Texas A&M Aggies Three Biggest Questions Entering Spring Practice

As the end of winter workouts come to an end, the Texas A&M Aggies are set to start spring practice on Thursday, March 20th. And with it will begin the further preparations for head coach Mike Elko's second season in charge, where he hopes to build off a rather optimistic year 1.

Although, even after signing the nation's No. 9 ranked recruiting class, and filling more holes through the transfer portal, there are still questions about the Aggies heading into 2025. But what are the three biggest questions that the Aggies must confront as they enter spring practice?

Who's the Aggies Go-To Guy at Receiver?

Oct 19, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack wide receiver Kevin Concepcion (10) warms up before the game against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

It was the obvious priority of the offseason for the Aggies as they went heavy in the transfer portal to add playmakers in the passing game. Now, the Aggies must see if their additions will pay off with production.

After losing Noah Thomas to the transfer portal, Texas A&M's lead returning receiver is Terry Bussey. The rising sophomore totaled just 216 yards on 17 receptions as a true freshman, and will now be among those looking to step into an elevated role.

However, thanks to the additions via the portal, Bussey will have competition for a spot as one of the top receivers for A&M. Former NC State receiver Kevin Concepcion is the expected standout of the new additions and after a down year with the Wolfpack, the Aggies will hope he can recapture the form that made him the ACC freshman of the year.

Can The 'Forward Pass' Be Stopped?

While finding explosives through the passing game was a struggle for the Aggies on offense, stopping them defensively was also an issue. The secondary was famously the subject of a fiery rant from Elko following the Las Vegas Bowl loss to USC where he said his defense "can't cover the forward pass."

That analysis came before he dove into the transfer portal, where he hopes to have shored up the secondary. Texas A&M added former Georgia starting cornerback Julian Humphrey and Washington's Jordan Shaw, both of whom could find themselves as starters in College Station.

But will that be enough to improve an Aggies pass defense that finished 90th in passing yards allowed per game last season?

Is Marcel Reed 'The Guy?'

This is arguably the biggest question of all in College Station. And the answer won't be found out by the end of spring practice. However, when the answer does come it could have ramifications on the future of not only the Texas A&M program but Elko's future. After the benching and eventual transferring of Conner Weigman, the wagon is being hitched to Reed as the starting quarterback.

While he did show promise throughout his eight starts last season, it is hard to ignore the fact that the Aggies finished with one win in their last five games. Now can that all be put on the shoulders of the then-freshman quarterback? No, and it shouldn't be.

But it is sufficient to say that for Texas A&M to take the next step they will need more from Reed in 2025. He will have the spring and the rest of the offseason to prepare as the unquestioned starter in College Station, and the Aggies will be hoping to see signs that he will be "the guy."

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