Texas A&M Enters 2026 Season With High Hopes and New Staff as Questions Linger at QB

The Aggies’ SEC Media Days presence signaled strong expectations but said the team must fix turnover issues and navigate a tougher conference slate to turn last season’s playoff breakthrough into hardware.

Overview

Mike Elko and players spoke at SEC Media Days on July 22 about building on the program’s first College Football Playoff run while stressing the team still has no major trophies to show for recent success.
Elko promoted Holmon Wiggins to offensive coordinator and elevated Lyle Hemphill to defensive coordinator after Collin Klein and Jay Bateman left, giving the program internal continuity but fresh play-calling tests.
Quarterback Marcel Reed is returning for 2026 but said he is undecided about playing beyond this season, and coaches singled out Reed’s 12 interceptions last year as the key problem to fix for the offense to be elite.
Texas A&M lost a program-record 10 players to the 2026 NFL Draft but added a top transfer group and a top-10 recruiting class, creating a mix of roster turnover and incoming talent that must gel quickly.
Analysts are divided on the outlook: voices like Nick Saban and Kirk Herbstreit say A&M could contend for a title while CBS’s Brad Crawford projects an 8-4 season because of a new nine-game SEC schedule and difficult road trips.