Mike Elko’s Texas A&M team is heading into fall camp with a clear mission: keep the momentum rolling after the Aggies made their first-ever College Football Playoff appearance in 2025 and try to stay on that path in 2026.
The challenge is obvious. Texas A&M is coming off a breakthrough season, but the road ahead is brutal, and camp will be the first real chance to sort out how this roster fits together before the opener against Missouri State in Week 1 on September 5.
There’s also a new look on the coaching staff. Holmon Wiggins moves from co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach to offensive coordinator, while Lyle Hemphill steps in as defensive coordinator after serving as AHC/defensive analyst. Joey Lynch takes over as quarterbacks coach after working as an analyst, and the staff also includes Elijah Robinson at defensive line, Travis Williams at linebackers, Derek Shay at tight ends, and John Perry at wide receivers after previously being an analyst.
The roster has plenty of new faces too. Among the transfers to know are DE Anto Saka from Northwestern, WR Isaiah Horton and OL Wilkin Formby from Alabama, CB Rickey Gibson from Tennessee, and S Tawfiq Byard from Colorado. The list of names to watch also includes WR Aaron Gregory and DE Bryce Perry-Wright.
One of the biggest camp questions is at cornerback, where Dezz Ricks appears set on one side. The other spot is wide open after Will Lee moved on to the NFL, and Rickey Gibson, Julio Humphrey, and Brandon Arrington are in the mix to claim it.
The offensive line is another major puzzle. Mark Nabou is the only starter who looks settled, and everything else is still up for grabs.
Texas A&M has a group of younger players who have been waiting for their chance - Lamont Rogers, Ashton Funk, Blake Ivy, and Tyler Thomas - along with a wave of transfers in Wilkin Formby, Tyree Adams from LSU, Coen Echols from LSU, and Trovon Baugh from South Carolina. However it shakes out, that front is going to define a lot for the Aggies, and even a small dip there could matter.
Up front on defense, the turnover is once again hard to ignore. After 2024, Texas A&M lost Shemar Stewart, Shemar Turner, Rodas Johnson, and Nic Scourton.
After 2025, the departures include Cashius Howell, Tyler Onyedim, Dayon Hayes, and Albert Regis. Last season, the Aggies mixed returners with a couple of transfers in the starting lineup, and that same formula looks likely again.
DJ Hicks, TJ Searcy, and Marco Jones are expected to play major roles, with Anto Saka, Ryan Henderson from SDSU, CJ Mims from UNC, and Brandon Davis-Swain from Colorado all in the picture.
The injury update section remains pending until Elko speaks to the media.
As camp approaches, the projected depth chart gives a first look at how Texas A&M might line up. Marcel Reed is listed at quarterback ahead of Brady Hart, with Rueben Owens and Jamarion Morrow at running back.
At receiver, Isaiah Horton is projected at X with Aaron Gregory behind him, Ashton Bethel-Roman and Jayden Warren are at Z, and Mario Craver and Terry Bussey are in the slot. Micah Riley and Houston Thomas are listed at tight end.
Along the offensive line, the projection has Wilkin Formby at left tackle, Tyree Adams at left guard, Mark Nabou at center, Ashton Funk at right guard, and Robert Bourdon at right tackle, with Blake Ivy, Trovon Baugh, Coen Echols, Tyler Thomas, and Lamont Rogers behind them in various spots.
Defensively, the projection has Marco Jones and Ryan Henderson at end, CJ Mims and DJ Sanders at tackle, Landon Rink and Brandon Davis-Swain at the other tackle spot, and Anto Saka opposite Sam M’Pemba at end. Ray Coney and Noah Mikhail are listed at linebacker, Dezz Ricks and Julio Humphrey at corner, Dalton Brooks and Tawfiq Byard at safety, Marcus Ratcliffe and Myles Davis at the other safety spot, Bryce Anderson and Bravion Rogers at nickel, and Rickey Gibson with Brandon Arrington at the other cornerback position.
In Other News...
Texas A&M Is One Decision Away From Cementing Its No. 1 Class
Texas A&Ms 2027 recruiting surge has been built the way Mike Elko wants his program to look, with premium talent spread across the roster and enough early momentum to keep the Aggies near the top of Rivals latest update. The latest boost came with linebacker Mikahi Allen, and the class already carries high-end pieces at offensive line, defensive edge and wide receiver, giving A&M the kind of balance that usually separates a strong class from a truly elite one.
Now the spotlight shifts to one last major decision, with a priority running back set to choose soon and the Aggies still positioned to finish where they started. The broader picture is just as important for A&M, though, because this group is not only about star power but also about building depth at quarterback and continuing the recent reset at receiver, where transfers and new commitments have changed the look of the room. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Fans Just Earned Major Respect Nationwide
A new ranking from Message Board Geniuses gave college football fans a fresh reminder of what Texas A&M has long represented: one of the sports most devoted followings. The Aggies landed near the top of the list of loyal fanbases, a nod to a crowd that has kept showing up through changing eras, uneven results and the kind of week-to-week uncertainty that can test even the most committed supporters.
The backdrop matters here, because Texas A&Ms fan base has continued to pack Kyle Field through recent coaching turnover and mixed team performance, with attendance staying strong in both the 2022 and 2023 seasons. That kind of consistency is what separates a good home crowd from a truly national presence, and it is why the Aggies keep getting mentioned in the same breath as the sports most dependable fan bases. [Read more 🡒]
Marcel Reed Just Got The Doubt Aggies Fans Will Remember
Marcel Reeds rise at Texas A&M last season was enough to make him one of the more interesting quarterbacks in the SEC conversation, but it was not enough to earn him a preseason spot on the leagues teams. The Aggies starter flashed the kind of early-season play that had people around the conference paying attention, and he remains the player most tied to how far Texas A&M can go this fall.
Still, the preseason nods went elsewhere, a reminder that Reeds resume still comes with some uneven moments attached to it. Texas A&M is chasing a breakthrough run to the SEC Championship Game, and if that push is going to turn into something bigger, Reed will have to turn the kind of mixed perception he carries right now into the kind of consistency that changes the conversation. [Read more 🡒]