Rival QB Praises Texas A&M's Marcel Reed at SEC Media Days

While the Texas A&M-LSU rivalry is still relatively young in the SEC, it has had its share of memorable moments in the past few years, from the seven-overtime thriller in 2018 to quarterback Marcel Reed leading an impressive ground-and-pound comeback just last season.

In last season’s comeback, Reed managed to lead a second-half comeback while throwing just two passes. LSU Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier also helped the Aggies out with his three interceptions.

After spending some time with Reed at the Manning Passing Academy, Nussmeier praised the Aggies quarterback during SEC Media Days on Monday.

What Garrett Nussmeier Had to Say

Over this offeseason, Nussmeier and Reed both attended the Manning Passing Academy in Thibodeau, Louisiana. The three-day camp, hosted by the legendary Manning family, focuses on teaching fundamentals for offensive skill positions. Each year, they bring in a crop of college quarterbacks and the rivals both attended.

During the camp, Nussmeier and Reed got a chance to get to know each other.

"He is a good football player, and he can make plays with his feet and his arm,” Nussmeier said of Reed, per TexAgs. “He is a great person, and I look forward to watching him this year."

Last season, Reed put himself on the map as a redshirt freshman. After splitting time with now-Houston quarterback Conner Weigman, Reed put up 1,864 passing yards, 15 passing touchdowns and six interceptions while completing 61.3 percent of his passes and rushed for 547 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground.

Three of his rushing touchdowns and 62 of his rushing yards came against the Tigers, aided by LSU turnovers that set the Aggies up with good field position.

“I might have made a couple jokes that we 'gave' that game to them,” Nussmeier said. “We had a laugh."

Now, both quarterbacks are being included in Heisman odds, with Nussmeier being listed among the top contenders.

The Aggies and Tigers are set to rematch in Week 9, when Marcel Reed travels to Death Valley for the first time as a starter. Recently, the winner of the bout has been the home team, so the Aggies are looking to change that trend. The game is set in the flex time slot, so if the two teams’ seasons shape up to be anything like last year, they should be playing at night.

The Tigers currently hold the all-time record over the Aggies, 35-21-2.