RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Texas A&M's 2026 season opener is just 11 days away, as the Aggies will host Missouri State on Saturday, Sept. 5, kicking off coach Mike Elko's third season at the helm, which is slated to be his toughest yet given the new nine-game SEC schedule. However, after making the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history last season, doubting the Aggies is somewhat nonsensical at this point.
This offseason, Elko made several staff elevations, promoting WR coach Holmon Wiggins as the program's new offensive coordinator, paired with Lyle Hemphill replacing Jay Bateman as the new defensive coordinator, which was the right choice given his rising status in the coaching landscape.
The Aggies returned 65% of the 2025 roster before losing 15 starters, including a record 10 players selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, while redshirt junior quarterback Marcel Reed returns for his second full starting season after throwing for a career-high 3,169 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions last fall.
On Monday, USA TODAY released its first 2026 Re-Rank for all 139 Division 1 college football programs, placing Texas A&M at No. 13, five spots lower than the Aggies' preseason AP Top 25 and US LBM Coaches Poll ranking at No. 8 after finishing the 2025 season with an 11-2 record.
Before star receiver KC Concepcion was selected 24th overall by the Cleveland Browns, the Aggies landed a commitment from Alabama transfer Isaiah Horton, whose 6'4" frame has already solved Marcel Reed's deep-ball accuracy issues after 14 preseason practices. Combined with junior Mario Craver, Ashton Bethel-Roman, Terry Bussey, and freshman Aaron Gregory, this might be the deepest wide receiver room in program history.
On defense, replacing unanimous All-American Edge Cashius Howell will be a challenge, but Northwestern transfer Edge Anto Saka is up for the task, paired with senior DL DJ Hicks and North Carolina transfer nose tackle CJ Mims, while sophomore Jack Marco Jones deserves all the hype after an impressive preseason.
Still, outside of wide receiver, Texas A&M's secondary is one of the deepest in the country, led by safeties Dalton Brooks and Marcus Ratcliffe, while cornerbacks Dezz Ricks, Julio Humphrey, and Tennessee transfer Rickey Gibson were outstanding during the Aggies' 14th preseason practices on Saturday.
This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Where does Texas A&M rank in USA TODAY's 2026 Re-Rank?
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