Texas A&M's offense has struggled this season, ranked 109th in passing and 123rd in passing efficiency, and 113th in total yards, thanks to starting quarterback Marcel Reed's consistent struggles in the pocket, failing to elevate his game after throwing for a career-high 3,169 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions under former offensive coordinator Collin Klein.
Under first-year OC Holmon Wiggins, Texas A&M's scheme isn't the primary issue, and Marcel Reed's regression, combined with the offensive line failing to protect him, has resulted in the offense failing to find any success, outside of a rushing attack that has yet to find consistency, despite racking up over 200 yards in multiple games.
Behind Marcel Reed, sophomore QB Brady Hart and freshman Helaman Casuga serve as this season's reserve options, and while both players were four-star recruits, third-year coach Mike Elko isn't confident that either player can lead the Aggies out of their offensive slump, but at this point, what's the point of continuing to start Reed?
Looking ahead, Mike Elko understands that to turn things around next season and keep his job past the 2027 campaign, spending a lot of money on high school recruiting or the transfer portal for a starting-level quarterback with NFL potential is the No. 1 goal before the offseason even begins.
In the No. 1-ranked 2027 class, four-star QB commit Jayce Johnson likely isn't he immediate answer, while 2028 5-star QB Donald Tabron is an option two seasons from now. Several big-name transfer-portal QBs will be available, and Cover 3 podcast host Bud Elliott and 247Sports recruiting expert Andrew Ivins are confident that Texas A&M's ability to spend the necessary funds and its recruiting success under Elko should fix this problem sooner rather than later.
The options will be available, but Mike Elko's first step on Saturday against The Citadel is to play Brady Hart for an extended period to see what he can offer as a potential long-term option, or to prove that landing a high-dollar portal QB becomes the top priority before the season ends.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M's QB future is 'bright' despite Marcel Reed's struggles