Texas A&M heads into Mike Elko’s third season with a roster that looks far more equipped to turn promise into production. Elko, the former defensive coordinator, has spent the offseason building the kind of foundation he believes can support a winning culture in College Station, and the Aggies have attacked both the transfer portal and recruiting trail to load up on talent.
That gives Texas A&M a lot of players who could matter in a big way. But if you narrow the field to six position rooms and ask which breakout names could change the feel of this team, the list starts with a few obvious places and a few intriguing bets.
At running back, KJ Edwards arrives with the kind of résumé that makes people pay attention right away. A prized addition in Elko’s recent recruiting classes, Edwards brings power, production, and a championship mindset from Carthage High School.
He was named offensive MVP in his prep school’s Class 4A Division II championship game, and he comes to College Station with more than 6,000 yards and three state titles behind him. With Tiger Riden Jr. injured, Edwards has a real opening to push for feature-back work in the Aggies’ offense.
The secondary already knows what it has in Marcus Ratcliffe, but his ceiling still feels like a talking point. The 6-foot-3, 211-pound safety has been a steady starter and a vocal presence since transferring from San Diego State, and he enters what is likely his final season as a team captain on the Allstate Wuerffel and Bronko Nagurski Trophy Preseason Watch List.
Ratcliffe has 38 career games on his ledger, and the California native brings the kind of size and speed that can make him a major problem in one of the SEC’s deepest defensive backfields. If his best football is still coming, that’s a scary thought for opposing offenses.
Up front, Lamont Rogers is the kind of offensive lineman who jumps off the page before he ever takes a snap. The former five-star stands 6-foot-6 and weighs well over 340 pounds, and Texas A&M offensive line coach Adam Cushing has a massive blocker to develop.
Rogers has been waiting for his chance to start at Kyle Field, and in his second year with the program, that opportunity may finally be there. With quarterback Marcel Reed needing protection, Rogers has the chance to become a premier SEC pass protector if he earns the job.
On the defensive line, Landon Rink is a name that could sneak up on people. Elko knows the importance of replacing the starters lost in the past NFL Draft, and Rink may be one of the first players to benefit from the opening.
He played in 10 games last season with limited action, but at nearly 300 pounds he has the build to handle the run and still get after the quarterback. Texas A&M needs more disruption after one of the best sacking seasons in school history, and Rink has a path to becoming part of that pressure.
Linebacker Ray Coney gives the Aggies another transfer with a chance to make a real mark. He arrives from Tulsa as a former all-conference selection and steps into a defense that needs experienced leadership.
Coney is the quarterback of the defense, and his tackling consistency stands out as one of the traits that should translate quickly. In the SEC, he has a chance to build on that reputation and add to it in a bigger spotlight.
Tight end Kiotti Armstrong may be one of the most interesting wild cards on the roster. The Jasper product stands over 280 pounds and brings both blocking power and usable hands to a position group that has taken hits through the transfer portal and the NFL Draft.
With an opening to become Reed’s starting tight end and security blanket, Armstrong finally has a clear runway. The numbers are light so far, but the window is there for 2026-2027 to be the moment he breaks through.
And then there’s kicker David Olano, who may not be the flashiest name on the list but could end up mattering plenty. Texas A&M brings him in from Illinois after a strong season in which he missed only one PAT and earned two Big 10 Honorable Mention nods.
He was 20-for-23 on field goals with a long of 47 yards, a major upgrade from an Aggies kicking operation that went 16-for-26 a year ago with two different specialists. After an offense that had to operate essentially without a kicker in red zone drives in 2025-2026, Olano has a chance to bring stability - and maybe even all-conference honors again.
In Other News...
Former Texas A&M QB Just Gave Aggies Fans A Reason To Smile
Former Texas A&M quarterback Haynes King has carved out a place on the Carolina Panthers 53-man roster, giving Aggies fans something to track as the NFL season approaches. King landed as the teams third-string quarterback after putting together a preseason that showed enough poise and production to keep him in the mix, even after a late hamstring injury interrupted his momentum.
For Texas A&M supporters, it is a familiar reminder of the programs quarterback pipeline and of Kings persistence since leaving College Station. He arrived in the pros with a business management degree from A&M, and now he has turned a strong summer into a roster spot, a small but meaningful win for a player still working to establish himself at the next level. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&Ms 5-Star Anchor Is Nearing A Huge Recruiting Step
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The next important checkpoint is getting closer, too. Matthews is reportedly nearing an official announcement that he intends to sign with Texas A&M on Early Signing Day, a move that would turn a long-standing pledge into something much more concrete for a program trying to keep its top-end talent intact. For the Aggies, it is the kind of recruiting moment that can help set the tone for the winter. [Read more 🡒]
Marcel Reed Just Turned Texas A&Ms Texas Game Into A Statement
Marcel Reed is already treating the revived Texas rivalry like more than just another date on the schedule. In a recent USA TODAY profile, the Texas A&M quarterback made his feelings about the Longhorns and even their colors pretty clear, which only adds more edge to a matchup that has quickly regained its old bite since the schools began meeting again in the SEC.
Reed also did not dance around the recent history, acknowledging Texas A&Ms losses to Texas since the rivalry returned. With the next meeting set for Nov. 27, 2026, his message was unmistakable: this is the one he wants to change, and for Aggies fans, that kind of confidence is exactly what makes the buildup worth watching. [Read more 🡒]