Texas A&M’s quarterback situation is staring the program in the face, and the answer for next season may already be taking shape in the transfer portal.
Marcel Reed hasn’t been getting the job done right now, and unless he suddenly turns things around and looks more like he did last season, the Aggies are going to be searching for a new starter. Mike Elko’s reluctance to bench Reed also points to another uncomfortable truth: the next quarterback probably isn’t already on campus.
Brady Hart has promise, but he’s not ready yet. And while Texas A&M already has Jayce Johnson committed in the upcoming class and Donald Tabron lined up in the class after that, the Aggies may need a one-year answer from the portal.
That’s where California quarterback Jaron Keawe Sagapolutele comes in. JKS, the former five-star prospect, looks like the clearest target if A&M decides to go big-game hunting this offseason.
Sagapolutele’s second season at Cal hasn’t gone the way many expected under new head coach Tosh Lupoi. His benching against Wake Forest stood out, especially in a game Cal lost 41-7.
Even with his numbers down this year, the talent is still easy to see. It doesn’t take long to understand why he was rated so highly coming out of high school.
And at this point, plenty of people around college football expect him to be wearing a different uniform next season. His original commitment to Oregon and later flip to Cal suggest strong West Coast ties, but Texas A&M should still have the ability to compete with anyone in the portal market.
The Aggies are also likely to have plenty of urgency behind the scenes as they look to upgrade the position. That kind of portal swing carries risk, as LSU, Texas Tech and others showed this offseason, but A&M may not have much choice if it wants an immediate fix at quarterback.
Of course, the quarterback search won’t solve everything by itself. Mike Elko’s program is also expected to see changes on the offensive staff, and landing the right offensive coordinator will matter when it comes to attracting a top portal quarterback. The Aggies need that part of the puzzle in place first.
Still, with A&M looking at a possible 4-4 mark this weekend, it’s not too early to think ahead. If the focus is on the future, then JKS is the name Aggies fans should keep at the top of the board once the portal opens in January.
In Other News...
Mike Elko Got A Reset But Texas A&M Still Has Everything To Prove
The win over The Citadel at least gave Texas A&M a clean break from the kind of performance that had hung over the program after the Missouri game, when the Aggies failed to score a touchdown and looked nowhere near the standard they need to reach. For a team trying to steady itself under Mike Elko, even a lopsided result can matter because it offers a chance to regroup, refocus and stop the spiral from looking permanent.
Still, one reset does not change the larger question facing this season. The Aggies have to show they can carry that momentum into games that actually define an SEC year, and that means proving the offense and overall consistency travel against better competition. Until they do, the Missouri loss will feel less like a bad day and more like the clearest warning sign of what this team still has to overcome. [Read more 🡒]
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Crowell has been one of Alabamas most efficient runners by yards per carry, while Brown has been a steady presence in the secondary and leads the team in passes defended. For Texas A&M, the situation adds another layer to a game that already carries real SEC weight, because Alabamas available personnel in the backfield and on the perimeter could shape how aggressive the Tide can be from the opening series on. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Faces A Bigger Question Than Its Alabama Trip
Texas A&M heads into the Alabama trip with the kind of underdog label that tends to sharpen every conversation around the program, but the bigger intrigue may be happening off the field. Betting lines have reflected the Aggies recent play, yet the more forward-looking chatter around the program has centered on how the roster could be shaped for next season and what kind of quarterback help might be available in the transfer portal.
One name already floating into that discussion is Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele from Cal, a signal that Texas A&Ms attention extends well beyond Saturdays matchup. For a team trying to stabilize its trajectory, the Alabama game is only part of the picture, and the rest of it involves how aggressively the Aggies choose to pursue help at the games most important position. [Read more 🡒]