How Much of a Threat is Texas A&M to LSU Next Season?

Week 9 of the 2025 season was not too kind to the LSU Tigers, as not only did they endure an embarrassing 49-25 loss at home against Texas A&M, but that horrific loss also resulted in the team cutting head coach Brian Kelly loose the very next day.

But now, the Tigers have a chance to redeem themselves against their SEC foes as they welcome Mike Elko and the Maroon and White in Week 4 right back in "Death Valley," this time with Lane Kiffin calling the shots for the home team.

Kiffin's first order of business for the game should be assuring that a repeat of last year does not happen, and looking at Texas A&M's squad for the upcoming campaign, is that even possible?

Who Has the Edge Here?

JuJuan Johnson 8, LSU Tigers take on the Texas A&M Aggies. | SCOTT CLAUSE / USATODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Plenty of arguments can be made for both sides, Texas A&M already has a recent road win over LSU and the Tigers are going to be in the first year under a new head coach, even if it is a reputable name such as Kiffin's.

However, the LSU Tigers are thought by many to have won the battle of the transfer portal this offseason, with the team landing quarterback Sam Leavitt from Arizona State serving as the highlight, and A&M does have some holes in their defense that the Tigers will not hesitate to expose in front of the home crowd.

Similar to last season, there really is no saying "one team is just better than the other" going into the contest. Last year saw the two SEC schools both ranked in the AP Top 25 at the time of their clash, and this year should be no different.

In fact, don't be surprised if a top 10 matchup is in store when Week 4 comes around in 2026.

Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed used last year's game to show that he is able to produce at a high level in tough environments, totaling 310 yards of offense and four total touchdowns, and he will have no problem doing it again in 2026.

Elko has seemed to figure out his team's identity problems, focusing on defense and roster depth, and the team has been more consistent since he returned to College Station in 2024, which includes two wins over LSU.

So how big of a threat are the Aggies? If the Tigers make the necessary adjustments and contain Reed and the offense, then they should have no problem, but if they let things get out of hand like they did last season, a second edition of "Kyle Field East" could be in the works.

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