RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Mike Elko's second season as Texas A&M's head coach was a massive success, as the Aggies made it to the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history, surpassing expectations, while Elko saw a record 10 players selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, further proving his ability to develop players at nearly every position.
Before the AP Top 25 rankings are released on Monday, Texas A&M came in at No. 8 in the US LBM Coaches Poll even after losing a large portion of the 2025 roster, proving that Mike Elko has earned national respect among his fellow Power Four coaches before his third season.
This offseason , the Aggies returned 65% of the 2025 roster and added 17 players from the transfer portal, combined with the talented 2026 signing class. Entering his second full starting season, redshirt junior quarterback Marcel Reed , who threw for 3,169 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions last fall, has performed well during the first seven preseason practices.
On Thursday, On3's Chris Low released his 2026 CFP prediction, placing Texas A&M as the 11-seed taking on 6-seed Oregon in the first round, which would be the first time both programs have faced each other on the football field in what could be a high-scoring matchup given both teams' offensive strengths. However, like most national analysts, Low isn't high on the Aggies getting past the first round for a second straight season.
"Two evenly matched teams, and two teams with elite talent on both sides of the ball, go at it on a rainy night in Eugene. The Aggies’ receivers do what they’ve done all season, and that’s produce explosive plays. Mike Elko has made it a priority to make the offense more explosive. The Ducks are able to match that explosiveness with Dakorien Moore catching two touchdowns and tight end Jamari Johnson making a key third-down catch to keep the ball away from the Aggies late in the game. But the biggest difference? The game is played at Autzen Stadium."
Among the 40-plus newcomers, Northwestern transfer Edge Anto Saka continues to stand out, especially after his first media appearance on Wednesday, spurring plenty of comical social media reactions based on Saka's mature physique. Combined with rising sophomore Marco Jones, the loss of Cashius Howell won't be devastating to the Aggies' 2026 pass rush.
However, replacing four starters along the offensive line will likely make-or-break the Aggies' chances of returning to the CFP. In the new world of nine-game SEC schedules, Texas A&M will face one of the tougher second-half slates, including road games vs. Alabama, South Carolina, and Oklahoma, combined with hosting Tennessee and Texas.
Still, as Low noted, Texas A&M's offense under new OC Holmon Wiggins should be explosive in the passing game, while Alabama transfer WR Isaiah Horton brings much-needed size and a go-to red zone target.
This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: On3 predicts Texas A&M to face Big Ten juggernaut in the 2026 CFP
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