Texas A&M’s annual Maroon & White Game will serve as the Aggies’ 15th spring practice, and for third-year head coach Mike Elko, progress has been made on both sides of the ball, but the real work begins during fall camp in early August.
Despite achieving career highs as a passer during his first full starting season, redshirt junior quarterback Marcel Reed will once again be the primary talking point concerning the Aggies’ chances of making it back to the College Football Playoff for the second straight season.
Still, there’s plenty the Tennessee native can improve on, starting with his footwork in the pocket, ball placement, and decision making, which starts with new quarterbacks coach Joey Lynch, while transfer wide receiver Isaiah Horton and freshman wideout Aaron Gregory bring size, speed, and athleticism to an already established receiver room.
After connecting with now junior wide receiver Mario Craver for 917 yards and four touchdowns last season, Marcel Reed’s arm strength and ability to make plays outside the pocket aren’t an issue, but consistently doing so, especially late in the season, is another story.
While he threw for a career-high 3,169 yards and 25 touchdowns, Reed’s 12 interceptions, including four against Texas and Miami in the first round of the CFP, ended the Aggies’ historic season prematurely. Nationally, Reed is considered a Top 25-ranked quarterback in the country, and according to CBS Sports writer Brad Crawford, Texas A&M’s starting signal caller enters the 2026 season as the 16th-ranked quarterback among the Power Conferences, and 7th-ranked QB in the SEC.
“A surprise early-season Heisman candidate last fall after a comeback win at Notre Dame, Reed battled the turnover-bug during SEC play despite 11 straight wins prior to the finale at Texas. In the CFP, Reed and the Aggies failed to find a rhythm offensively, mustering three points to put a black mark on an otherwise notable campaign. After throwing for 3,169 yards and rushing for another 493 as a sophomore, Reed has a point to prove next season.”
Reed’s legs should be emphasized this offseason, possessing Lamar Jackson-like running ability that wasn’t as present compared to the 2024 season, and would take the Aggie offense under new OC Holmon Wiggins to the next level, especially if Reed struggles to throw the ball efficiently late in the season.
Regarding the ranked SEC quarterbacks, Texas star Arch Manning (No. 3), Ole Miss’s Trinidad Chambliss (No. 4), Georgia’s Gunner Stockton (No. 7), LSU transfer QB Sam Leavitt (No. 8), Auburn transfer QB Byrum Brown (No. 12), and South Carolina veteran QB LaNorris Sellers (No. 15) are the only players positioned above Marcel Reed among 68 quarterbacks listed.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M signal caller ranked Top 20 in CBS Sports’ 2026 QB rankings
Reporting by Cameron Ohnysty, Aggies Wire / Aggies Wire
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