Texas A&M’s place at No. 8 in the first AP Top 25 Poll has already set off the kind of national chatter that follows a team with real expectations and real questions.
The Aggies landed at their highest preseason spot since 2022, and they matched that number in the US LBM Coaches Poll as well. That ranking came despite Texas A&M losing 15 starters from the 2025 roster, including a record 10 players who were selected in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Still, the placement also reflects something coach Mike Elko has clearly built in College Station: national respect. After leading Texas A&M to the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history last season, Elko has pushed the Aggies into the kind of conversation they weren’t always getting before.
That doesn’t mean the ranking is beyond criticism. When you line up Texas A&M’s reshaped 2026 roster against other Power Four teams sitting outside the Top 10, there’s a real argument that the Aggies are a little high. Ole Miss, Oklahoma, LSU and Texas Tech all sit directly behind them, which caught the attention of plenty of observers.
Among the loudest reactions came from CBS Sports writers Brad Crawford and Richard Johnson, who both named Texas A&M their most “overrated” team in the poll. That fits with Crawford’s recent projections that had the Aggies finishing either 8-4 or 9-3 and missing the CFP.
Even so, there’s another side to this. Marcel Reed is entering his second full season as the starting quarterback, and he’ll have one of the best wide receiver groups in the country around him. Add in an NFL-level defensive line and secondary, and there’s a path for Texas A&M to push toward at least 10 wins.
The biggest swing factor remains up front. The Aggies are replacing four starters on the offensive line, and that could end up defining the season. If first-year offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins can get Reed moving outside the pocket and the run game settles in, the blocking only needs to be above average for Texas A&M to at least match last year’s production.
In Other News...
R.C. Slocum Is Getting A Texas A&M Honor Few Ever Reach
Texas A&M is set to add another landmark to the area around Kyle Field on Sept. 4, when the school unveils a statue of longtime coach R.C. Slocum outside the stadium. Slocums place in Aggies history is already secure, built over a 30-year run at Texas A&M that included 14 seasons as head coach and left him as the winningest coach in program history.
The new tribute carries a bit of extra weight because it will stand alone as the only coach statue at Kyle Field. Sculpted by Steven Whyte, the monument gives A&M a permanent nod to a figure whose impact stretched far beyond the sideline, and it adds another layer to the schools effort to honor the people who helped define its football identity. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M's Reload Is Starting To Look Very Real
Texas A&M walked into its 2026 offseason facing the kind of overhaul that can expose a program in a hurry, with 15 starters gone from the 2025 team and 10 of them drafted into the NFL. Instead of treating it like a reset, the Aggies kept one of their biggest anchors in quarterback Marcel Reed and elevated Holman Wiggins to offensive coordinator, giving the roster some continuity even as the personnel picture changed fast around them.
The rest of the work has come through the portal and the recruiting trail, where Texas A&M has pieced together replacements on both sides of the ball for the departures that came with the draft class. Several of the transfers have already been viewed as players who can matter in the SEC, which is why the early returns on this reload are starting to look a lot more believable than a typical offseason promise, even if the real test is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Three Aggies Are Forcing A Bigger Role As Camp Heats Up
Fall camp is starting to sort out a few of Texas A&Ms biggest questions, and Mike Elko sounds encouraged by the way the roster is competing. The Aggies are seeing development across the board as players push for playing time, with Marcel Reed, Terry Bussey and Rickey Gibson III all drawing attention for the steps they have taken since the spring.
Reed, in particular, has been one of the more closely watched names as the offense looks for steadiness at quarterback after last seasons turnover issues. Bussey and Gibson have also entered the conversation as camp has intensified, giving Elko more reasons to feel good about the depth and competition inside the program. The real test now is how that momentum carries once the pads stay on and the depth chart starts to settle. [Read more 🡒]