Heading into Mike Elko’s third year at Texas A&M, the Aggies are trying to match the kind of success they reached last season for the first time in program history. With a major wave of players headed to the NFL, the roster is being rebuilt, and that puts the spotlight squarely on the veterans who are still in College Station.
If Elko is going to get the 2026 season moving in the right direction, he’ll need his returning starters to set the tone for everyone else. These are Texas A&M’s five most valuable returning starters for 2026.
At the top of the list is Marcel Reed, the redshirt junior and true captain of the team. He enters 2026 with more than just high expectations - Heisman talk is part of the conversation now.
Texas A&M needs the right quarterback to thrive in the SEC, and Elko believes Reed is that guy. His dual-threat ability fits the modern conference perfectly, and if his passing consistency takes another step, Reed has the chance to become a top 3 quarterback in the nation.
Reed has also said on record that his passing consistency needs to improve.
Rueben Owens II comes next after an impressive 2025 season that set him up to carry the load as the Aggies’ clear RB1. Now a redshirt junior, Owens has already shown the kind of speed that can change a game in one snap.
He gives Texas A&M a true home-run threat, the kind that forces defenses to crowd the flats and can help open up the passing game. The expectation is that 2026 could be the year he proves he belongs among the top 10 running backs in college football.
In the secondary, redshirt junior Dezz Ricks has become a major piece of the puzzle. After arriving with plenty of buzz in 2025, the former 5-star Alabama transfer locked down a starting role and made a real difference for the Aggies’ defense.
He’s expected to be a defensive leader this fall, and his work against top competition stood out. Ricks held targets to only 40% completion rate, a strong sign that Texas A&M has a veteran shutdown corner it can trust.
Up front, Mark Nabou Jr. remains one of the most important pieces on the roster. He has been a factor for Texas A&M since 2022 and heads into his redshirt senior season as the anchor of the offense.
Nabou has been the starting center for four years, and that kind of presence matters in the trenches, where SEC and national championships are won. He brings physicality and continuity to the offensive line, along with the kind of respect that comes from years of steady work.
DJ Hicks rounds out the group, and his value comes from the dirty work that changes games without always showing up in the flashiest way. The senior has spent his entire college career at Texas A&M and has long been an important depth piece.
Elko plans to use him in that role again, leaning on Hicks to create opportunities. He can absorb double-teams, penetrate the A-gap and collapse the pocket from the inside, giving linebackers like Ray Coney more room to make plays.
Together, these five veterans are the backbone of Texas A&M’s 2026 hopes.
In Other News...
Mike Elko May Have Found Texas A&Ms Next Impact Pass Rusher
Anto Saka arrives in College Station with the kind of profile Texas A&M has been chasing under Mike Elko: a transfer edge rusher whose best football may still be ahead of him. After three seasons at Northwestern, Saka did enough to get noticed, and the Aggies are betting that a change of scenery and a more aggressive defensive setting can help turn his pressure into consistent disruption off the edge.
The early expectation is that Saka will step right into a starting role at defensive end, giving A&M another piece to pair with its pass-rush plan. NFL scouts are already paying attention, too, which adds another layer to why this move matters for the Aggies. If Saka can convert the flashes that have drawn that interest into a bigger season in Elkos system, he could become one of the more important additions on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Just Landed A Massive 2027 Linebacker Commitment
Texas A&Ms recruiting momentum got another jolt with the addition of five-star linebacker Kaeden Henderson, a move that keeps the Aggies in the thick of the national conversation on defense. The class also picked up another highly regarded linebacker in Mikahi Allen, a versatile prospect whose stock has been rising thanks to his production and all-around impact on that side of the ball.
Allens junior season gave evaluators plenty to work with, and his profile fits the kind of defender Texas A&M has been chasing as it builds out the future of its front seven. The early expectation is that he can develop into a player who competes for a starting job in his second season, which is exactly the sort of long-view payoff that makes these recruiting wins matter well beyond signing day. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Already Has Major 2028 Recruiting Momentum To Protect
Texas A&Ms 2027 class already sits at the top of the national board, but the bigger long-term story in College Station is how quickly the staff is trying to turn that success into a head start on 2028. Under Mike Elko, the Aggies have made recruiting momentum part of the programs identity, and early interest from a handful of high-end prospects suggests the next cycle could get moving fast if A&M keeps stacking relationships now.
The early board includes a quarterback the staff likes, along with an edge defender and an offensive tackle who fit the kind of talent profile Texas A&M has been chasing. Even with competition from other schools, the Aggies are in position to stay relevant with all three, which is the point of getting ahead this early: build trust now, and hope the class starts to take shape before the rest of the country fully catches up. [Read more 🡒]