Texas A&M’s 2026 running back room will no longer feature veteran Le’Veon Moss, who, after an impressive yet injury-riddled career in College Station, declared for the 2026 NFL Draft and will look to stay healthy and make an immediate impact at the next level.
Needing to retain a bulk of the 2025 backfield, the Aggies retained incoming junior Rueben Owens, the presumed 2026 starter, along with freshmen Jamarion Morrow and Tigers Riden, who will both compete for key rotational spots this offseason.
Opting not to add a running back from the transfer portal, Elko and RB coach Tropper Taylor will also rely on five-star freshman KJ Edwards and four-star freshman Carsyn Baker to provide depth. However, Edwards, who is nationally viewed as the best running back prospect in the 2026 class, could end up impressing the Elko and his staff enough to compete for the No. 2 role behind Owens.
Still, coach Mike Elko noted during Monday’s first press conference in nearly two months that the loss of Le’Veon Moss will sting, given his importance to the offense, which was evident after his lower body injury left him sidelined for the entire second half of the 2025 season, as the run game failed to make an impact during the Aggies’ back-to-back losses to Texas and Miami in the CFP.
“I miss Le’Veon (Moss). I wish we could have him back. Unfortunately, we can’t. Unfortunately, his best football was taken away by injury a lot during his career at Texas A&M… I look forward to watching him. I think we’ve got a really, really good room.”
Regarding the current state of the running back room, Elko remains confident that the additions of Edwards and Baker provide more top-level speed and physicality, while Rueben Owens, who will enter the offseason 100% for the first time in his career, will look to improve his footwork and vision to become a dependable No. 1 option.
“I think we’ve got a really, really good room. Obviously, we’re looking forward to getting Rueben [Owens] healthy and that will be really good for him. That injury took a major toll on him. I think this offseason now, starting fresh being healthy from the beginning, I think you’ll see a much better version of Rueben.”
A ‘better version” of Rueben Owens likely means putting on more muscle, especially strengthening his lower body to become a physical back with the agility and sharp cutting ability to keep defenses’ honest, and help starting quarterback Marcel Reed get back to shredding secondaries in play action, creating a balanced attack that was sorely lacking this past season.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M HC Mike Elko praises ‘really, really good’ 2026 RB room
Reporting by Cameron Ohnysty, Aggies Wire / Aggies Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
