Texas A&M has been making noise under Mike Elko, and for good reason. The Aggies are building a legitimate NFL pipeline in College Station, with three players projected to go in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
That’s the kind of momentum that turns heads-and turns programs into powerhouses. But just as the Aggies were riding high, former quarterback Trevor Knight stirred the pot with a tweet that reignited one of college football’s oldest and most heated rivalries.
On February 5, Knight retweeted a graphic from Texas Football Life that listed Texas-based colleges with Super Bowl MVPs. The graphic featured names like Patrick Mahomes (Texas Tech), Larry Brown (TCU), Harvey Martin (East Texas State), and Von Miller (Texas A&M).
Notably absent? The University of Texas.
Knight added fuel to the fire with the caption: “You don’t go to Texas university if you want to succeed in the NFL… you go to A&M.”
It didn’t take long for that shot to get returned.
Matt Galatzan responded with the kind of data that makes a strong case-and silences a lot of trash talk. According to him, there are currently 47 Longhorns active in the NFL, compared to 34 Aggies.
That’s not a small gap. And when it comes to postseason presence, the divide grows even wider.
Texas had 33 players in this year’s NFL playoffs, while A&M had fewer total active players overall. And in the biggest game of the year?
Four Longhorns are suiting up for the Super Bowl. Zero Aggies.
So while A&M can (and should) celebrate Von Miller’s legendary Super Bowl 50 performance-4.5 sacks, including two strip-sacks of Cam Newton-that’s a moment from the past. The present scoreboard? It’s leaning burnt orange.
Now, let’s be clear: A&M has every right to be optimistic about where things are headed. The Aggies are putting in the work, and it’s showing. According to 247Sports, they could match a program record with three first-round picks in the upcoming NFL Draft-something they’ve only done twice before, in 1994 and 2014.
The names on that list are no joke. Cashius Howell was a wrecking ball this season, racking up 11.5 sacks and earning SEC Defensive Player of the Year and unanimous All-American honors.
KC Concepcion emerged as a dynamic offensive weapon, hauling in 61 catches for 919 yards and nine touchdowns. And Chase Bisontis has been a rock on the offensive line for three straight years.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein projects all three as first-rounders.
That kind of draft buzz isn’t just hype-it’s proof that Elko’s recruiting and development are trending in the right direction. CBS Sports even has the Aggies pegged at No. 10 in their way-too-early 2026 playoff rankings. The arrow is pointing up in College Station.
But when the conversation shifts to NFL success right now, the numbers don’t lie. Texas has nearly 40 percent more active players in the league than A&M. That’s not a slight difference-it’s a clear edge.
So while the Aggies are right to be proud of what’s coming, Knight’s timing wasn’t ideal. Comparing future potential to current reality is always risky, especially when the other side has the receipts. The Longhorns may not have a Super Bowl MVP to point to at the moment, but they’ve got a roster full of guys playing on Sundays-and that’s a pretty strong rebuttal.