How Texas A&M Football Position Groups Graded Out in Win vs. UTSA

The season opener was an overall success for the Texas A&M Aggies, though some areas shined while others struggled to hit their marks.

Aug 30, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) warms up during pregame against the UTSA Roadrunners at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Sean Thomas-Imagn Images | Sean Thomas-Imagn Images

Winning Week 1 is the first step to having an all-around successful season and for Texas A&M football, Step 1 was a rousing good time for itself and its 107,000 faithful at Kyle Field. While the game ended 42-24 in favor of the Aggies, not all scales their way as they pummelled the Roadrunners.

Saturday's victory displayed offseason progress for the Maroon and White passing game, while the highly-anticipated rushing attack was all but silent throughout the contest. As for the defense, the Roadrunners were under the No Fly Zone as the Aggie defense did solid work to lock down UTSA receivers.

The run defense was far from perfect, allowing running back Robert Henry Jr. to rush for over 170 yards and leaving a lot to be desired on the defensive line. There are grades awaiting everyone, but what do the major units see on their report card? Let's dive in.

Wide Receivers: A

Aug 30, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies wide receiver KC Concepcion (7) after returning a punt for a touchdown in the first quarter against the UTSA Roadrunners at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Sean Thomas-Imagn Images | Sean Thomas-Imagn Images

No two players had more of a complete game than the likes of transfer wide receivers Mario Craver and KC Concepcion from Mississippi State and NC State, respectively. The pair did exactly what they were brought in to do: take the top off the defense and shine in the big moments.

Craver, after never having more than 75 yards in a game in his true freshman season, had a spectacular eight-catch, 122-yard game with two touchdowns, good for over a third of his stats all last season with the Bulldogs. As for Concepcion, his welcome to College Station was an 80-yard punt return touchdown to pair with 72 yards and a touchdown. The two combined for almost 300 yards of total offense and were the focal points of Saturday's offensive output.

Running Backs: C-

Nov 16, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies running back Amari Daniels (5) runs the ball during the first half against the New Mexico State Aggies at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

When hype and expectations are brought up through the offseason, sometimes its hard to put it all together in the first game of the season. The A&M running back room had that same issue, as the corps of backs struggled mightily against the Roadrunner defense.

First Team All-SEC running back Le'Veon Moss had limited snaps after his return from a 2024 season-ending injury, and apart from a dynamic, 30-yard run by running back Rueben Owens, the Aggies' running game was stagnant all night. Graduate transfer EJ Smith had A&M's lone touchdown on the ground, but folks around college football expected more from the run last Saturday.

Run Defense: D+

Oct 26, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies defensive back Marcus Ratcliffe (3) and defensive lineman Albert Regis (17) tackle LSU Tigers wide receiver Aaron Anderson (1) during the third quarter. The Aggies defeated the Tigers 38-23; at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Allowing a running back to go over 100 yards is warrant enough for a bad grade, but when their closer to 200 yards, a real problem is brewing on the defensive line. It is expected for some rust to be shaken out, and the defensive line ultimately got it together in the end, but the reason the game was so close at times was the inability to stop the run on first contact.

Henry had well over 100 yards after contact and managed to power his way over defenders. The UTSA running back's performance showcased true NFL potential, but if the Aggies are to take care of business down the stretch, the rush defense must be taken care of fast.

Linebacker Corps: A-

Aug 30, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies linebacker Taurean York (21) celebrates after defeating the UTSA Roadrunners at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Sean Thomas-Imagn Images | Sean Thomas-Imagn Images

Though the defense as a whole struggled to stop the run, one position excelled in staying locked in and keeping the unit from breaking down altogether, and that was the pair of linebackers Taurean York and Scooby Williams.

The two combined for 13 total tackles as well as a couple of tackles for loss, and maintained composure for the whole defense to follow suit. The linebackers were involved in seemingly every tackle and look to have carried over their edge from a season ago.

Tight Ends: A

Nov 16, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies tight end Theo Melin Ohrstrom (17) against the New Mexico State Aggies during the first half at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

A quarterback's best friend, the tight end position, was the security blanket quarterback Marcel Reed relied on in times of peril. Accounting for major third-down conversions as well as a fourth-down red zone touchdown, the tight end group did its job to get the ball moving on offense.

Additionally, the corps of tight ends performed admirably in pass protection as they were in unison with the offseason line to give Reed a clean pocket all night and did not let up a sack through four quarters of work.

Quarterback: A-

Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed runs with the football during the second half against the UTSA Roadrunners | Sean Thomas-Imagn Images

It's hard to complain about the performance of Marcel Reed in his first start of the season. The Aggies QB completed 22 of 34 passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns - the third highest total of his career - and rushed eight times for 39 yards. He also showed a tremendous connection with his new batch of transfer receivers, as we noted above.

Was Reed perfect? No but he clearly made progress in the passing game, and it showed in a big way on Saturday night.