After a historic playoff run ended in heartbreak, Marcel Reed leads a reloaded roster through a brutal SEC gauntlet to prove these Aggies can finally closing the deal.
Texas A&M football enters the 2026 season with College Football Playoff expectations, a dangerous SEC schedule and one giant question ... can Mike Elko’s Aggies finish the job?
But before we get to the “finish,” let’s start at the start.
How lofty are oddsmakers’ expectations regarding what they think the Aggies can accomplish this year?
Place your bets, as it’s Missouri State at Texas A&M in Week 1 … and the Aggies are locked in as 38-point favorites.
So … it’s a warmup game. A glorified practice. A cupcake.
Fine. Take care of business. Because the “pastry” is hard to come by on the rest of the 2026 slate.
To wit …
What’s hanging over College Station from 2015? The Aggies gave fans a historic ride last season, opening 11-0 and reaching the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history. But the ending still stings. Back-to-back losses to Texas and Miami turned a breakthrough season into unfinished business.
But …
Texas A&M’s path back to the CFP won’t be forgiving. The 2026 schedule includes road trips to LSU, Missouri, Alabama, South Carolina and Oklahoma.
That’s some tough “business.”
After earning a No. 7 seed with only one regular-season loss last year, the Aggies probably don’t have much margin for error. A 10-2 record might keep them in the fight. Anything worse could make things dicey fast.
The good news is the offense has real star power. Redshirt junior quarterback Marcel Reed returns after throwing for 3,169 yards and 25 touchdowns, giving Texas A&M one of the SEC’s most important returning playmakers.
But the defense?
A program-record 10 Aggies were selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, including unanimous All-American edge rusher Cashius Howell and veteran defensive lineman Albert Regis.
That leaves the likes of Marco Jones, Northwestern transfer Anto Saka, former North Carolina lineman CJ Mims and senior DJ Hicks to carry a front that can’t afford a drop off.
College football analyst Brooks Austin recently ranked Texas A&M as his No. 8 “most complete team” entering 2026 after reviewing the spring game.
That sounds great in May. And it’ll probably feel true in Week 1. But in the SEC, “complete” only matters if it survives November. … and keeps winning until season’s end.
