Texas A&M’s spring practice season ended earlier this month after the annual Maroon & White Game took place on April 18, and for third-year head coach Mike Elko, small steps were accomplished, but losing star senior linebacker Daymion Sanford to a lower-leg injury was certainly a blow to an Aggie defense that now includes several key additions from the transfer portal.
Still, the return of starting quarterback Marcel Reed, who threw for a career-high 3,169 yards and 25 touchdowns last season, will, as I’ve now stated ad nauseam, dictate how far the Aggies go, including a potential return to the College Football Playoff for the second straight season.
Still, Reed’s 12 interceptions, including eight against Power 4 programs, will never be good enough heading into the fall, especially after a record 10 players were selected in the 2026 NFL Draft. However, Texas A&M’s wide receiver rotation, now featuring former Alabama wideout Isaiah Horton, looks like the team’s predominant strength, only if the newly formed offensive line holds up.
With plenty of dives or deeper dives into Texas A&M’s roster, and the Aggies’ chances of making it back to the CFP, nationally, Mike Elko’s 2026 roster is receiving enough respect to be positioned in the preseason top 10 in nearly every recently released post-spring season ranking, now including CBS Sports’ updated Top 25. Coming in at No. 8, writer Brandon Marcello is confident in the new pieces on offense and defense.
“Texas A&M had a terrific offseason in the NFL Draft, which is good and bad news after an 11-win season and CFP appearance. The Aggies’ returning production is near the bottom of the SEC, but a slew of transfers, led by former Alabama receiver Isaiah Horton, has them primed for another run in the top half of the SEC. Quarterback Marcel Reed returns, which is a big boost as they break in new pieces. The best news out of the spring? The defense looked elite. Northwestern transfer Anto Saka led a pass rush that was described as unblockable. Senior linebacker and captain Daymion Sanford, the designated signal man on the field, was injured in the spring game (leg) and is expected to miss at least a portion of the season.”
Anto Saka’s performance in the Maroon & White Game was highly underrated, given his one sack, but, as Marcello stated, looked unblockable for most of the afternoon, and was equally impactful as a run defender.
Mike Elko’s track record as one of the top defensive playcallers should continue, and while new OC Holmon Wiggins will call plays for the first time in his career, having a veteran quarterback and elite playmakers at his disposal should help his transition.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M cracks Top 10 in CBS Sports’ post-spring rankings
Reporting by Cameron Ohnysty, Aggies Wire / Aggies Wire
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