Texas A&M’s preseason picture took a hit Thursday when head coach Mike Elko said two players are done for the year before the Aggies even kick off their 2026 season.
Running back Tiger Riden Jr. and defensive tackle Chace Sims both suffered season-ending injuries, Elko told the media, and neither will play in 2026. Texas A&M is set to open against Missouri State in almost a week, but the roster is already absorbing an unwelcome loss as fall camp winds down.
Riden’s absence stands out the most. The true freshman played in five games last season and logged 11 carries for 45 yards and a touchdown over 78 total snaps. He had been projected as one of Texas A&M’s goal-line options in heavy personnel packages, bringing a downhill style the Aggies don’t really have elsewhere in the running back room.
At 5-10 and 220 pounds, Riden gave the staff a bruising short-yardage answer. His role was also expected to help reduce the wear on Rueben Owens II or Jamarion Morrow, who could have been rotated out near the five-yard line in favor of Riden. With him sidelined, Texas A&M will need more from its other backs when it comes to finishing drives.
Sims, also a true freshman last season, did not appear in a game in 2025.
Elko did not say what the injuries were or when they happened. For Texas A&M, though, the timing is the part that hurts most.
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