Texas A&M QB Marcel Reed Under Fire From SEC Defensive Coordinators

Ever since he first made his mark in the 2023 Texas Bowl, Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed has been "the guy" in College Station, officially taking over starting quarterback duties midway through the 2024 season after a back-and-forth battle with Conner Weigman.

After Weigman transferred to the University of Houston before the 2025 season, Reed further established himself as the leader under Mike Elko's eye, leading the Aggies to a near-perfect regular season and even their first-ever College Football Playoff berth.

Despite Reed's progression as a quarterback over the years, just like any other quarterback in the sport of American football, he still has his fair share of doubters.

"He Still Thinks He's a True Quarterback"

Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) reacts after throwing a touchdown pass during the first quarter against the Auburn Tigers at Kyle Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

ESPN's Adam Rittenburg received anonymous quotes from various SEC defensive coordinators aimed at Reed, and they still are not completely sold on the soon-to-be junior quarterback.

"The people that have been able to stop the run and play zone defense, he's had a hard time against," said one coordinator.

LSU and Missouri posted some pretty stout defenses, and of course it is up for debate, but Reed did lead the Aggies to wins in both of those contests by double-digit points, and on the road, no less.

Granted, he did throw two interceptions in the win against LSU, but the second half was all A&M, and Reed even opened up the game with a 41-yard rushing touchdown on his way to a 108-yard performance in Baton Rouge.

"He still thinks he's a true quarterback, and we want him to, like, keep thinking that way," another coordinator said. "He doesn't really want to run, but when he does, it's the scariest part."

Are we making fun of Marcel Reed for being effective with his legs now?

The man has said in the past that he's modeled parts of his game after Lamar Jackson, a notable dual-threat quarterback that won a Heisman Trophy back in 2016 with Louisville and has since gone on to win two NFL MVPs with the Baltimore Ravens using his elusive style of play.

The "true quarterback" isn't much of a thing in this day and age. Quarterbacks get more looks if they're able to use their legs to their advantage, be it on a designed run or on the fly to escape pressure.

Unless you possess immaculate arm talent like the Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrows of the football world, it would likely benefit you if you're able to tuck the rock and take off as well. That's simply how the game has slowly progressed over time.

And while Reed wasn't exactly the most consistent quarterback in the SEC, he was still able to find a way to win when it mattered against Notre Dame and in the monumental comeback over South Carolina.

The games against Texas and Miami? You could really chalk those up to nerves finally getting to the signal caller, but now that he's been in those moments and now knows what not to do, it should make this season a whole lot more interesting for Texas A&M and its potential as a team.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google