Yahoo Sports' Preseason College Football Top 25: Can Texas A&M get over Texas hurdle and play for SEC title?

College football officially begins this month.

Now that it's August, there are just weeks to go until Week Zero arrives on Aug. 29, and since the season is quickly approaching, we're rolling out our preseason top 25.

After revealing our teams in the back half of our top 25, we continue our previews of the top 12 teams in the country with a team that enters 2026 on a two-game losing streak.

Previously: Teams Nos. 13-25 , No. 12 Oklahoma , No. 11 Alabama

No. 10 Texas A&M

2025 record: 11-2

National championship odds: 15-1

Odds to make College Football Playoff: +125

2025 in less than 100 words

The Aggies spent most of the regular season in the top 10 because they simply kept winning. A&M jumped to No. 10 after a 41-40 win at Notre Dame in Week 3 and stayed near the top for the rest of the regular season. The Aggies were No. 3 for much of November and somehow avoided disaster in an incredible comeback against South Carolina for a 31-30 win.

However, that was a sign of things to come for A&M against its next two FBS opponents. The Aggies lost out on the chance to play for the SEC title and end the regular season undefeated with a 27-17 loss at Texas. Still safely in the playoff, A&M hosted Miami to open the postseason. The Aggies' offense fell apart. Marcel Reed was sacked seven times as A&M lost 10-3.

Can Marcel Reed be a true Heisman contender in 2026? (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) Alex Slitz via Getty Images

The QB

Marcel Reed

Reed spent the latter portion of Texas A&M's win streak as a fringe Heisman candidate. But the final few weeks of the season showed what he has to work on to be one of the best quarterbacks in the country in 2026.

Against South Carolina, Reed was picked off twice in the first half and the Gamecocks returned a fumble for a touchdown as USC built a 30-3 halftime lead. The Aggies pulled off the biggest comeback in school history and Reed threw for 439 yards.

He wasn't able to replicate that magic against Texas. Reed was 20-of-32 passing against the Longhorns and threw for just 180 yards and two interceptions. He threw another two picks against Miami.

Overall, half of Reed's 12 interceptions came in three of A&M's final four games.

Reed accounted for 31 total touchdowns in 2025 and has the chance to eclipse that number, especially if he makes strides as a passer. He'll also have a new offensive coordinator in Holmon Wiggins, but Wiggins has served as the Aggies' co-OC and wide receivers coach for the past two seasons.

Non-QB to watch

RB Rueben Owens

Owens returns after leading the Aggies in rushing in 2025. Owens rushed for 639 yards and five touchdowns as Le'Veon Moss missed half the season because of a leg injury. Moss entered the season as the Aggies' top back, but was limited to 404 yards on 77 carries.

Owens has a chance to rush for 1,000 yards in 2026 behind a line that returns center Mark Nabou and adds South Carolina transfer Trovon Baugh.

Having a more consistent run game will be key for the Aggies. It's not a coincidence that A&M struggled to run the ball against South Carolina and Miami in two of its worst performances of the season. The Aggies' run game was consistent in its wins, but it needs to be much better — especially if Reed doesn't take a huge step forward as a passer without new Kansas State coach Collin Klein calling plays.

Eric Edholm's 2027 NFL Draft prospect to watch

WR Mario Craver

Size concerns will always dog Craver, who’s listed at 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, but he was a slot machine for the Aggies after coming over from Mississippi State. Craver’s game is built on speed, which is obvious going both horizontally and vertically, and also his craftiness after the catch.

His 86-yard catch-and-run TD showed some terrific contact balance, regaining his top gear quickly. Craver might not crack the first round without a blistering 40-yard dash and another strong, productive season, but he has some juice and is worth watching.

College Fantasy Football player to watch

WR Mario Craver

Craver was A&M's No. 2 receiver with 59 catches for 917 yards and four scores. He finished just two catches and two yards behind K.C. Concepcion.

Concepcion is now in the NFL. Craver has the chance to be the Aggies' top receiver. And if he's going to assume that role, he needs to be much better in SEC play than he was in 2025.

Craver had a breakout game in the Aggies' win over Notre Dame. He had seven catches for 207 yards and a score and topped 100 yards for the third consecutive game. But that TD catch against the Fighting Irish was the last touchdown pass he caught all season.

Through three games, Craver had 20 catches for 443 yards. Not only did his yards per catch drop precipitously after Week 3, he failed to crack 100 yards receiving in a single game the rest of the season. His best performance after playing Notre Dame came against Miami, where he had seven grabs for 92 yards.

That game is a reason for optimism. Reed clearly trusts Craver, and another offseason together should further their connection. Alabama transfer Isaiah Horton is good enough to prevent defenses from solely taking away Craver in the passing game, and Ashton Bethel-Roman averaged over 20 yards a catch in 2025.

Why Texas A&M is No. 10

While the final two games of the season and that disaster of a first half against South Carolina may color your opinion of the Aggies, this was a very good football team in 2025 with a relatively fortuitous schedule. The schedule sets up tougher in 2026 even without a game against Notre Dame. But this is an Aggies team that's capable of making the playoff again.

Reed should make a leap and could even be a more serious Heisman contender in 2026.

"I think he's evolved into a dual-threat quarterback," A&M coach Mike Elko said at SEC media days. "A lot of people recognize that. At his h...

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