$2.1 million SEC quarterback announces he’ll forgo NFL Draft, return for 2026

SEC quarterback who won't go to NFL Draft | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

One College Football Playoff program just received some major positive news ahead of their postseason run. One of the many flaws in the current CFB calendar is that players really have to make decisions on their futures before the playoffs are over, since they could be playing well into January — and past the deadline for transferring. Then, there's the NFL Draft and that process to think about.

Luckily for Texas A&M, they have full assurance that their star quarterback, Marcel Reed, is fully locked in on the Aggie program amid any portal offers or professional attention. As part of an interview with former Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III, Reed confirmed his intention to remain with A&M program next fall, returning for his junior season. On a recent episode of Griffin's podcast, Outta Pocket, Reed as was asked point-blank whether he is coming back to Texas A&M for the 2026 season. His response:

"I'm coming back," he said with a head nod. "I'll be back." Griffin went on to comment that, from his view, A&M seemed like the ideal home for Marcel Reed.

"I do too," Reed responded, agreeing that A&M is the perfect fit. "I mean, I got offers after my freshman year, " he added. "I thought that this was the best place to be. I didn't think there was any reason to leave Texas A&M. I have the job and it's mine to lose. But like, there's no reason for me to leave."

Marcel Reed stats, NIL valuation

Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The good folks at On3 put together a formula for calculating a player's NIL and roster value based on real reporting on player compensation plus social media exposure and overall talent level. According to their esteemed metric, Marcel Reed checks in with a $2.1 million NIL evaluation. That puts him No. 13 among current college football players and No. 17 among all college athletes.

As a starting quarterback for one of the top 10 teams in the nation this season, you wouldn't think there's much reason for Marcel Reed to transfer away from Texas A&M. However, after the stellar year he put together, NFL scouts certainly have him on the radar.

Across 12 regular season games, Reed threw for just under 3,000 yards and will almost certainly eclipse that milestone in the postseason. He also tossed 25 touchdowns vs. just 10 interceptions and added another six touchdowns as a runner to give him more than 30 on the year. Reed's rushing tally is currently 466 yards. Easily one of the best dual threat quarterbacks in the country, Reed projects to return to a contending Aggie squad in 2026 as a Heisman Trophy frontrunner and potential NFL first round pick,.