For every football player lucky enough not just to be drafted but to make an NFL roster, entering the league at 22 or younger is key to playing at a high level during the first four seasons of the average rookie contract, with the goal of cashing out and earning a second contract. However, the average NFL career ranges from 3 to 11 seasons, depending on a variety of factors, including position, injury history, and, of course, age.
In college football, the new 5-5 NCAA rule essentially locks in recent high school commits after they turn 19, making their first major decision that much more important compared to the chaos of transferring after one or two seasons. While this presents plenty of drawbacks, it also offers a significant advantage for programs focused on a healthy balance between recruiting additions and transfer portal utilization.
One of the best examples of this is Texas A&M’s strategy under third-year coach Mike Elko, who returns 65% of the 2025 roster combined with 17 transfer additions and 26 freshmen from the 2026 recruiting class. Currently holding onto the No. 1-ranked 2027 recruiting class, this balance should lead to the Aggies competing for a national title for years to come.
Focused on the 2026 roster, RotoWire recently ranked the average age of all 138 FBS teams, with Texas A&M coming in tied at 122nd with an average age of 20.01, which ranks 11th among SEC teams. While some will say this is a disadvantage from an experience perspective, Texas A&M’s 2026 roster is chock-full of up-and-coming second-year players, juniors, and seniors at nearly every position.
A great example of this is along the offensive line, featuring four new starters who will all be either sophomores, juniors, or seniors with two to four years of experience.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: What is the average age of Texas A&M’s 2026 roster among 138 teams?
