Texas A&M is Taking This Critical Step in Building a Long-Term Winning Program

In today's college football world, NFL talent is necessary to take home championships and the Texas A&M Aggies are finally getting the memo.

Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko looks on prior to the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Kyle Field. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

With Texas A&M football preparing for its first appearance in the College Football Playoff, there is plenty of buzz around the talent that has carried it into a national championship race. From dynamic offensive playmakers to disruptors on the defense, the Aggies have the tools available to attack the four possible opponents ahead of it.

Talent truly is the difference maker for title-winning teams, as the best squads have their key players go off to the NFL and represent their schools at the highest level professionly. Look no further than 2019 LSU, who had two wide receivers and their quarterback alone go off and score monster contracts.

Therefore, NFL talent is the winning recipe, and for the first time in a while the Aggies have both the players and the staff to create the future of professional football. Plus, unlike years before, the Maroon and White have players on both sides of the ball that could go in the first two days of the 2026 NFL Draft.

A New Precedent

Nov 8, 2025; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Texas A&M Aggies wide receiver KC Concepcion (7) returns a punt during the second half against the Missouri Tigers at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Through A&M's recent years and throughout the Southeastern Conference era in College Station, there has been no shortage of talent. However, it has seemed that the talent and the development were never able to blend, and each draft featured just one or two players going off and making a difference in the league.

This year, might not only be an exception, but might even establish a brand-new precedent for the Maroon and White. Wide receiver KC Concepcion has revitalized the passing game for a program that has been dismal at best for over a decade, with many analysts predicting him going in the first or second round of the 2026 draft.

On the flip side of the ball, defensive end Cashius Howell has had a breakout season to say the least. With a consensus All-American nod to lead the SEC in sacks with 11.5, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year has been the enforcer the Aggies have been needing as he has shot his draft stock skyhigh into the same conversation as Concepcion.

These two players are just the top of the list of draft-eligible Aggies that have carried the unit to its best season in over 30 years. From offensive tackle Trey Zuhn III to linebacker Taurean York, each has made his own impact and are ready to take the NFL world by storm while creating a precedent for their A&M predecessors to come.