The summer banter between Texas and Texas A&M didn’t need a scoreboard to get going. A routine passing drill at the Manning Passing Academy in Thibodaux, LA. was enough to send Longhorn fans straight into attack mode after watching Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed on camera.
Reed was one of several top quarterbacks in the country at the event alongside Texas star Arch Manning and members of Manning’s family. With media members everywhere, every throw had a chance to become a clip, and one Reed pass did exactly that. Texas fans seized on the throw immediately, arguing the receiver had to slow down to make the catch and joking that the ball would have been picked off if defenders were actually on the field.
That reaction also brought back memories of Reed’s pair of game-sealing interceptions late in the fourth quarter against Texas.
#Aggie QB Marcel Reed going deep in the Air It Out Challenge at the 2026 Manning Passing Academy. pic.twitter.com/n7SwHZyhaY
The jokes weren’t limited to Reed, either. Manning had his own rough moment when he badly missed a throw to a receiver heading toward the sideline, and that clip started making the rounds quickly on social media.
Still, the broader comparison between the two quarterbacks favors Manning. Reed and Manning finished last season with nearly matching stat lines, but Reed’s 12 interceptions stood out against Manning’s seven. Manning also beat Texas A&M in a 27-17 upset last November, handing the Aggies their first loss of the season.
In two meetings against Texas A&M, Manning is 2-0, with one of those wins coming as the starter. He has three total touchdowns in those games, while Reed has just one.
For now, Reed is still being viewed as a step behind Manning. But with college football season creeping closer, that conversation could shift fast.
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