Texas A&M starting quarterback Marcel Reed fully understands what he needs to accomplish this offseason for the Aggies to get back to the College Football Playoff, as his recent interview with On3’s Pete Nakos detailed his training with private QB coach Jeff Christensen this summer, with a clear focus on avoiding “mental mistakes” and avoiding turnovers in key situations.
Last season, Reed threw for a career-high 3,169 yards and 25 touchdowns, while his 12 interceptions were tied for the third most in the SEC, and his four turnovers in back-to-back losses to Texas and Miami in the first round of the College Football Playoff ended the Aggies’ historic 2025 campaign prematurely.
It’s important to note that Reed made significant strides as a pocket passer, while his arm strength is not an issue, though, accuracy and ball placement, especially throwing “catchable balls,” must be the focus for the remainder of the offseason, and this weekend, the Aggie signal caller took part in the annual Manning Passing Academy, alongside a total of 45 quarterbacks.
As I stated above, Marcel Reed’s arm strength is not an issue, and during the deep ball competition, the Tennessee native hit his receiver in stride, providing a sneak peek into what the 2026 passing attack could look like with 6’4″ Alabama transfer wide receiver Isaiah Horton slated to start as the primary X receiver.
On3’s Wilson Alexander named Marcel Reed as one of his early standouts, noting his success on vertical and post routes during Friday’s throwing session.
“Marcel Reed had some of the best reps on the deep balls, hitting receivers in stride on the post and the vertical route with a pair of tight spirals. His release was really quick in the timed throwing competition, though he had trouble staying on top of the ball at times during that portion of the event. After taking Texas A&M to the College Football Playoff in his first full year as a starter, Reed wants to make a deeper run.”
This improvement is expected, as Reed must have a higher completion rate on deep balls for new OC Holmon Wiggins’ passing game to reach its full potential, knowing that star junior WR Mario Craver is expected to pick up where he left off in the slot, providing Reed a go-to option in short and intermediate throws.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M QB one of 11 ‘standouts’ at the Manning Passing Academy
Reporting by Cameron Ohnysty, Aggies Wire / Aggies Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Cameron Ohnysty, Aggies Wire | USA TODAY Network
