Texas A&M Just Made A Powerful Statement About Its Standard

A statue honoring legendary coach R.C. Slocum now stands proudly outside Kyle Field, celebrating his remarkable legacy with the Texas A&M Aggies.

Texas A&M gave R.C. Slocum a permanent spot outside Kyle Field on Friday, unveiling a statue of the longtime coach in the north plaza ahead of the Aggies’ 2026 season opener.

Slocum, who spent nearly 30 years roaming the sidelines in Aggieland, now has his likeness cast in bonze at the place where his Texas A&M run became part of the program’s identity.

His path with the Aggies stretches back to 1972, when he arrived as an assistant under Emory Bellard. He later moved up to defensive coordinator under Tom Wilson and then again under Jackie Sherrill before taking over as head coach in 1989.

Once he got the job, Slocum built a resume that still stands alone in school history. Over 14 seasons, Texas A&M went 123-47-2 under him and dropped only 12 home games during that stretch. The Aggies also posted five 10-win seasons, captured four conference titles - three in the SWC and one in the Big 12 - and finished ranked 10 times.

That body of work made Slocum the longest-tenured coach in Texas A&M history and the winningest coach the program has ever had. He was later honored twice as interim athletic director, in 2019 and 2024, and has been inducted into the Texas A&M Athletic Hall of Fame, the Texas Sports Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame.

The statue will now stand watch as Texas A&M opens its 2026 season against Missouri State at 6 p.m. on Saturday night.

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 🡒]