Texas A&M Receives Significant Roster News for Next Season

There’s word that one of the Texas A&M veterans will be returning to play football in Aggieland.

It’s junior safety Marcus Ratcliffe, who told Aggie Sports 365 that he would be coming back to play for the Aggies and coach Mike Elko next season, which is exciting news for a familiar face to be back in the locker room. He has been a key piece of the A&M defense over the years and has contributed to the defense being ranked among the top 30 in several key defensive rankings as of late 2025.

As the transfer portal officially opened on January 2, the news broke on the first day that Ratcliffe is not going anywhere and will be wearing a jersey for Maroon and White.

Before college, Ratcliffe was a 3-star recruit according to 247Sports (safety), Rivals (defensive back), and ESPN (outside linebacker), where he attended Cathedral Catholic High School. He was a three-time first-team all-league selection on defense and once on offense.

Ratcliffe On A&M's Defense

BREAKING: Standout Texas A&M Safety Marcus Ratcliffe has confirmed to me that he will be returning to Texas A&M for his Senior season rather than going pro!

In two seasons at A&M, he has 113 tackles, 6.5 TFL’s, 3 PBU’s, and 3 INT’s.

Huge news for him to be coming back pic.twitter.com/GKO9XYnsZF
— Aggie Sports 365 (@365Aggie) January 2, 2026

This was one of the bigger reports on the first day of the transfer portal that will excite the 12th Man, as there are key pieces still waiting to decide on their futures.

With the Aggies, Ratcliffe was one of the pieces that kept wide receivers from busting into wide-open space as the Chula Vista, California, native had a good season tackling and reading offenses.

In the 2025 season with A&M, Ratcliffe piled up impressive numbers as he faced several competitive offenses that had some of the most highly recruited players. He accumulated a total of 66 tackles, 33 of which were solo, to go along with 33 assists. There were even three passes defended.

In 2024, the star safety only recorded 48 total tackles, 28 of which were solo with his 20 assists, so he grew during the offseason, working in several different areas to get better as a player. Back in 2023, he racked up 50 total tackles with 30 solo tackles, 20 assists, one pass defended, and one interception that was taken back for 29 yards.

His best game in 2025 came against UTSA and Arkansas, where he had a season-best seven total tackles. Against Mississippi State, he posted seven assists, which is the most assists he had all season.

Against the Roadrunners, he also had a season-high two passes defended, while the game versus the Razorbacks saw him register a season-high six assists.