Texas A&M heads into Saturday’s trip to South Carolina with a couple of major names still in limbo, and that’s not exactly what the Aggies wanted coming out of the bye week.
Running back KJ Edwards and linebacker Noah Mikhail were both tagged as questionable on the SEC’s initial availability report Wednesday evening. Texas A&M has already ruled out three other players, while South Carolina is dealing with a longer injury list of its own.
The Aggies’ status report looks like this:
Out: WR Terry Bussey, WR Kelshaun Johnson, OL Blake Ivy
Questionable: RB KJ Edwards, LB Noah Mikhail
Edwards is the biggest offensive question mark. The freshman has been Texas A&M’s leading rusher with 360 yards and two touchdowns, and he’s averaging 6.5 yards per carry.
But he was hurt in the Aggies’ 31-20 loss to Alabama on Oct. 24, and his workload dropped sharply after that. Mike Elko said after the game that Edwards had been leg-whipped in the first half and had trouble getting back to full strength.
He finished with only three carries for 6 yards after a strong opening quarter.
Mikhail’s situation matters just as much on the other side of the ball. The sophomore linebacker has 36 tackles in seven games, including six against Alabama, and he’d be a key piece in trying to slow South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers.
That’s no small assignment. The Gamecocks lead the SEC with 217.5 rushing yards per game, and Sellers has piled up 603 rushing yards and six touchdowns. If Mikhail can’t go, Texas A&M’s defense will have even more to manage in a matchup that already asks plenty of it.
Bussey, Johnson and Ivy are all out with season-ending injuries, and all three were also unavailable against Alabama. Johnson is still sidelined, while Bussey and Ivy have already been shut down for the year.
South Carolina comes in at 5-3 and has won three straight, with victories over Florida and Tennessee among them. Texas A&M has dropped four of its first five SEC games and still needs two more wins to become bowl eligible. Another loss would tighten the margin for error even further.
The last time the Aggies played at Williams-Brice Stadium, they came away with a 44-20 defeat in 2024. A win this time would give Elko’s team its first road victory of the season and a chance to make the final month look a lot better than the first two.
Texas A&M and No. 21 South Carolina kick off at 2 p.m.
CT Saturday in Columbia. ESPN will carry the game, with Roy Philpott, Brock Osweiler and Stormy Buonantony on the broadcast.
In Other News...
Mike Elko Just Framed Texas A&Ms Final Four Games Differently
Mike Elko spent his weekly media availability doing what plenty of coaches eventually have to do in a season like this, confronting the gap between expectation and reality. Texas A&M entered the year with bigger hopes than a 4-4 record and a 1-4 mark in SEC play, and Elko acknowledged the Aggies have not lived up to those preseason standards as the offense and defense have both struggled to find consistency.
Even with the disappointment hanging over the season, Elko pushed the focus toward what comes next, stressing that there is still plenty on the line in the final stretch. Marcel Reeds regression at quarterback has been part of the problem, but the larger question for A&M is whether the team can turn the last four games into something more than damage control. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolina Could Hit Texas A&M With A Bigger Loss Saturday
With Texas A&M and South Carolina set to meet this weekend, the recruiting subplot around Frederick Ards III adds another layer to a game that already has plenty of attention. The four-star edge rusher has been committed to the Aggies, but his recent visit to South Carolina has put him squarely in the middle of a familiar late-cycle tug-of-war between SEC programs.
Ards is one of the more highly regarded 2027 prospects in the country, and his offer sheet reflects how many major programs are still chasing him. South Carolina is reportedly trying to get him to rethink his commitment, which means this matchup could carry some off-field significance for Texas A&M beyond the scoreboard and the usual conference stakes. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M's 2027 Class Faces Another Recruiting Test
Texas A&Ms 2027 recruiting class is already drawing the kind of attention that comes with a strong start, and the pressure is only picking up as Early Signing Day approaches. The Aggies have built momentum with a group that has other programs looking closely, but that also means the class is being tested in real time as rivals continue to push for flips and visits.
Aston Whiteside has already changed course, flipping his commitment to Miami, while Kaden Henderson is reportedly set to visit Notre Dame. Damani Warren is also expected to take a trip to Oregon State, though his commitment to Texas A&M is still considered solid according to sources, giving the Aggies at least one encouraging sign as the next round of recruiting battles unfolds. [Read more 🡒]