A tale of two halves. That’s the story of Texas A&M’s 2024 run. An electrifying 7-1 start that ended in a gut-wrenching 8-5 finish. Mike Elko left with plenty of questions heading into the offseason. But if one thing’s clear, he’s not here to dwell on the past. He’s here to rebuild, which is why he wasted no time revamping the roster. The Aggies brought in 14 transfers to surround their weapon Marcel Reed with the tools to succeed. But as they kicked off spring practice, the HC assured that his team wasn’t shying away from the challenges ahead.

With spring football underway, conversations have swirled around whether teams should continue hosting traditional spring games. On March 20, an X post surfaced on Mike Elko’s decision to stick to the spring football tradition. While some CFB teams are opting out, Texas A&M isn’t buying into that mindset. “There’s two different elements of this. There’s some teams who play it long, really long seasons and I think there’s a reality to have and redefine what your next offseason looks like with the extended playoffs and how many games some teams are playing. I think that’s real,” he stated. And then he also talks about the poaching fear. 

Most coaches and analysts see spring games as a risky game wherein rivals could identify talents during the games and swoop them out when the spring portal opens in April. But Texas A&M is different, at least in the eyes of their HC. “This thought of people recruiting off your roster or some of those things, I’m not, eyeing some of that stuff,” Mike Elko said. “So we’ll continue to have a spring game until we make it to the semifinals, and then we’ll rediscover what our off-season looks like.” Translation? The Aggies aren’t changing their approach until they have a legit reason to. Until then, the focus is on development. 

No one has a bigger role to play in that development than Marcel Reed. With Conner Weigman off to Houston, this is officially the redshirt freshman’s team. But for the Aggies to take the next step, it has to be about the roster around him. Football isn’t a one-man project and without a reliable offense, even the most talented QB is destined to fall. But that’s not going to happen to Reed because his team has invested in weapons like WRs Kevin Concepcion and Mario Craver to complement him. His development could push the Aggies to a top-15 or 20 contention, and even the expanded playoff picture. And Mike Elko is high on what he can expect from his QB. 

Mike Elko has strong expectations for Marcel Reed

For Marcel Reed, refining his pocket presence and accuracy is going to change his game. Ahead of spring football, Mike Elko told the media that his QB is “really talented.” “He has the ability to make every throw on the field,” he said. “What he needs is that natural Year 1 to Year 2 progression.” Which includes traditional spring football! Last season, he completed 61% of passes for 1,864 yards and 15 TDs while adding 547 yards and seven TDs on the ground. 

It’s not just Mike Elko pressing Marcel Reed for improvement. The QB isn’t going easy on himself during his post-spring practice speech. “I’ve set a goal for myself to be above 70 percent passing,” he declared. “That’s really good in college football, so if I can sit around there, I feel that will be great for the offense. It takes being in the film room and understanding the offense.” 

Texas A&M hasn’t won a national championship since 1939. And if they’re going to break that drought, it starts with Marcel Reed’s growth. While the defense still needs some gaps to fill, he has the willingness, talent, and offensive weapons around him. Now it’s up to him to deliver.