Texas A&M’s chances of returning to the College Football Playoff hinge on redshirt junior quarterback Marcel Reed taking the proverbial “next step” in his development as a pocket passer, while his decision-making in key moments must improve, especially at a more consistent rate down the stretch of the 2026 season.
Last fall, Reed did take another step, passing for a career-high 3,169 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions during his first full starting season, connecting with transfer wide receivers KC Concepcion and Mario Craver for nearly 1,900 yards and 13 scores.
After reaching an impressive 11-0, Texas A&M’s offense sputtered against Texas on the road, and after losing to the Longhorns, failed to capitalize on its first appearance in the CFP in a sold-out Kyle Field, falling to eventual national runner-up Miami 10-3, which included two costly Marcel Reed interceptions.
Before hosting Kentucky in Week 3, Texas A&M will host Arizona State for the first time in program history, facing a Sun Devils program that has already reached the CFP under head coach Kenny Dilligham and consecutive bowl game appearances during his first two seasons. However, after losing QB Sam Leavitt to LSU, Kentucky transfer Cutter Boley is expected to take his place.
Set for 11:00 a.m. in Week 2, the temperatures in Kyle Field will be scorching, which will play as an advantage for either team, making this one of two “trap games” if Elko doesn’t have his team ready, but it shouldn’t be the matchup Aggie fans should be worried about.
Going into SEC play, Texas A&M will host Kentucky before consecutive road games vs. LSU and Missouri, host Arkansas, and then hit the road to face Alabama and South Carolina in late October and early November. The Aggies are nearly guaranteed to enter Tuscaloosa as an underdog, while facing South Carolina on the road looks like the most significant trap game, especially if the Aggies defeat Alabama on the road.
After losing to the Gamecocks on the road during the 2024 season, Texas A&M’s historic comeback in late November after trailing 30-3 at the half continues to be one of the more shocking results in recent memory. For the third straight season, the Aggies will face South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers, who looks to avenge last season’s embarrassing defeat.
This season, after adding 17 players from the transfer portal, combined with 65% of the 2025 roster returning, third-year coach Mike Elko is confident that he and his revamped coaching staff are equipped to take on what is a challenging, but manageable, SEC schedule.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: What is Texas A&M’s biggest ‘trap game’ during the 2026 season?
