Texas A&M enters the 2026 season with plenty of buzz, but On3’s Preseason All-America Team included only two Aggies.
Junior wide receiver Mario Craver and senior safety Marcus Ratcliffe landed on the third team, giving Texas A&M one representative on offense and one on defense. For a roster that just sent a record 10 players into the 2026 draft, that kind of limited preseason recognition isn’t exactly a shock.
The Aggies are less than a month away from opening against Missouri State, and early preseason practices have already offered a glimpse of a team with real talent in place. Third-year coach Mike Elko has a revamped roster to work with, and junior wide receiver Terry Bussey has been one of the early standouts after hauling in several one-handed catches and starting to look like the five-star prospect Texas A&M recruited.
Much of the offseason conversation has centered on quarterback Marcel Reed, who is back after throwing for 3,169 yards, 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions last season. The defense has also drawn plenty of attention, especially a secondary that looks like one of the team’s strongest units, alongside a deep wide receiver group.
Texas A&M also brought in 17 transfers, and several are expected to step in right away. Alabama wide receiver Isaiah Horton, former Northwestern edge Anto Saka and Tennessee cornerback Rickey Gibson III are all in position to make an immediate impact. Up front, four SEC transfer offensive linemen are set to replace the four starters from 2025 who were selected in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Elko, new offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins and new defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill have plenty to build around after last season’s College Football Playoff run. Still, when On3 put together its preseason All-America list, only Craver and Ratcliffe made the cut.
Even with players like cornerback Dezz Ricks, safety Dalton Brooks and linebacker Daymion Sanford in the mix, the Aggies ended up with just two preseason honorees.
In Other News...
Texas A&M Linebackers Suddenly Carry A Big Defensive Question
Texas A&Ms fifth preseason practice offered a little bit of everything on both sides of the ball, with quarterback Marcel Reed showing improvement and wide receiver Mario Craver continuing to stand out. The Aggies also brought in 17 transfer portal additions, and one of the more important ones for this fall is linebacker Ray Coney, who arrives with the kind of profile that can help steady a defense still sorting out its identity.
At linebacker, the intrigue is starting to center on how quickly that group comes together after the offseason turnover. Defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill has already expressed confidence in the room, and Daymion Sanford is nearing full strength again after the injury he suffered in the Maroon & White Game. Even with those encouraging signs, the position still carries a big question for Texas A&M as camp unfolds, because the next few practices will go a long way toward showing who can turn promise into production. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M's Texas Tech Decision Says Plenty About SEC Scheduling
Texas A&M has made its scheduling priorities pretty clear by passing on Texas Techs offer to set up a non-conference game in the foreseeable future. Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said the Red Raiders have reached out to multiple schools about matchups in 2027 and beyond, and so far the answers have not been encouraging. For the Aggies, the decision fits the broader way SEC teams have been managing their calendars, with outside games carefully chosen around the demands of league play and the need to protect long-term scheduling plans.
Texas A&M already has home-and-home series lined up against Arizona State and Louisville over the next four seasons, which underscores how selective these openings can be. For fans hoping to see old regional ties revived, the Texas Tech pitch would have carried real appeal, but the Aggies refusal suggests they are not eager to add another commitment unless it fits exactly what they want. In the meantime, Tech keeps searching for a partner, and the lack of traction says as much about the current scheduling climate as it does about any one matchup. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M May Have Finally Fixed One Passing Game Problem
Texas A&M spent a good chunk of last season looking for a little more variety in its passing game, and now it appears the Aggies may have added a piece that changes the shape of the room. A transfer receiver is on the way who brings the kind of size this offense has not consistently had, giving the unit a different look to pair with Mario Craver and KC Concepcion.
The addition matters because the new arrival is not just another target, but a player who produced in bigger spots last season and showed he could hold up against major competition. For an Aggies passing attack trying to become more balanced and harder to defend, that mix of size and production could be exactly what it needed. [Read more 🡒]