Texas A&M’s season opener against Alabama State arrives with a roster that looks very different from the one Bucky McMillan rolled out a year ago, and that’s the whole point. His second team in College Station is built around seven transfer additions, with PJ Haggerty at the center of it all after averaging nearly 24 points per game last season. Jordan Pope is the other key piece in the backcourt, and if the Texas transfer point guard stays on the floor, the Aggies’ offense has a chance to hit its ceiling.
The front court has changed too, but not entirely from scratch. Zach Clemence and Jamie Vinson are back, while senior forward Mackenzie Mgbako is fully healthy after being limited to seven games last season. Tennessee transfer Cade Phillips may end up mattering most on the defensive end, where his physicality and rebounding are expected to help replace what Rashaun Agee left behind.
McMillan’s pace-and-pressure style only works if the roster has enough high-end talent to keep up with it, and on paper Texas A&M has that. Haggerty, Mgbako and Pope all have the kind of game that could translate to the next level, and that trio is the foundation for whatever the Aggies become this season. The catch is obvious: they have to stay healthy if Texas A&M wants to make a real NCAA Tournament run.
There are other newcomers who should factor in right away. Jalen Shelley, Jalen Reese and Tyshawn Archie are all expected to bring meaningful minutes and give the Aggies the kind of depth they’ll need over a long season.
One of the biggest questions hanging over this group is whether it can get through the non-conference schedule without a loss. The first major test comes on November 12 against Oklahoma State, a game that carries a different feel than last year’s matchup because Mgbako is available and the roster is in a much better place. Texas A&M also has Xavier and Marquette waiting in the Battle 4 Atlantis, along with Stanford and Florida State in December.
Defense is another area worth watching. Texas A&M finished 42nd in steals last season, which helped it win games in SEC play, and the new personnel could make that number jump.
In last Sunday’s exhibition loss to SMU, the Aggies forced 20 turnovers, and Haggerty was active with multiple steals. Last season Texas A&M had 276 steals, an average of 8.1 per game, with Rylan Griffen leading the way at 1.6 per game.
Griffen is ineligible to play this season, at least for now, so the burden likely shifts to Haggerty, Pope or Archie.
Phillips and Vinson also have a chance to become a tough front-court pairing, especially if Phillips brings the same edge he showed at Tennessee. McMillan and his staff will set the tone, but the newcomers have to make it work on the floor.
The biggest concern, though, is health. Texas A&M is already without Griffen, Mgbako missed most of last season, and Agee - who led the team in scoring and rebounds - is gone. Haggerty nearly suffered a serious injury in the exhibition against SMU, and Pope has to hold up over a 30-plus-game grind.
If injuries do hit, the Aggies do have some cover. Jalen Reece and Archie both bring experience, Shelley averaged nearly 14 points per game at LMU last season, and Clemence has already shown he can carry an offense in stretches, including a 29-point career high against Arkansas last season.
In Other News...
Texas A&M Fans Got Robbed Of The Blackout Stage They Wanted
Texas A&Ms annual Operation Blackout was supposed to have the kind of stage that matches the buildup, but the Southeastern Conference has instead slotted the Nov. 14 game against Tennessee into an afternoon window. Depending on how earlier games shake out, kickoff will land at either 3 p.m. ET on ESPN or 4:15 p.m. ET on SEC Network, a setup that takes some of the drama out of what had been expected to be a later start.
For Aggies fans, it is a frustrating piece of scheduling because this is the sort of game that usually benefits from a night atmosphere and the full effect of the blackout look. The SECs decision also stands out because other matchups with less obvious appeal appear positioned for more favorable time slots, leaving Texas A&M with a marquee home game that wont quite get the stage many around College Station were hoping for. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&Ms 5-Star WR Commit Opens Up About His Road Back
Eric McFarlands road back has already become part of the story for Texas A&Ms 2027 recruiting class. The five-star wide receiver, who committed to the Aggies, suffered an ACL tear in September and recently had surgery, a setback that would test any high school prospect with this much attention on him. Even so, McFarland has stayed focused on getting healthy and on the chance to eventually bring his game to College Station.
For Texas A&M, the encouraging part is that McFarlands commitment has held through the injury, and he has the backing of offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins as he works through the recovery process. The next checkpoint comes next month, when McFarland is expected to sign with the Aggies, giving the program another reminder that the long game still matters in recruiting, especially with a talent this highly regarded. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Frontcourt Bet Now Rests On Cade Phillips
Texas A&M is already looking ahead to the 2026-27 season under Bucky McMillan, and the frontcourt picture has changed in a hurry. After finishing sixth in the SEC last year, the Aggies had to replace Rashaun Agee when his eligibility ran out, and they turned to Cade Phillips, the Tennessee transfer, as part of the answer. Phillips arrives with a reputation for bringing defense and toughness, the kind of profile that fits a team trying to stay in the upper half of a rugged league.
What makes Phillips such an important piece is not just what he does, but what he allows others to do around him. He is expected to complement players like Mackenzie Mgbako, even if his scoring load may not resemble the one Agee carried. For Texas A&M, the bet is that Phillips can steady the interior and help balance a roster that is still taking shape, which makes his role one of the more interesting subplots as McMillan builds toward next season. [Read more 🡒]