sees more than a standard receiver workload for him.
Bussey arrived in College Station with plenty of recruiting pedigree, but his first two seasons have not produced much in the way of on-field impact. That is why this offseason feels different. If Wiggins can find the right way to deploy him, Texas A&M may finally be close to turning Busseys promise into something more tangible, even if his exact role is still taking shape. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Linebacker Concern Suddenly Looks Very Different Heading Into Opener
Texas A&Ms linebacker situation looked like one of the more straightforward questions of the preseason, but it has settled into something far more encouraging as the opener against Missouri State approaches. Senior Daymion Sanford is back after recovering from a fibula injury, giving the Aggies a veteran presence on the outside, while Tulsa transfer Ray Coney has positioned himself to start at middle linebacker after turning heads throughout camp and earning steady praise from the coaching staff.
The rest of the rotation adds even more stability, with junior Jordan Lockhart and sophomore Noah Mikhail also in the mix to help fill out the position group. For a defense that needed answers heading into the season, Texas A&M now appears to have both experience and depth at linebacker, and the first real test of that group is finally about to arrive. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Schedule Is Here And The Stakes Feel Much Bigger
Texas A&Ms 2026 football schedule is finally out, and it arrives with a familiar backbone in place. The Aggies return two-thirds of last seasons roster, giving the program a chance to build around continuity at a time when schedule release news tends to trigger instant speculation about how fast a team can climb.
The early read is encouraging because the Aggies are not starting from scratch on either side of the ball. They have experience returning on defense as well, and with kickoff dates and some TV windows already attached to the slate, there is at least a clearer sense of when the real tests will start to stack up and what kind of response this group will need to show once the season begins. [Read more 🡒]