The 2025 season was one of the best campaigns in recent memory for the Texas A&M Aggies, which saw them nearly secure an undefeated regular season and also saw the team reach the College Football Playoff for the first time.
Unfortunately, a repeat of that does not seem too likely in 2026.
A shocking home loss to the Kentucky Wildcats and two blowout losses on the road to LSU and Missouri later, and the Aggies are just trying to stay in bowl game contention at this point after starting the season ranked No. 8.
The first half of the season has not left us short of notes to take through the first few games, and here are some of the biggest things we have learned in that time span.
The Sharp Offensive Regression
The 2025 Aggie offense was one of the school's most electric. Marcel Reed's unpredictable style of play, the lethal receiving duo of Mario Craver and KC Concepcion, a three-headed beast in the running game, and one of the stiffest offensive lines in the country.
And now it's like none of it ever existed.
Concepcion and most of the offensive line were selected in the NFL Draft this past April, and the current Texas A&M team seems to be having a tough time moving on without them.
Injuries have plagued Mario Craver for much of the year, the offensive line has the backs fending for themselves, and Marcel Reed has his own laundry list of regressions that have plagued him this year.
Before the most recent game against The Citadel, Reed had the same number of interceptions as he did touchdowns, and his passer rating ranks amongst the worst of qualifying FBS quarterbacks.
While the overall offensive production has faltered greatly, the younger personnel on the team such as true freshman running back KJ Edwards and sophomore wide receiver TK Norman have shown their potential through the first half, somewhat making up for the lackluster showings by the veterans.
Texas A&M Might Have the Best Special Teams Unit in the Country
Oh, to imagine what David Olano would have been like on the 2025 Texas A&M squad.
The senior transfer from the Illinois Fighting Illini has been literally perfect thus far in the season, hitting all 12 field goal attempts and all 24 extra points.
He has shown off his range as well, with his 57-yarder against the Arkansas Razorbacks serving as the longest made field goal by an Aggie this century.
This all comes as a stark contrast to the 2025 kicking unit, where Randy Bond and Jared Zirkel pinballed kicking duties and nothing seemed guaranteed, as the two combined for 16 makes on 26 field goal attempts. Olano has truly been the complete opposite.
And punter Tyler White is still the same Tyler White, continuing A&M's legacy in developing strong punters.
Returns against him have been limited, to say the least, and is averaging nearly 50 yards per punt, flipping field position and pinning opponents deep in their own territory with ease.
It Might Be Time For a Change Under Center
It's a relatively big "might," given that Brady Hart has been pretty hit-or-miss up to this point as well, but what on earth has happened to Marcel Reed?
We touched on this earlier, but it deserves its own section, as Reed has his own rate of decline that is different from the offense that he is supposed to be leading.
Missing wide-open receivers, throwing the ball away at the first signs of trouble, overall, just poor decision-making, need we go on?
And yes, the offensive line has had it fair share of struggles, as we also previously mentioned, and the receivers haven't been the most reliable in the past few conference games, especially on the road, but it all falls back on the quarterback.
Despite the all-around struggles, Reed is still the projected starter for Mike Elko for the foreseeable future, and there will be few bigger chances at redeeming oneself than the one that awaits Reed this Saturday in Tuscaloosa.
Or, it could also finally be the dawn of the Brady Hart era in College Station.
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