3 X-Factors That Will Be The Difference For Texas A&M Against Arkansas

Texas A&M has to turn it around. The margin for error is slim if it wants any shot at punching a College Football Playoff spot this year.

For head coach Mike Elko’s program to straighten out the sloppy play of the past two weeks, the coaching staff will need the offense to add multiple points to the scoreboard and the defense to shut down Arkansas.

These three playmakers will spark some confidence on the sidelines and give the 12th Man a reason to believe that this team hasn’t given up.

Marcel Reed, Quarterback

Marcel Reed Texas A&M Aggies. — Aggies Quarterback Marcel Reed 10, The LSU Tigers take on the Texas A&M Aggies. September 19, 2026; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; at Tiger Stadium. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Elko and Co. are standing by their quarterback. Even after a couple of weeks where just about nothing has gone right, quarterback Marcel Reed continues to go out there every week, lift his teammates, and take responsibility for some of the poor play.

This could be the week he gets back to the Reed the Aggies are used to seeing, and in fact, he will. All the film study and hard conversations will affect his performance, and this is the time to prove to everyone he still has the goods to do the job.

No doubt it's been a rocky road, but facing a Razorbacks defense that isn't very good this season is the perfect way to get his mojo back. Reed’s strong suit in the RPO and play-action schemes will be featured, and his arm talent and rhythm will power the offense to a feel-good victory.

Ashton Bethel-Roman, Wide Receiver

It has been a quiet four weeks for the Maroon and White receiver, who has dealt with injuries that have affected his health going into games. Through four games, wide receiver Ashton Bethel-Roman has not been the same player he was last year. One of Reed's go-to targets hasn’t shown the chemistry they had last season, and that changes at home this weekend.

Bethel-Roman has only recorded two catches this season for 13 yards in three appearances. If you look back at what he did over four games in the 2025-26 season, he was more productive, with nine receptions for 169 yards. That obviously isn’t the case this year, but that is why he is an X-factor.

The Missouri City, Texas native is hungry to get back to his normal ways and contribute however he can. Reed has to be accurate with his passing, and Bethel-Roman needs to run crisp routes so they have an open window to connect. With the footwork and sure hands, he makes this wide receiver room live up more to the hype than it has.

KJ Edwards, Running Back

Second on the team for rushing yards is running back KJ Edwards. With only 17 carries through four games, he is blossoming into a fast playmaker, making good decisions and using his speed to his advantage.

Going into Week 5, Edwards has registered 115 yards with an average of 6.8 yards, which is the best on the roster. His season-long run is 14 yards, and he's set up for a breakout game. That starts this weekend.

He has yet to punch one in for a score, so who knows if that will finally happen, but with the yards he's picked up, expect him to use his body control and muscle to bulldoze through traffic and turn on the jets. Despite his limited time on the field, where he logged 17 snaps against LSU and only had four carries for 21 yards, his time to recover over the week should get him back to doing some damage. Watch out for the freshman.

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