Texas A&M coach Mike Elko and revamped coaching staff will be under the microscope heading into the 2026 season, and after the annual Maroon & White Game on April 18, the spring season has ended, and the Aggies now enter the summer months focused on recruiting while the season opener vs. Missouri State is now just four short months away.
Among all 16 SEC programs, change was guaranteed, and while several programs retained much of their 2025 roster, similar to Texas A&M last season, in order to contend for a College Football Playoff spot, utilizing the transfer portal, and gaining young talent from the 2026 recruiting class is beyond critical to keeping pace this fall.
For the Aggies, those who follow our coverage are well aware that Elko added 17 transfer portal additions, including WR Isaiah Horton, CB Rickey Gibson, and four veteran SEC offensive linemen, while the program’s historic success in the 2026 NFL Draft resulted in a record 10 players being selected, led by former transfer wide receiver KC Concepcion being picked 24th overall by the Cleveland Browns.
Yes, losing ten players could result in early hiccups on both sides of the ball, but compared to the rest of the SEC, the return of starting quarterback Marcel Reed, who enters his second full starting season, is critical to helping new OC Holmon Wiggins during his first season as the playcaller.
On Tuesday, ESPN released its offseason rankings for every program in the Power 4 conferences, with Texas A&M coming in fifth among all 16 SEC programs, ranked below Georgia (4), Ole Miss (3), LSU (2), and Texas (1).
Starting with the offseason coaching moves, headlined by Holmon Wiggins taking over as OC after two seasons as the WR coach, paired with defensive assistant Lyle Hemphill’s promotion to defensive coordinator, “what went wrong” this offseason starts and ands with losing ten players to the NFL draft.
“After leading Texas A&M to its first playoff appearance, Elko reloaded a roster that should have the Aggies in postseason contention once again in 2026. There will be immediate pressure on both Wiggins and Hemphill, and the pair of internally promoted playcallers will be tested early with a Week 2 visit from Arizona State and a late-September trip to LSU. No FBS program had more NFL combine invites than the Aggies’ 13, a sign of the caliber of talent Elko has cultivated in College Station and also an indication of how much the program lost this offseason. Replacing the production voids left by Concepcion, four offensive line starters and defensive stars such as Howell, Will Lee III and Taurean York will be imperative.”
Replacing Concecpion with Isaiah Horton, who provides more size along the boundary, and should become the go-to option in the redzone, should be a seamless transition, but referecing Will Lee III, who struggled in coverage, and Taurean York, who, while highly productive, was undersized and a liability in run defense, isn’t the best example of why the Aggies could struggle due to these departures.
For “what went right,” ESPN and I agree that Marcel Reed’s experience, combined with a wide receiver room led by star junior Mario Craver, a running back rotation chock-full of talent, and a defense that completely reloaded with transfer additions that fit Elko and Hemphill’s scheme, should have Texas A&M in a prime position to earn a CFP bid this time in early November.
“Quarterback Marcel Reed has the opportunity to make another jump in his second full season as the Aggies’ starter, and he’ll once again be surrounded by a talented supporting cast. Center Mark Nabou Jr. represents the only returning starter on the offensive line, but Texas A&M loaded up on SEC experience with four transfers who started at least eight games a year ago, led by tackles Formby (Alabama) and Tyree Adams(LSU). Edwards, a four-star in-state signee, is an addition to watch in the backfield with returning running backs Rueben Owens II and Jamarion Morrow, and the Aggies secured a much-needed replacement for Concepcion in Horton. Northwestern edge rusher Anto Saka, Tulsa linebacker Ray Coney and Gibson, from Tennessee, lead a group of defensive transfers Texas A&M is hoping can plug holes within another otherwise solidified defensive unit.”
During the Maroon & White Game, all four offensive line transfers looked the part, but could struggle in pass protection early in the year, while Anto Saka’s sack and impressive run defense during the scrimmage is a good sign that he’ll make an immediate impact. If the O-line can keep Marcel Reed relatively clean, his own improvement in the pocket should result in the Aggies winning nine or ten games.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: ESPN ranks Texas A&M’s 2026 offseason among all 16 SEC programs
