Texas A&M enters 2026 with CFP buzz, Marcel Reed leading the offense and major defensive questions after losing 10 players to the NFL Draft.
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?
That’s the edge hanging over College Station. 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.
Now Elko has the kind of offseason coaches love: quiet, focused and mostly free of drama. That doesn’t mean the pressure is gone. It means it’s building.
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.
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 get 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.
The defense, though, has some nasty rebuilding to do.
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 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 step back.
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. But in the SEC, “complete” only matters if it survives November.
Join Our Roundtable Community For Free!
Share your takes, connect with our Roundtable writers, and talk sports with fellow fans. Download the free Roundtable App today and stay closer to the conversation.
