Texas A&M heads into Saturday’s trip to South Carolina with the quarterback conversation still hanging over everything. Marcel Reed is set to start in Columbia, but the push from a portion of the fan base for Brady Hart has only grown louder.
What once sounded like a remote idea has moved much closer to reality as the season has gone on. Mike Elko’s stance has clearly shifted, too. He began by brushing the idea aside, but his language has softened over time, all the way to the point where he admitted benching Reed was a real thought early in the Alabama game.
Reed did enough against the Tide to earn another start, and that part is straightforward. The bigger question is how much room he has if things go sideways again.
South Carolina gives Texas A&M a chance to throw the ball, at least on paper. The opportunity is there, but that does not guarantee Reed will take advantage of it. He showed his best form of the season against Alabama, yet the Aggies still came up short, and South Carolina has been playing as well as anyone in the conference over its last three games.
If Reed gets off to a rough start, Elko needs to be prepared to turn to Hart. There are obvious layers to that decision, but if Texas A&M is serious about maximizing wins down the stretch, it can’t keep waiting for Reed to rediscover his rhythm.
That said, Hart is not automatically the better answer. Reed still offers something with his legs that Hart does not, and that matters. The problem is that the offensive staff has not used Reed’s running ability enough, and if that continues, the gap between the two quarterbacks shrinks quickly.
If Reed isn’t producing on the ground and is also struggling to throw the ball, Hart should be ready after roughly the first three drives. It would be a difficult spot for a young quarterback in a road environment, but if that’s how the game unfolds, Elko won’t have much choice.
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Even so, Elko made clear there is still something left to chase in the final stretch. With four games remaining, the Aggies are not just trying to salvage a record, but to show some progress after a season that has not matched the preseason buzz. How they respond now will say plenty about where this program stands heading into the finish. [Read more 🡒]
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For the Aggies, the timing only adds to the appeal. Coming off the programs first national championship, Texas A&M is already building around a strong middle blocker group, and Omoruyi fits right into that picture as another high-end piece for the future. Nebraska, meanwhile, is left to regroup after losing a commitment it had spent time developing, a reminder of how quickly the recruiting board can shift in a sport where elite talent changes the outlook fast. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolina Could Hit Texas A&M With A Bigger Loss Saturday
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With Texas A&M and South Carolina set to meet this weekend, the Gamecocks are trying to make the matchup count in more ways than one. Ards is being recruited to take another look at his commitment, which adds a little extra intrigue to a game that already carries plenty of weight on the field. [Read more 🡒]