Texas A&M Aggies 'Happy' with Marcel Reed's Development

With Conner Weigman now competing for the starting job at Houston, Marcel Reed is the unquestioned starting quarterback for the Texas A&M Aggies.

He took over the job full-time following the benching of Weigman in the second half of Texas A&M's 38-23 win over LSU this past season and never surrendered it despite the Aggies winning just one of their final five games.

Now, as Texas A&M prepares for its second season under head coach Mike Elko, it is on Reed to take the next step to help the Aggies enjoy a more successful 2025 season. And as of right now, according to Elko, the signs are there for Reed to be on track to do just that.

Nov 30, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) looks for an open receiver during the second quarter against the Texas Longhorns at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Elko said Tuesday in a press conference during the annual SEC spring meetings that he's "happy" with Reed's development.

"I think he has been really good. Obviously this is a good time, because nobody is critiquing him and he has not lost the game," Elko said. "So that is the easy part. But happy with how he is working, happy with the improvement he has made in terms of studying tape and doing the things that you want QB1 to do to develop and grow."

Playing in just 11 games, Reed passed for 1,854 yards and 15 touchdowns with just four interceptions. He rushed for another 547 yards and seven touchdowns on 116 attempts last season.

Reed showed promising signs of making good on the potential he showed as a four-star prospect coming out of high school. But one of the biggest areas of improvement for the rising redshirt sophomore will be in the passing game.

"Happy with the strides he made in the throw game in the spring; I think he will continue to do that through the summer," Elko said. "So Marcel is a great kid. ... So happy with the improvement in the development, with also understanding that it is the honeymoon phase right now. So there is a lot more coming down the road."

The issues in the passing game cannot be put squarely on the shoulders of Reed and Weigman. It also needs to be put on a receiving corps that struggled to consistently create explosive plays. The Aggies had just one receiver with over 500 yards last season, a statistic that likely cannot happen again if they hope to compete for an SEC Championship.

The Texas A&M coaching staff did their part this offseason with the additions of Mario Craver, Kevin Concepcion, and Jonah Wilson at receiver via the transfer portal. They will now hope Reed does his part and can elevate the Aggies' offense.