Texas A&M heads into 2026 with a roster price tag that leaves little room for ambiguity: the Aggies are expected to be in the playoff mix again.
That’s the picture painted by a recent CBS Sports report that surveyed 50 anonymous “industry sources,” including Power-Four athletic directors, general managers, agents and boosters, to rank the most expensive rosters in college football. Texas A&M landed in the upper tier, alongside LSU, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon and Texas.
According to the report, “Sources indicated the Aggies are in the upper 30-million range for 2026 with roster incentives that could push the number into the 40s,” CBS Sports writes. “Either way, it's an expensive roster.”
The report also says sources around the program pushed back on the estimate, but the number still points to a loaded roster in College Station. Texas A&M is said to have several players earning seven figures this season, including quarterback Marcel Reed. Wide receivers Mario Craver and Isaiah Horton are also inferred to be in that group, along with presumably two offensive tackles and some players on defense.
One anonymous Power Four GM put it bluntly to CBS: "Guys wouldn't even leave there," said one anonymous Power Four GM per CBS. "We were throwing stupid stuff out there, and they wouldn't leave A&M."
For Mike Elko, the message from the spending is pretty clear. After Texas A&M’s first-ever appearance in the College Football Playoff, anything short of getting back there in 2026 would feel like a step backward for a team that made a major investment in the roster.
Money doesn’t hand out trophies by itself, but it does buy a better shot. And by the sound of this report, Texas A&M is aiming high - right alongside its in-state rival Texas, with national championship expectations attached.
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