Texas A&M’s 2025 season ended in disappointment, but it still left College Station with something valuable: proof that the Aggies are moving in the right direction. After making the program’s first College Football Playoff appearance, the 12th Man has plenty to feel good about heading into 2026.
The bigger question for Mike Elko is whether last year was a one-off or the start of something much bigger. The numbers suggest it may be the latter.
Texas A&M enters the critical 2026 season with the second-most talented roster in the country, according to 247Sports composite recruiting rankings. The Aggies also own a 76.3 percent blue chip ratio, which trails only Georgia’s 77.1 percent. On top of that, Texas A&M has 71 blue chip players, 10 behind the national lead.
That kind of number doesn’t promise wins by itself, but it does point to a roster with a very high floor. The Aggies have recruited at an elite level, developed that talent, and kept enough of it in place to believe the program’s rise is real.
Recruiting remains the easiest path to becoming a force in college football, and Texas A&M is making that path look pretty clear. The Aggies currently hold the No. 1 recruiting class in the country, powered by six five-stars, the most in the cycle. Those players won’t help this season, but the roster already has plenty of top-end talent to work with.
For Elko and his staff, the formula is straightforward: keep stacking elite classes, keep developing them, and keep the momentum rolling. After last season, Texas A&M isn’t just hoping to get in the conversation anymore. The Aggies look ready to force their way into it.
In Other News...
Aggies Suddenly Face A Familiar Fear In Pivotal 5-Star Battle
Texas A&M has spent much of this summer trying to stack momentum on the recruiting trail, and the Aggies have reasons to feel better about parts of their roster-building. The wide receiver group has gotten a boost from recent commitments, and the programs pass-catching outlook has been helped by what it showed on the field last season. There is also a bit of good news on another front, with Nico Partida earning a spot on USA Baseballs Collegiate National Team for the World Collegiate Baseball Championship.
Still, the biggest recruiting battle hanging over A&M is the one it cannot afford to lose. The Aggies remain in the hunt for 5-star running back Landen Williams-Callis, a player they have actively pursued, but the chatter around his decision has started to tilt in a direction that is all too familiar for A&M fans. For a program trying to keep pace in the SEC and close the gap in elite talent, the final call on Williams-Callis could say plenty about where this race is headed. [Read more 🡒]
Aggies Transfer Suddenly Looks Like More Than Linebacker Insurance
After Texas A&Ms College Football Playoff loss, Mike Elko and his staff went to work in the transfer portal, bringing in 17 newcomers to help reshape the roster. One of the additions, Tulsa linebacker Ray Coney, looked like a straightforward depth move at the time, a piece meant to help stabilize a defense that needed bodies and experience after a busy offseason.
Coney is starting to look like more than insurance. With veteran linebacker Taurean York gone and Daymion Sanford sidelined by injury, the Aggies need immediate answers in the middle of the defense, and Coney has drawn positive reviews for both his athleticism and his play. Alongside sophomore Noah Mikhail, he is now in line to carry a much bigger load than originally expected, which makes his transition one of the more important developments to watch as the season approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&Ms Playoff Hopes May Hinge On One Unexpected Offensive Piece
Rueben Owens is positioned to become the centerpiece of Texas A&Ms ground game this fall, and that matters because the Aggies are trying to replace a lot of production around him. Under Mike Elko and newly promoted offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins, the offense is expected to lean on the run as it reshapes itself after key departures elsewhere, and Owens already showed he can handle a meaningful workload with 639 rushing yards and five touchdowns last season.
Owens now enters the season as the back most likely to carry that burden, working alongside Marcel Reed in an offense that will need stability early. The Aggies do not need him to be flashy so much as dependable, because if the run game holds together, it gives the rest of the offense a chance to settle in while the new pieces around him sort themselves out. [Read more 🡒]