Texas A&M

New offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins and quarterbacks coach Joey Lynch inherit a useful starting point in Reed. Wiggins told beat reporter Tony Catalina that he favors 11 personnel but will tailor the offense to the roster, and he has simplified terminology for Reed. The intended benefit is practical: fewer complications between the call and the snap could help Reed make quicker decisions, particularly on late downs. Freshman Helaman Casuga’s winning touchdown pass to sophomore tight end Luke Braden in the spring game offered an encouraging moment for the younger depth, but it did not settle the pecking order behind Reed or at tight end.

The receiving corps gives the transition its strongest measure of continuity. Reed identified Ashton Bethel-Roman, Mario Craver, Terry Bussey and Alabama transfer Isaiah Horton as his primary targets at SEC Kickoff. Craver returns after 917 receiving yards and four touchdowns in 2025, production that helped earn him first-team all-purpose and second-team receiver recognition from SEC media. Horton drew favorable spring reviews and brings size alongside Craver’s explosiveness. If that pairing carries its promise into the season, Wiggins should have multiple ways to challenge defenses outside rather than asking Reed to manufacture offense by himself.

Everything becomes harder if the reconstructed offensive line cannot settle quickly. Center Mark Nabou Jr. is the lone returning starter from last season’s unit. Elko said A&M added four transfer linemen with SEC starting experience, a sensible response to the turnover but not an instant substitute for cohesion. The opening competition must produce five players who can communicate and protect Reed before the schedule stiffens. The backfield is similarly open: spring coverage positioned Jamarion Morrow as a serious contender alongside Rueben Owens, with freshman KJ Edwards also receiving work. Pass protection and receiving ability could be as important as rushing flashes in determining that rotation.

Elko’s defensive standard begins up front, where another round of NFL departures requires the Aggies to reload. Senior DJ Hicks is the established anchor after recording 26 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and three sacks in 2025. His presence gives the line a proven interior piece, but its overall strength will depend on younger and transferred players becoming reliable contributors around him. That development has consequences beyond the line itself: consistent disruption would ease the burden on a linebacker group navigating significant change and allow the secondary to play from more favorable situations.

Linebacker contains the defense’s most important availability question. Captain Daymion Sanford left the April 18 spring game on a cart with his lower left leg immobilized, and no diagnosis or return timetable was subsequently established publicly. His status matters because he was expected to help lead the transition after Taurean York and Scooby Williams. Senior transfer Ray Coney supplied an encouraging alternative during the final open spring practice, when Catalina observed him directing the defense and disrupting the offense. Behind that group, captain Marcus Ratcliffe called this the deepest and best secondary of his A&M tenure, highlighting veteran safeties Dalton Brooks and Tawfiq Byard, three playable corners and competition at nickel. That is Ratcliffe’s assessment, but experienced depth there could give Elko flexibility while the front seven takes shape.

Special teams offers one established advantage in Bussey, who averaged 23.4 yards on 18 kick returns in 2025 and ranked third in the SEC in total kick-return yards. Transfer kicker David Olano made multiple field goals during spring work, though the starting assignment remains unsettled. The schedule provides a brief installation window: Missouri State, Arizona State and Kentucky visit Kyle Field before a Sept. 26 trip to LSU. Later road games at Alabama, South Carolina and Oklahoma will test the Aggies away from home, while Tennessee visits before a closing sequence of Oklahoma on Nov. 21 and Texas at Kyle Field on Nov. 28.

Those pressure points bring the season back to Elko’s central challenge. Reed, Craver, Nabou, Hicks and Bussey give Texas A&M recognizable strengths at consequential spots. Horton could broaden the passing game, Coney may be essential at linebacker, and Sanford’s recovery could materially alter the defense’s outlook. The questions are concentrated rather than mysterious: Can the new offense become comfortable quickly? Can the rebuilt lines hold up against SEC opponents? Can the Aggies finish better than they did a year ago? Texas A&M has enough proven talent to pursue another strong season, but its progress will be measured by cohesion and late-season performance, not preseason possibility.

Win probability

94%