Texas A&M’s 2026 season has already delivered a much different reality than the one the Aggies enjoyed a year ago.
After a 2025 run that nearly ended in a perfect regular season and pushed Texas A&M into the College Football Playoff for the first time, the follow-up has been rough. A home loss to Kentucky and road blowouts at LSU and Missouri have left the Aggies clinging to bowl hopes after opening the year ranked No. 8.
That drop-off has shown up everywhere, but the offense has taken the biggest hit. Last season, Texas A&M leaned on one of the most explosive attacks in the program’s recent memory, with Marcel Reed’s unpredictable style, the receiving tandem of Mario Craver and KC Concepcion, a three-man running back rotation, and one of the strongest offensive lines in the country driving the production.
But Concepcion and most of that offensive line left for the NFL Draft in April, and the current group has not replaced what went out the door. Craver has dealt with injuries for much of the season, the offensive line has left the backs to handle far too much on their own, and Reed’s own play has slipped in a major way.
Before the most recent game against The Citadel, Reed had thrown as many interceptions as touchdowns, and his passer rating was among the worst of qualifying FBS quarterbacks. The problems have been obvious: missed open receivers, quick panic throws away, and decision-making that has dragged the offense down.
Still, there have been a few bright spots among the younger players. True freshman running back KJ Edwards and sophomore receiver TK Norman have shown enough through the first half to hint at what they can become, even if the veterans around them have struggled to deliver.
Special teams, at least, has looked far steadier. Transfer kicker David Olano has been perfect so far, going 12-for-12 on field goals and 24-for-24 on extra points. His 57-yarder against Arkansas stands as the longest made field goal by an Aggie this century.
That is a dramatic change from 2025, when Randy Bond and Jared Zirkel rotated kicking duties and the unit never found any real stability, finishing with 16 makes on 26 field goal attempts. Olano has been the exact opposite.
Punter Tyler White has also continued to give Texas A&M a dependable weapon. Opponents have had little success returning his kicks, and he is averaging nearly 50 yards per punt while consistently flipping field position.
The quarterback situation remains the biggest question. Brady Hart has been uneven too, but Reed still holds the job for now under Mike Elko. That makes Saturday’s trip to Tuscaloosa a major chance for Reed to get things back on track - or for the Brady Hart era to finally begin in College Station.
In Other News...
Kevin Sumlin Sees A New Problem Making Texas A&M Even Tougher
Kevin Sumlin has watched Texas A&M from a different seat since leaving College Station in 2017, but he still has a clear read on what the job looks like now. The former Aggies coach, now with the Dallas Renegades, pointed out that every Texas A&M coach has run into problems in the years since his departure, and he sees the programs overall competitive standing as largely unchanged despite all the promises that usually come with a coaching change.
The bigger issue, in Sumlins view, is the way the SEC has shifted around the Aggies. With Texas and Oklahoma joining the league, the recruiting and competitive stakes only get higher, and the road gets even steeper for a program that has long been trying to break through against the conferences elite. It is the kind of evolving landscape that makes Texas A&Ms next leap look more difficult, not less, and it keeps the pressure on whoever is trying to solve the same old problem in a new era. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Faces A Familiar Alabama Problem In Tuscaloosa
Texas A&M heads to Bryant-Denny Stadium carrying the kind of SEC baggage that makes every conference road trip feel a little heavier. The Aggies are 4-3 overall and 1-3 in league play after a recent shutout win, while No. 13 Alabama comes in at 5-2 and trying to stop a slide after consecutive losses. With both teams looking to steady themselves in conference play, this one has the feel of a swing game for the middle of the SEC race.
The matchup also comes with plenty of history behind it, which is part of what makes Tuscaloosa such a difficult assignment for Texas A&M. The series has provided a clear backdrop for the programs meetings over the years, including their last matchup in 2023, and Alabama has usually been the side forcing the Aggies to answer tough questions. For Texas A&M, the challenge is not just the opponent in front of them, but the familiar setting and the history that tends to come with it. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Faces A Brutal Test As Its Receivers Wear Thin
Texas A&M heads into its matchup with No. 13 Alabama with a familiar sense of urgency, but the Aggies are also trying to piece together an offense that may look different than planned. Redshirt junior Marcel Reed is expected to start at quarterback, with sophomore Brady Hart behind him, and the focus now shifts to how the rest of the supporting cast holds up around them.
Mario Craver and Daymion Sanford are among the players listed as questionable because of injuries, which adds another layer of uncertainty to a week already shaped by a tough opponent. If those absences linger, Texas A&M will need more from younger options like freshman Aaron Gregory and sophomore TK Norman as it adjusts its offensive approach and searches for answers against one of the SECs most demanding tests. [Read more 🡒]