With the conclusion of Texas A&M’s appearance at SEC Media Days on Wednesday afternoon, the Aggies are full speed ahead towards the 2026 season opener vs. Missouri State on Saturday, Sept. 5, and for third-year coach Mike Elko, building on last season’s immense success after making it to the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history remains the primary focus.
Already establishing a strong culture, Elko’s decision to elevate wide receivers coach Holmon Wiggins as the new offensive coordinator received plenty of skepticism from both the fan base and national media alike, but during Wednesday’s press conference, Elko continued to cheerlead his decision, which should pay off given that Marcel Reed returns at quarterback for his second full starting season.
Among the national media, ESPN and Amazon Prime Video college football and NFL analyst Kirk Herbstreit, one of the hardest-working men in the sports broadcasting landscape, shares a history with Marcel Reed after his sons played with the redshirt junior signal-caller at Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville, Tennessee.
However, that doesn’t mean Herbstreit has avoided criticizing the Aggie QB when warranted, especially after his poor performance against Texas and Miami in the first round of the CFP, but he remains one of the few, now including former Alabama coach Nick Saban, who fully believe Marcel Reed, similar to Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss, to be one of the best overall athletes in the country.
During his appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, Herbstreit stated that he believes Texas A&M could “make a run” towards a national title this season with Marcel Reed leading the way.
During his appearance on ESPN after the Aggies’ SEC Media Days appearance, Marcel Reed stated that one of the areas of focus has been to “not make a bad play worse,” likely referencing the Tennessee native’s poor first-half performance during A&M’s comeback win over South Carolina, combined with his four interceptions vs. Texas and Miami.
Clean up these remaining issues, and Marcel Reed will be back in the Heisman race, and the reason Texas A&M is back in the College Football Playoff conversation.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: CFB analyst thinks Texas A&M could ‘make a run’ with Marcel Reed
Reporting by Cameron Ohnysty, Aggies Wire / Aggies Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Cameron Ohnysty, Aggies Wire | USA TODAY Network
