Texas A&M’s success on offense won’t entirely depend on redshirt sophomore quarterback Marcel Reed, primarily due to the program’s deep running back room, veteran offensive line, and experienced defense that should prevent opponents from scoring 30 or more points throughout the season.
Still, even the best rosters need solid quarterback play to win key games on the road and defend homefield against sneaky opponents that pose a threat, which, this season, includes the Florida Gators and South Carolina, which could easily come down to quarterback play on both sides.
After throwing for 1,864 yards and 15 touchdowns after trading starts with Conner Weigman, Reed has spent the majority of the offseason working on his throw game, looking to improve his accuracy, velocity, and touch to pair with his already elite ability as a runner.
With all this work, playing in OC Collin Klein’s system, which was built for a player of Reed’s skill set, the sky is truly the limit with new wide receiver KC Concepcion (NC State) and Mario Craver (Mississippi State), who will join Terry Bussey, Ashton Bethel-Roman, and Izaiah Williams in a rotation that is much faster, quicker, and built to separate against tight coverage.
However, not everyone in the national media believes in Reed’s true dual-threat ability, as The Athletic’s recent rankings of 136 college quarterbacks placed Reed at No. 26 overall and in the third tier. Here’s what authors Sam Khan Jr. and Antonio Morales had to say about his placement:
“Reed, a late take in A&M’s 2023 recruiting class, filled in for the injured Conner Weigman, then took over as the starter in the final month of the season after a breakout performance in a win against LSU. He showed enough that the Aggies didn’t take a QB to compete with him for the starting job in the portal after Weigman left.”
While this is simply a fact, it was smart to point out that head coach Mike Elko did not bring in another veteran arm, outside of backup Jacob Zeno, to compete with Reed for the starting spot, solidifying his full belief that the Tennessee native is more than capable of leading the Aggies to a Playoff spot. But both authors still believe that Reed has a lot to prove from the pocket.
“He need to develop more as a passer, but he has good arm strength and fluid motion, and he’s a good fit for Collin Klein’s offense, which utilizes heavy doses of the quarterback run game.”
Collin Klein’s scheme possesses enough “easy buttons” for Reed in the passing game, which his offseason strength training should provide a bigger cushion during designed runs and making plays with his legs. This ranking is fair, for now, but if Reed can get the job done early and prove his worth as a reliable thrower, expect scouts to take notice.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Where does Marcel Reed land on The Athletic’s rankings of all 136 starting quarterbacks?
Reporting by Cameron Ohnysty, Aggies Wire / Aggies Wire
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