Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko’s second season at the helm was a massive success, as the Aggies made it to the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history, led by starting quarterback Marcel Reed’s career-high 3,169 passing yards and 25 touchdowns, while former Bowling Green edge Cashius Howell led the SEC with 11 sacks, earning unanimous All-American honors.
This past weekend, Elko and his staff saw a record 10 2025 roster members selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, led by star wide receiver KC Concepcion, who was picked 24th overall by the Cleveland Browns. Early in the 2025 offseason, Mike Elko’s premonition that “10 to 12” players would be drafted led to the now third-year head coach adding 17 players from the transfer portal, led by Alabama transfer WR Isaiah Horton and former Northwestern edge Anto Saka.
This spring, it’s hard to say if the Aggies have truly improved in any area, given the offseason losses, but during the Maroon & White Game, both defenses dominated, while Isaiah Horton made several eye-popping catches that further proved his importance heading into the fall.
Nationally, the Aggies are still considered one of the best teams in all of college football, and based on USA TODAY’s post-spring season re-rank, I’d expect Elko’s newly formed squad to be ranked at least 10th, just a few spots lower, just weeks before the 2026 season. Coming in at No. 9 in the re-rank, Texas A&M is the fourth-highest ranked SEC team behind Oklahoma (7th), Georgia (4th), and Texas (3rd)
After finishing 11-2 for the first time since the 2012 season, based on the Aggies’ much tougher 2026 schedule, earning 10 or more wins will be very challenging, while a 9-3 or even 8-4 finish seems likely this early in the offseason.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M ranked Top 10 in USA TODAY’s post-spring re-rank
Reporting by Cameron Ohnysty, Aggies Wire / Aggies Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
