CFB analysts predict what will 'make or break' Texas A&M's 2026 season
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Texas A&M’s 2026 season is still a long way away, but the spring practice schedule is off and running, as the first two practices have been completed, while coach Mike Elko and his revamped coaching staff are focused on mastering the fundamentals before entering the summer, which will be focused on recruiting visits before fall camp arrives before we know it.
After finishing the 2025 season in historic fashion, culminating in the program’s first trip to the College Football Playoff, while a nation-high 13 starters were invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, proving that Elko’s focus on development and recruiting NFL-caliber players has continued to pay off.
Just days after Texas A&M’s CFP first-round loss to Miami, offensive coordinator Collin Klein officially accepted his new role as Kansas State’s head coach, while defensive coordinator Jay Bateman made a lateral move to coach Kentucky’s defense next season.
Elko, who was assumed by those of us who cover the program, chose to keep things in-house, promoting WR coach Holmon Wiggins as the new offensive coordinator, and assistant Lyle Hemphill as Jay Bateman’s replacement. These moves are tough to debate, given Wiggins’ lack of play-calling experience, while Hemphil served as James Madison’s defensive coordinator for just one season.
However, the return of starting quarterback Marcel Reed for his third overall, and second full starting season, is the only reason the Aggies are ranked in the top 10 in nearly every preseason ranking, but after losing four starters along the offensive line, four additions from the transfer portal, all SEC starters last season, could make or break A&M’s chances of making it back to the CFP.
Defensively, Northwestern transfer edge Anto Saka and former Colorado safety Tawfiq Byard are expected to make an immediate impact and pair well with the returning veterans along the defensive line and in the secondary, especially with Mike Elko continuing to call plays.
This week, The Ruffino & Joe Show, featuring college football analysts Blake Ruffino and Joe Deleone, previewed the Aggies’ 2026 season, predicting a 10-2 or 9-3 finish, while Ruffino praised Marcel Reed’s elite athleticism and potential improvement in the pocket, but both agreed that the 2026 schedule, featuring road tests against LSU, Missouri, Alabama, South Carolina, and Oklahoma, could result in three or four losses.
Still, if Holmon Wiggins’ play-calling matches or exceeds Collin Klein’s success, the expectation is that Marcel Reed will take another step forward, and with a deep wide receiver rotation at his disposal, Texas A&M’s offense should average 30 or more points per game.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: CFB analysts predict what will ‘make or break’ Texas A&M’s 2026 season
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