Program's best season in over a decade repeats as the baseline
An 11-2 debut into the CFP raises the bar significantly — watch for a letdown/hangover spot early against lesser competition given the leap in expectations.
SEC FOOTBALL COMPANION GUIDE • ALPHABETICAL 15 OF 16
TEXAS A&M AGGIES
2026 Season Snapshot • College Station, Texas
11-2, CFP First Round appearance
SEC
2026 Schedule
Live schedule, lines and results for Texas A&M.
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HEAD COACH
HANDICAPPING PROFILEHEAD COACH
Mike Elko — 3rd season at Texas A&M
LIFETIME COACHING RECORD
19–7 at Texas A&M (8-5 in 2024, 11-2 in 2025)
Inherited a program that went 12-13 over the final two Jimbo Fisher seasons. Elko, a longtime elite defensive coordinator (including a prior A&M stint) before becoming Duke's head coach, delivered the program's first CFP berth and best record in over a decade in 2025.
TEXAS A&M ATS RECORD
No single published career ATS figure
2025 finished 11-2 (including an SEC-best offensive record-setting stretch) before a CFP First Round loss to Miami. The Lone Star Showdown loss to Texas (27-17) was the other blemish on an otherwise historic season.
HEAD COACH SALARY (2026)
$7.0M
TEAM NIL VALUATION (EST.)
Not disclosed
PRIMARY NIL COLLECTIVE
12th Man+ Fund
Coach salary per Yahoo Sports' 2026 SEC coaching salary rankings (USA Today database). Texas A&M has not disclosed a team NIL figure.
HANDICAPPING NOTES
- Program's best season in over a decade repeats as the baseline: An 11-2 debut into the CFP raises the bar significantly — watch for a letdown/hangover spot early against lesser competition given the leap in expectations.
- Kicking game was a specific liability in 2025: Struggles from kickers Randy Bond and Jared Zirkel "threatened to prove costly" down the stretch — a live, specific weak spot to track in close games.
- New coordinators on both sides for 2026: Both playcallers have turned over after the CFP run — real scheme uncertainty for a team that otherwise returns its most important player (QB Marcel Reed).
COORDINATORS & SCHEME
OFFENSE / DEFENSEOFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
New OC (2026) • System TBD
Replaces Collin Klein after A&M's offense set program records in 2025. QB Marcel Reed returns for his second full year as a starter after adding weight and working with a private coach in the offseason to clean up his decision- making in high-pressure spots.
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
New DC (2026) • System TBD
Replaces Jay Bateman. Elko himself remains one of the sport's most respected defensive minds and will have heavy input regardless of who calls the plays — a program identity that shouldn't change much even with new voices in the room.
2025 SEASON RECAP
RECORD & VENUE NOTES2025 RECORD
11–2, CFP First Round appearance
Best A&M season in decades; only losses came to Texas (27-17) and in the CFP First Round to Miami. Set multiple offensive program records along the way.
HOME FIELD
Kyle Field
Natural grass, College Station. One of the largest and loudest stadiums in college football ("12th Man" tradition) — a significant home-field factor for a program now operating with real national-title-level expectations.
PRIMARY SKILL PLAYERS
2026 PROJECTED STARTERS| SLOT | PLAYER | YEAR | HS Stars | NOTES / NFL OUTLOOK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB1 | Marcel Reed | Jr | ★★★★★ | Consensus four-star signee (2023, No. 20 QB); returns for his second full year as starter after leading the 11-2 CFP run; added weight and worked with a private coach this offseason to sharpen his decision-making. |
| RB1 | Rueben Owens II | RS-Jr | ★★★★★ | Five-star signee (No. 1 RB nationally per Rivals) finally set to anchor the backfield after injuries limited him early in his career; Le'Veon Moss and EJ Smith Jr. are both gone. |
| WR1 | Mario Craver | Jr | ★★★★★ | Mississippi State transfer (4-star per 247Sports/ESPN) and Reed's clear top target after a breakout 2025 (52 rec, 825 yds, 4 TD, incl. a 207-yard game vs. Notre Dame); PFF's 2nd-highest-graded returning SEC receiver. |
| WR2 | Isaiah Horton | — | ★★★★★ | Alabama transfer (former four-star, 2022 class; 6'4"); added to give Reed another proven downfield option opposite Craver, the two go back to high school together in Tennessee. |
QB1Marcel ReedJr★★★★★
Consensus four-star signee (2023, No. 20 QB); returns for his second full year as starter after leading the 11-2 CFP run; added weight and worked with a private coach this offseason to sharpen his decision-making.
RB1Rueben Owens IIRS-Jr★★★★★
Five-star signee (No. 1 RB nationally per Rivals) finally set to anchor the backfield after injuries limited him early in his career; Le'Veon Moss and EJ Smith Jr. are both gone.
WR1Mario CraverJr★★★★★
Mississippi State transfer (4-star per 247Sports/ESPN) and Reed's clear top target after a breakout 2025 (52 rec, 825 yds, 4 TD, incl. a 207-yard game vs. Notre Dame); PFF's 2nd-highest-graded returning SEC receiver.
WR2Isaiah Horton—★★★★★
Alabama transfer (former four-star, 2022 class; 6'4"); added to give Reed another proven downfield option opposite Craver, the two go back to high school together in Tennessee.
OFFENSIVE LINE
2026 PROJECTED| PLAYER | POS | YEAR | HS Stars | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Returning core | OL | — | ★★★★★ | Line largely intact behind a program-record-setting 2025 offense; specific starters to confirm as fall camp wraps. |
Returning coreOL—★★★★★
Line largely intact behind a program-record-setting 2025 offense; specific starters to confirm as fall camp wraps.
HANDICAPPING NOTE — O-LINE
- Continuity behind an already-productive unit is a quiet positive heading into a season with a new OC — the line shouldn't be the reason for any early-season growing pains.
DEFENSIVE LINE
2026 PROJECTED| PLAYER | POS | NOTES |
|---|---|---|
| DJ Hicks | DT | Returning starter working back from injury; part of what's been a strong Aggie defensive front under Elko's influence. |
DJ HicksDT
Returning starter working back from injury; part of what's been a strong Aggie defensive front under Elko's influence.
LINEBACKERS
2026 PROJECTED- Daymion Sanford returns after offseason surgery, giving the linebacker corps its veteran anchor as a new defensive coordinator installs his system for 2026.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
2026 PROJECTED| PLAYER | POS | HS Stars | NOTES / NFL OUTLOOK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secondary under new DC | DB | ★★★★★ | Coordinator change makes specific scheme and starters a fall-camp storyline; confirm closer to Week 1. |
Secondary under new DCDB★★★★★
Coordinator change makes specific scheme and starters a fall-camp storyline; confirm closer to Week 1.
SPECIAL TEAMS
KICKING, PUNTING & RETURN GAME- Kicker: A real point of concern — Randy Bond and Jared Zirkel both struggled in 2025, and those issues "threatened to prove costly" in the CFP push. This is a specific, repeatable handicapping note for close A&M games in 2026 until proven otherwise in fall camp.
Betting profile — vs. the number
2025 ATS
5-8
38.5% cover rate — 62nd of 82
2025 Straight up
11-2
Point differential +166
Scoring environment
54.8
Combined points per game — 28th highest of 82
Home / road ATS
2-6 · 3-2
Totals 8-5 O/U (4-4 home, 4-1 road)
Points scored / allowed
33.8 per game scored (12th) · 21 allowed (28th)
Margin & schedule
Margin of victory +12.8 (14th) · Strength of schedule +3
- Home / road: Home 2-6 ATS, road 3-2 ATS (neutral-site games excluded).
- Home / road: Totals 8-5 O/U — 4-4 at home, 4-1 on the road.
- Trend: 2025 ATS 5-8 (38.5% cover rate) across 13 games.
- Trend: Averaged 33.8 points and allowed 21, a 54.8 combined per-game scoring environment.
Power ratings — strength against the field
SRS power rating
+13.8
10th of 82 — projected points vs. a league-average team on a neutral field
Offensive SRS
+10
9th of 82
Defensive SRS
+7.6
18th of 82
Points (margin of victory)
+12.8 · 14th of 82
Against the spread
5-8 (38.5%) · 62nd of 82
Totals (combined PPG)
54.8 · 28th of 82
Computed from CollegeFootballData 2025 results and closing consensus lines.
Notes
Saved Just J research for Texas A&M.
Kicking game was a specific liability in 2025
Struggles from kickers Randy Bond and Jared Zirkel "threatened to prove costly" down the stretch — a live, specific weak spot to track in close games.
Quarterback
New coordinators on both sides for 2026
Both playcallers have turned over after the CFP run — real scheme uncertainty for a team that otherwise returns its most important player (QB Marcel Reed).
Offensive Line
Offensive line outlook
Continuity behind an already-productive unit is a quiet positive heading into a season with a new OC — the line shouldn't be the reason for any early-season growing pains.
Notes are maintained in the Admin area — no code changes required.