Texas A&M ranked Top 5 in SEC returning production
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Texas A&M’s 2026 college football season will be coach Mike Elko’s third at the helm, and after reaching the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history, led by an offense that averaged over 30 points per game, while starting quarterback Marcel Reed threw for a career-high 3,169 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, combined with nearly 500 yards rushing and six scores.
This offseason, Elko’s goal of sending more than a dozen players to the NFL from the 2025 roster has nearly paid off: a nation-leading 13 former starters were invited to the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, and, combined with the transfer portal losses, over 20 players will not be on the 2026 roster.
However, Elko and his staff prepared for these departures, and after Marcel Reed announced his return, star wide receiver Mario Craver, veteran starting center Mark Nabou, and three key members from the secondary, including senior cornerback Dezz Ricks, announced their intentions to return for a final season in College Station.
Along the defensive line, seniors DJ Hicks and T.J. Searcy provide the size and strength up front to lead the interior pass rush and help improve last season’s spotty run defense, and among the 17 transfer portal additions, former Northwestern edge Anto Saka, paired with returning sophomore Marco Jones, represents a potential lethal pass rush duo.
Across the rest of the SEC, ESPN writer Bill Connelly’s updated SP+ rankings also revealed the returning production for all 16 SEC teams, including Texas A&M, which will return 65% of its 2025 roster. South Carolina leads the way at 68%, while the Texas Longhorns, led by star quarterback Arch Manning, also returns 68% of their roster.
- South Carolina, 68%
- Texas, 68%
- UGA, 68%
- Florida, 66%
- Texas A&M, 65%
- Oklahoma, 65%
- Tennessee, 62%
- Ole Miss, 61%
- LSU, 61%
- Auburn, 57%
- Arkansas, 55%
- Missouri, 49%
- Mississippi State, 48%
- Alabama, 48%
- Kentucky, 46%
- Vanderbilt, 44%
Combined with the 17 transfer portal additions, 25 of 26 freshmen from the 2026 signing class have taken part in the first five spring practices.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M football returns 65% of hits 2025 roster, ranked 5th in SEC
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