Texas A&M’s Path To The CFP Is More Realistic Than It Looks

The road to the College Football Playoff starts soon.

Week 0 officially began, and that means that Texas A&M’s week leading up to Week 1 starts now, and the journey back to the postseason starts next Saturday at Kyle Field.

It’s evident what head coach Mike Elko and Co. need to do once again to punch a ticket to where it hopes to be in December. He and the coaching staff revamped every area they felt needed work, with multiple stars filling holes.

Offensively, the pieces are there to go the distance, with newly promoted head coach Holmon Wiggins and a new defensive coordinator in Lyle Hemphill boosting this program into their 2026-27 campaign with aspirations of bringing home a national title. Special teams appear strong as well, so seeing it all come together is exciting, but to get back into the CFP, these are the three-level requirements.

Ball Security

Marcel Reed Texas A&M. — Dec 20, 2025; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) runs with the ball during the game between the Aggies and the Hurricanes at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One of the biggest conversations about this Aggies’ team has been how to avoid turning the ball over. Quarterback Marcel Reed has had to respond to the questions over the offseason and in spring and fall camp, and all reports have appeared that he has matured and learned from those mistakes.

“I think he is much more comfortable,” Elko mentioned. ”Much more confident. Knows the reads. Knows what the progressions need to look like. I think his footwork looks cleaner. The ball delivery looks cleaner. Again, excited for him.”

He is now operating with nearly an entirely new offensive line, so it will be interesting to see how he responds under traffic and how he can stay mobile and smart with the football.

Reed threw 12 interceptions, with four coming in the final two games of the season. It doesn’t fall only on him, though, as there were 11 total fumbles, five lost, that contributed to the inability to prolong drives. Find ways to fix those issues, and it leads to a better chance at making the playoffs.

Offensive Line Materializing

Some questions have arisen about what the Maroon and White will look like at the line of scrimmage on the offensive line, and it is reasonable to wonder. Only one starter from last year’s group is going to be out on the field getting first-team reps in live action, so the other four positions are up for grabs.

Mark Nabou Jr. is the leader of the Maroon Goons and will need to step up as that leader who communicates to the rest of the room and can fire everyone up in the trenches.

Several competitions are still underway in fall camp, with nothing confirmed about who will be out there in the first series, so there might be plenty of rotation. All the buzz has been about whether Tyree Adams, Trovon Baugh, Coen Echols and Wilkin Formby win the jobs, but making noise for those reps are the big men such as Lamont Rogers, Coen Echols, Blake Ivy and Tyler Thomas.

No matter who is blocking to protect the quarterback and running back, one thing is clear. It will take hard work and commitment to open up the run and pass game, and the right men are in that room at guard, tackle, and center to make Reed’s job much easier and run the offense effectively.

Extraordinary Wide Receiver Depth

Lots of fireworks might be going off due to the explosiveness of this wide receiver core. Every place you look, there is a playmaker that continues to make the routine plays and raise the message to the rest of the college football world that this is one of the most dangerous units out there.

Get on the right page, as Reed and this offense are going to skyrocket to the next level, even without its top playmaker from last season. KC Concepcion is no longer with the Aggies. Still, those back are Mario Craver, Ashton Bethel-Roman, and Terry Bussey, who have continued to build chemistry with Heisman-caliber candidate Reed.

There’s finally a serious deep threat that the Aggies haven’t had in a while as Isaiah Horton joined the crew after entering his name into the transfer portal. His catch radius is unbelievable, and when you combine that with the precise route running from the trio of veterans that return, it is one of the best in the SEC.

If A&M can find a way to protect the football and ignite the wide receivers and offensive line to come together, it will allow the defense in Year 3 under Elko to thrive more and complete the three-level requirements to get back to the CFP.

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