Texas A&M opened preseason practice Wednesday evening with plenty of eyes on Marcel Reed, and for good reason. The redshirt junior is entering his second full starting season, and the conversation around him is the same one that followed him into last year: can he take the next step as a pocket passer?
The Aggies are bringing back 65% of last season’s roster after making the College Football Playoff for the first time, and third-year coach Mike Elko supplemented that core with 17 transfer additions. Texas A&M also kept all but one player from its 2026 signing class, giving this camp a roster that already has a strong foundation and a handful of new pieces trying to carve out roles right away.
A few of those newcomers were noticeable on the first night. So were the usual headliners at wide receiver, where Texas A&M’s elite rotation flashed in the way you’d expect.
Junior Terry Bussey stood out, and he’s carrying more size this offseason at 205 pounds. The Aggies also added Alabama transfer Isaiah Horton, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound receiver who should give the passing game a different kind of target.
With Mario Craver leading the room, Texas A&M’s wideouts now look built on speed, size and physicality, especially after nearly every receiver added weight this offseason.
Bussey, in particular, looked strong after working with strength and conditioning coach Tommy Moffitt, and he capped that off with a one-handed snag. Horton also turned in a solid connection from Reed, and the transfer wideout is being viewed as an X factor in the passing game.
The quarterback room also featured Brady Hart, who appears to be the likely backup behind Reed. Reed, meanwhile, was seen throwing to his new tight end Richie Anderson.
There’s still work to do in the trenches, too. Texas A&M’s starting left tackle job is likely still undecided, based on what was observed Wednesday.
At running back, the competition remains wide open. Redshirt junior Rueben Owens is in the mix and added weight over the summer, but he’ll be pushed directly by rising sophomore Jamarion Morrow. Morrow made an impression on the staff this spring and looks like the best one-cut back on the roster.
There were other noteworthy glimpses from the first practice as well. Freshman wideout Aaron Gregory drew attention for his NFL traits.
Redshirt freshman tight end Kiotti Armstrong stood out simply because of how large he is. Linebacker Daymion Sanford was back at practice.
And Mario Craver’s name came up not just at receiver, but also as a possible punt returner.
All told, the first look at camp offered a familiar mix for Texas A&M: a quarterback under the microscope, a receiver group that can hurt teams in a lot of different ways, and several position battles still waiting to sort themselves out.
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