Mike Elko Throws Shade at Marcel Reed Doubters

Three weeks ago, you would have been called a lunatic for having Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed as a Heisman contender. Now, three games into the season, the hype around No. 10 is hard to ignore.

While most fans point to Reed’s athleticism and playmaking with his legs, it has been his arm doing most of the damage. He’s already thrown for 869 yards, racking up nine touchdowns against just one interception.

Head coach Mike Elko has full confidence that Reed can win the big games for the Aggies, and is making sure no longer have to question his quarterback's ability.

Mike Elko Defends Marcel Reed

Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed. — Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) runs the ball during the first half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium. | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

During his postgame press conference after the win over Notre Dame, Elko made sure to shut down any outside doubt surrounding Reed's passing ability.

"Hopefully you guys don't have to ask me any more questions on if Marcel can throw," Elko said.

While Reed announced himself as a star to the college football world, this isn’t the first rodeo for Aggie fans.

“That's the third time now in four games against power four opponents that Marcel Reed has done that for our offense and driven us down the field and given us a chance to win,” Elko said.

The first time came against Auburn, when Reed engineered a 31–28 lead late in the fourth quarter, piling up 47 passing yards and 29 rushing yards on the go-ahead drive.

The second came in the bowl game against USC. With 4:30 left on the clock and down four, Reed again took control, leading a go-ahead 31–28 drive capped by his own 19-yard touchdown run.

While A&M came up short in both of those games, the story would be different at South Bend. This time, Reed would drive A&M down the field and throw the game winning touchdown with 14 seconds on the clock.

“We had confidence in him,” Elko said. “We know the kind of quarterback he is. We know what he's capable of being. Obviously, we had to go out and get some weapons around him, and we were able to do that. And I think he's taken the next evolution to being a kid who can win games both with his legs and with his arm.”

Those weapons, Mario Craver and KC Concepcion, have already delivered in a big way. The duo has combined for 670 yards and seven touchdowns. Craver leads the nation in receiving with 443 yards, while Concepcion has shown some of the most reliable hands in the game.

And Elko is correct about Reed being able to win games with both his legs and his arm.

Last season against LSU, he single handedly mounted a comeback against No. 8 LSU. He rushed for 62 yards and three touchdowns powering A&M to a 38-23 victory.

Seven starts later, he would take down another No. 8 ranked team in Notre Dame. This time, though, he would do it with his arm, throwing for 360 yards and two touchdowns.

There you have it folks. Stack the box, and he’ll beat you through the air. Try to shut down the pass, and he’ll make you pay with his legs. Your move, defensive coordinators.