Three Missouri State Players to Watch vs. Texas A&M

Texas A&M must account for these three Missouri State players

Dec 20, 2025; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko takes the field prior to the game against the Miami Hurricanes during the first round of the CFP National Playoff at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Week 1 preparation for the college football season has finally begun as Texas A&M is embracing the opportunity to take on Missouri State at Kyle Field.

Coming off the 2025 season, the Bears were 7-6 overall with a 5-3 conference record while the Aggies were 11-2 with a 7-1 conference record. Lots has changed since then, which means that the operation of both programs will be too.

Missouri State enters the week with high expectations for both its offense and defense, but facing an SEC opponent will be no easy task in front of a crowd expected to exceed 100,000 fans. To walk away with a win, it will have to find ways to slow down head coach Mike Elko’s program and get these three players on their A game.

Skyler Locklear, Quarterback

UTEP quarterback Skyler Locklear (9) looks for an open receiver during the Delaware vs. UTEP Conference USA football season finale at Delaware Stadium in Newark on Nov. 29, 2025. Delaware won 61-31. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

A few weeks ago, the Bears announced they were electing to go with Skyler Locklear under center. That means that A&M’s defense now knows who to prepare for in its week of practice and is going to need its entire unit to step up and limit the big plays he is capable of.

The Aggies' defense has been harping on creating more turnovers this season, and to do that, it will need to apply pressure up front, starting with edge rushers Anto Saka and Marco Jones. Locklear had 11 interceptions and one fumble at UTEP last season, so he is turnover-prone, which might help out some.

Locklear’s strong suit is being a dual threat with a solid arm who can also tuck it and run when it's needed. In the rushing category, he is dangerous, as he set the UTEP record for single-season rushing touchdowns, so having a spy on him might be key for A&M. He’s also well known for extending plays and being efficient in logging completions, so that will be something to keep an eye out for.

Jeron Askren, Tight End

One of Locklear’s targets that will likely be very active on the field is going to be Jeron Askren, who made it onto the Mackey Award watch list for the best tight ends with his previous season recording five touchdowns.

He will likely be featured on the line to block and run routes. As a big-bodied weapon, he can quickly get downfield and make contested catches with his frame.

Askren is a sneaky-fast tight end who is a target to watch for in the red zone. After a year in which he posted 19 receptions for 224 yards with an average of 11.8 yards, the Aggies’ defense will need to communicate how it plans to defend this man, or it might get ugly.

Jared Lloyd, Linebacker

Missouri State's defense will be getting ready for quarterback Marcel Reed, and one of its leaders this season is tackling machine Jared Lloyd. He appeared in every game the program played and was an asset.

As a star of the defense, he has shown his physical toughness no matter the opponent. As the middle linebacker, he has had to showcase his vision to identify where the football is attacked and quickly decide his next move.

He registered 77 tackles last year and helped a ton in stopping the run and shutting down the pass. Lots of quarterbacks know he hurries the passer and blitzes effectively, so you will likely see that on several occasions. As the backbone of the defense, he’ll have to communicate well to his teammates, or else the dominance of A&M’s offense will take over and not show any mercy.

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