The Texas A&M Aggies are about to open a season loaded with expectation, and the bar is still set by what they managed a year ago: one of the best starts in program history and a trip to the College Football Playoffs. But this group looks different now. Mike Elko had to rebuild key parts of the roster after losing major pieces to the NFL Draft, and that makes the coming season feel like a test of both talent and timing.
Still, Texas A&M On SI laid out five bold calls for 2026, and the common thread is optimism around the players who have to carry the load.
One of the biggest swings centers on Cashius Saka, the transfer who arrived in College Station searching for a reset after time at Northwestern. He came with buzz tied to his unusual size and athletic tools, and the belief is that Texas A&M could be the place that turns him into a first-round draft pick.
The fit makes sense on paper. Elko and the defense need someone to help fill the gap left by Cahius Howell, the team’s leading sack producer, and Saka has the kind of frame and burst that let him attack the quarterback with real freedom.
The idea is simple: if he stays healthy, this could be the best season of his career by a wide margin.
The spotlight on offense falls heavily on Marcel Reed, and for good reason. The junior dual-threat quarterback was in the thick of the Heisman conversation last season before things unraveled late, first against Texas in the regular-season finale and then with the interception that ended A&M’s national title hopes early against Miami.
Even so, the belief inside the program is that those bruising moments matter now because they gave Reed the kind of experience you only get from living through the biggest games. Mike Elko recently said Reed had “taken the next step,” pointing to cleaner footwork, more confidence as a passer, and better decision-making under pressure.
That pressure will be there again with road trips to LSU, Alabama, and Oklahoma on the schedule, but the Aggies have handled road games before. If Reed keeps the level he showed before those final two games, and especially if he can outplay Arch Manning and Texas in College Station at the end of the year, Texas A&M could be in the mix for its third Heisman Trophy.
Another name expected to keep climbing is KC Craver. He finished just short of 1,000 receiving yards in 2025 and enters the season on watch lists as both a receiver and all-purpose threat.
With Holmon Wiggins now steering the offense and tailoring the play-calling to the roster’s strengths, Craver should see plenty of touches in space. That means slot routes, shallow work, and opportunities out of the backfield as a runner.
He’s the most established option returning alongside Reed, and that chemistry should matter. In a system that should put points on the board, Craver is positioned to be the first look more often than not.
The most aggressive prediction is the simplest one: Texas A&M goes 12-1. The lone loss, according to the forecast, comes on the road at Alabama.
Everything else breaks the Aggies’ way, including undefeated play at Kyle Field and close wins over LSU and Texas. That run would send A&M to the SEC Championship Game and lock up another playoff berth, setting the stage for a season that would keep the program right where it wants to be.
In Other News...
Texas A&M Backfield Takes A Hit As Elko Stays Confident
Texas A&Ms backfield took an early-season blow when coach Mike Elko announced that Deondrae Tiger Riden Jr. will miss the regular season because of an undisclosed injury. Riden had been part of the running back mix the Aggies expected to lean on, so his absence changes the shape of the rotation before the games even start.
Elko, though, sounded steady about what remains in the room, pointing to Rueben Owens and Jamarion Morrow as players who can help carry the load. He also noted that freshmen KJ Edwards and Carsyn Baker made a strong impression in preseason camp, giving the Aggies some younger options as they work to replace the production and depth Riden would have provided. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Just Got A Favorable Twist In Week 2
Arizona State has settled on its quarterback for the upcoming season, naming Kentucky transfer Cutter Boley as the starter heading into a Week 2 matchup with Texas A&M on Sept. 12. Boley brings some real experience with him after starting several games for Kentucky last year and completing 65.8% of his passes, so the Aggies now have a clearer sense of who theyll be preparing for early in the season.
For Texas A&M, the timing matters. Instead of waiting to learn the identity of an opponents passer deep into game week, the Aggies can begin planning around a known commodity and a player with live-game reps already on his rsum. It does not make the matchup any easier, but it does remove some of the uncertainty that usually hangs over an early nonconference test. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Has One Huge Preseason Question Fans Can't Ignore
Texas A&Ms offseason roster picture took another hit with Mike Elko confirming that freshman defensive tackle Chace Sims and redshirt freshman running back Tiger Riden Jr. will be out for the 2026 regular season because of injuries. The Aggies are also dealing with a pair of departures for personal reasons, with offensive lineman Nelson McGuire and wide receiver Jerome Myles no longer on the roster, adding more uncertainty to a group that has already had to adjust in a hurry.
Even with those absences, there is at least one area inside the program drawing positive reviews. Rising sophomore edge rusher Marco Jones said the revamped offensive line has impressed him, and that unit now includes four new starters, many brought in through the transfer portal. For a team trying to settle its depth chart before the season begins, the front five may end up being one of the most important parts of the puzzle. [Read more 🡒]