Identifying where Texas A&M could improve or decline in 2026

Not much ever remains the same. Something is typically getting better or worse.

That’s especially true in college football. Players move on. Players remain. Players leave through the transfer portal. Players arrive through the transfer portal. A coach leaves. A coach is hired or promoted.

Texas A&M is different. There will be significant changes from an Aggie team that went 11-2 last season. In years past, that might signal a difficult season will follow.

Indeed, on the surface, it would seem the Aggies are destined to decline at various position groups.

But with good recruiting and the prudent moves in the transfer portal, that’s not necessarily the case.

With that in mind, here’s a position-by-position look at where the Aggies project to improve and decline in 2026.

And in at least one area, the Aggies might even stay the same.

Quarterback: Improving
Reason: In his first season as a full-time starter, Marcel Reed finished 23rd in the nation with 3,662 yards of total offense. He passed for 3,169 yards and 25 touchdowns. Alas, he also threw 12 interceptions. Reed needs to increase touchdowns and decrease interceptions. He probably should run more often, too. Quarterbacks often are more productive in their second year to start, though it’s certainly not guaranteed. Reed made giant strides from being a part-time starter in 2024 to last season. Look for more improvement. New offensive coordinator Holman Wiggins could help in that process.

Will Huffman, TexAgs

In 27 career games, Marcel Reed has completed 61.6 percent of his passes for 5,407 yards. He will be a redshirt junior in 2026.

Running backs: Improving
Reason: Admittedly, the loss of 2024 All-SEC selection Le’Veon Moss would signal a decline. Except that Moss' injuries limited him to just seven games in 2025. In fact, he carried more than 11 times just twice. Rueben Owens II returns after leading A&M with 639 rushing yards. He needs to be more physical and break more tackles, but he has also shown big-play ability. The departures of EJ Smith and Amari Daniels raise some questions about depth. However, Jamarion Morrow showed promise as a true freshman. Tiger Riden Jr. also has potential, and the additions of explosive freshman KJ Edwards‍ and Carsyn Baker‍ may provide more upside.

Receivers: Declining
Reason: The departure of All-American KC Concepcion seemingly ensures the receiving corps takes a step back. It may not be a major step, though. All-American Mario Craver is back. So is Ashton Bethel-Roman, whose productivity increased in the second half of last season. Transfer Isaiah Horton, who had 511 receiving yards and eight touchdowns for Alabama, was a significant addition. Getting former five-star recruit Jerome Myles back from injury could be a boon as well. Also, freshman Aaron Gregory‍ could make an immediate impact. The nice mix of experience and potential could result in the Aggies’ receivers corps actually being better, but that cannot be taken for granted.

Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

Mario Craver will be Texas A&M’s No. 1 returning receiver after hauling in 59 passes for 917 yards in 2025.

Tight ends: Improving
Reason: Look for the tight ends to be more active in the passing game. Last year, Nate Boerkircher and Theo Melin-Öhrström were solid contributors but combined for just 38 catches for 366 yards and four touchdowns. Fresno State transfer Richie Anderson III had 31 catches for 300 yards and three touchdowns. UTSA transfer Houston Thomas caught 34 passes for 347 yards and two scores. The potential of 6-foot-5, 275-pound Kiotti Armstrong is intriguing.

Offensive line: Declining
Reason: It’s unrealistic to think A&M be as good in the line after losing four starters, including All-SEC selections Trey Zuhn III and Chase Bisontis. The hope is that A&M’s line performance doesn’t decline as drastically as LSU’s did last year after losing four starters from 2024. A&M went heavy in the transfer portal to add SEC veterans Wilkin Formby (Alabama), Tyree Adams and Coen Echols (LSU) and Trovon Baugh (South Carolina) to fortify up front. If holdovers Robert Bourdon, Lamont Rogers, Blake Ivy and Tyler Thomas are ready to play, it would further ease the loss of last year’s starters.

Defensive line: Declining
Reason: The Aggies are in a similar position to this time last year when they had to replace three defensive line starters who were taken in the first, second and third rounds of the NFL Draft. Somehow, the Aggies surprisingly got better. A&M hopes to duplicate that feat in replacing Cashius Howell, Albert Regis and Tyler Onyedim. A&M looks to be in good shape to replenish the front four. DJ Hicks had a good year in 2025. Fingers are crossed that he can evolve into a dominant force inside. Sophomore tackles Landon Rink and DJ Sanders flashed last year. If they’re ready to play, the interior line legitimately could be improved — or at least just as good — especially with CJ Mims heading a list of transfer portal additions. Mims had 42 tackles and two sacks last season at North Carolina. The biggest void to fill, of course, is Howell, who led A&M with 11.5 sacks. Maybe Marco Jones, who had 2.5 sacks in a backup role, can be the next Aggie to produce a double-digit sack total. If not, maybe it will be Northwestern transfer Anto Saka.

Will Huffman, TexAgs

A true freshman last fall, Marco Jones was listed at 6-foot-5 and 258 pounds.

Linebackers: Improving
Reason: Does the term “missed fits” ring a bell? A&M’s frequent failures to fill running holes resulted in opponents amassing 40 running plays of 20 yards or more over the last two seasons. Linebacker play is not the only factor, but it’s a significant issue. The Aggies could get better in that regard because, frankly, they can’t get much worse. A&M has given up more long running plays over the last two seasons than any other team in the SEC. Why expect A&M to improve? Well, Daymion Sanford will be in his second year as a starter. He should benefit from the experience. Also, the addition of Tulsa transfer Ray Coney figures to help. He posted 129 tackles last season, which is just one less than A&M’s two highest-producing linebackers combined. Coney’s athleticism will help ease the loss to Taurean York. Further, sophomore Noah Mikhail looked good while posting 16 tackles as a backup last year. He figures to have a bigger role in ’26.

Secondary: Improving
Reason: At first glance, projecting improvement in the secondary might seem too ambitious. After all, the Aggies were third in the SEC in pass defense last year. No opponent passed for 300 yards. So, how do you remove All-SEC cornerback Will Lee III and nickel back Tyreek Chappell and get better? It’s a good question. But all of A&M’s defensive backs combined for a grand total of one interception last season. Perhaps next season they can get at least two. Frankly, there’s no good reason to expect a significant decline without Lee or Chappell. Highly-regarded Tennessee transfer Rickey Gibson III should fill in nicely for Lee. Former transfer Jordan Shaw played well late in the season at nickel. Safeties Dalton Brooks (who got A&M’s lone DB interception), Marcus Ratcliffe, Bryce Anderson and Myles Davis all return. The Aggies also get a boost from transfer Tawfiq Byard, who led Colorado in tackles last season. He even got an interception.

Kicking game: Improving
Reason: Well, it couldn’t get much worse. A&M’s 61.5 field-goal percentage was last in the SEC and 124th nationally. The Aggies should upgrade dramatically with the addition of Illinois transfer David Olano, who converted 20 of 23 last season. A&M’s punting needs an upgrade, too. Tyler White was ranked seventh in the SEC and had two attempts blocked, resulting in a touchdown and a safety. The return game may suffer without Concepcion, who was third in the nation in punt returns. However, Terry Bussey could be A&M’s next great return specialist. He showed great ability in returning a kickoff for a touchdown vs. Notre Dame, though it was called back by a holding penalty.