3 Big Takeaways From Texas A&M’s Spring Game

The 2026-27 Maroon and White Spring game is officially in the books.

For many Texas A&M football players, it was their first opportunity to showcase their skill set in front of the coaches and the 12th Man. For other star veterans, it was an afternoon to run through the basics and get in reps before the summer and fall sessions get underway.

With tons of anticipation to catch all of the old and new faces in the Maroon and White, there were plenty of notable drives that featured what’s ahead for this Aggie program.

Isaiah Horton Is The Real Deal

One of the biggest acquisitions in the transfer portal for head coach Mike Elko & Co. was adding one of the highest-rated wide receivers in the market, who entered his name early on to find a new home after his three seasons at Miami (FL) and his previous season at Alabama.

After KC Concepcion declared for the NFL Draft and was one of quarterback Marcel Reed’s biggest weapons, it left questions about which players could fill in the hole, and one of those answers was bringing in Horton, who had an impressive first half. He not only operated from the outside but also played on special teams, taking punts.

In the first half, Horton was operating on Team Maroon and did terrific work with the redshirt QB Brady Hart. The first catch that the crafty 6-foot-4 weapon reeled in was a 16-yard reception along the sideline in a highly contested matchup where he tippy-toed out of bounds at the 41-yard line

Following the spectacular reception, Horton worked on safety Chance Collins on the third drive for the White with a 33-yard reception from Hart. His magic wasn’t over as he snagged another ball before going to the locker room.

On the day, the Nashville, Tennessee native accumulated three catches for 79 yards and proved why he was the perfect fit for the A&M offense, where his disciplined eyes tracking, strong hands, and physicality were on full display.

Solid Quarterback Reps

Marcel Reed Texas A&M Aggies. — Dec 20, 2025; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) looks to pass the ball during the first half against the Miami Hurricanes at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Any day that Reed steps onto the field inside of Kyle Field, you know it is going to draw attention, and he certainly did so. On the day, Reed was on Team Maroon’s sideline and wrapped up his outing by going 7-for-13 with 80 yards with a 105.5 passer rating and a 54 completion percentage. His backup QB, Eli Morcos, also showed impressive spurts, finishing 4-for-6 with 60 yards, with the big hookup to wide receiver Will Hargett for 41 yards.

On their side of the ball was wide receiver Mario Craver, who is being asked a lot, expected to play the role of a No. 1 wideout. Reed connected with Craver several times, as there were four down-the-field chances to create havoc, and it worked out very well.

Each time Craver hauled in a pass, it was from Reed, with the first one coming on the first drive for 15 yards. That same drive, there was a dropoff pass that went for five yards before the Birmingham, Alabama native pulled in another short completion. His final reception and arguably his best one of the afternoon went for 40 yards downfield.

On the opposite side, the 4-star quarterback Helaman Casuga and Hart were rotating on reps where Hart stole the show, completing nine passes off 16 attempts for 74 yards with a 95.1 passer rating. Hart connected with Horton three times, with the highlight of the day coming off his beautiful rocket in the wind.

It was a slow start for Casuga, who opened up his day by throwing a 30-yard pick-six into the hands of linebacker Noah Mikhail. After his three straight incompletions in his debut, he found his groove with three short completions before finding Luke Braden twice. Braden’s first reception went for 11 yards before he snarred the 23-yard touchdown for the go-ahead score in the fourth quarter. Not a bad day at the office.

Kicking Game

Last season, there were plenty of questions about who would have the leg that was able to nail more kicks down the stretch of a game after a competition between kickers Randy Bond and Jared Zirkel. Now that both layers are no longer in the picture, Elko had to hunt for a new starting kicker to get the job done.

There are now three players who are competing for the role, as it will be a rock, paper, scissors situation among three men for one position. As it stands, it is the 5-foot-10 star Asher Murray going against redshirt Colton Chmelar and graduate David Olano.

Murray was on Team White, while Chmelar and Olano were on Team Maroon. At halftime, there were four field goal attempts, three for Team Maroon and one for Team White.

Murray nailed all three kicks for Team Maroon as he hammered home a 28, 29, and 53-yard field goal, where all nine points were credited to him going to the intermission. As for Team White, only one chance came in the first half to line up in field goal formation as Olano sank a field goal from 39 yards out.

In the final minutes of the third quarter, Olano was given another chance to sweep a 33-yard attempt between the uprights and remained perfect with two kicks registered. No more occasions arose for another kick, but all were made as there will be plenty of chances to do so more come September.

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