Texas A&M's 2026 schedule ranked 2nd toughest among Texas teams
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Texas A&M’s 2026 season, which will be coach Mike Elko’s third at the helm, will be surrounded with plenty of intriguing storylines, led by the return of starting quarterback Marcel Reed, who must match his production from last season after throwing for a career-high 3,169 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, for the Aggies to have a legitimate shot at making it back to the College Football Playoff.
This offseason, after watching a record 10 players hear their names called in the 2026 NFL Draft, Elko and his staff quickly went to work in the transfer portal, landing 17 players who will all contend for starting or important reserve roles, including former Alabama wide receiver Isaiah Horton, who provides Reed more size at 6’4″ to pair with junior WR Mario Craver.
On defense, needing to replace most of the defensive line and star edge Cashius Howell, Elko is confident that he has added enough experienced players to fill the void, especially Northwestern transfer pass rusher Anto Saka, who is one of the more popular names among NFL scouting circles.
Texas A&M’s 2026 schedule is one of the toughest in the SEC, as road tests against LSU, Missouri, South Carolina, Alabama, and Oklahoma will likely make or break the Aggies’ postseason chances, and they will host Arizona State in Week 2, serving as the first true challenge of the season.
Among the rest of the Power Four programs in the Lone Star State, Dave Campbell’s Texas Football writer Mike Craven ranked the toughest schedules, with the Aggies coming in at No. 2 behind the Texas Longhorns. Craven lists Texas A&M’s toughest games in the following order: vs. Texas, at Oklahoma, at LSU, at Alabama, vs. Tennessee.
“Texas A&M’s schedule last year looked tough on paper entering the year but that didn’t materialize because of the dumpster fires at places such as Auburn and LSU. This year’s schedule should live up to the hype, and that’s not good news for the Aggies. The non-conference is easier with a home game against Arizona State as the biggest hurdle. Check out the final games of the season, however: at Alabama, at South Carolina, vs. Tennessee, at Oklahoma, vs. Texas. The Aggies haven’t closed well in both years under Mike Elko and 2026 is the toughest end of the season yet.”
Craven is spot on here, noting that, while the Aggies started 11-0, losses to Texas on the road and Miami in the first round of the College Football Playoff were not good enough, and reminded Aggie fans that, while early success is needed, finishing strong is the only way Texas A&M will make a run in the CFP.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M’s 2026 schedule ranked second toughest among Texas teams
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