Texas A&M's chances of making the College Football Playoff, or, at this point, even reaching bowl game eligibility, are slim to none after Saturday night's blowout 35-6 road loss to LSU, as third-year coach Mike Elko isn't on the proverbial "hot seat" after signing his lucrative six-year extension late last year, but the pressure has mounted after starting 2-2 and 0-2 in SEC play.
Back-to-back blowout losses in conference play have, at this point, proven that Texas A&M is not a very good football team, especially after watching starting quarterback Marcel Reed regress just a year after the redshirt junior threw for a career-high 3,169 yards and 25 touchdowns in 2025. Against LSU, Reed completed 10/26 for 106 yards and an interception, one of
the worst performances by a Texas A&M QB in recent memory.
The Aggie defense has also struggled, allowing 30-plus points in both losses, while A&M's pass rush has failed to consistently generate pressure, producing just three sacks in four games. Still, if Marcel Reed played at least above average, Texas A&M would likely be 3-1 or possibly 4-0, given the talent at wide receiver and the improving offensive line and running game.
Mike Elko has defended his quarterback, which continued during Monday's press conference before Texas A&M hosts Arkansas on Saturday night, and praised Marcel Reed's work ethic, while noting that it's up to him and the coaching staff, especially first-year OC Holmon Wiggins, to utilize Reed's dual-threat skill set.
“Yeah, just his work ethic, how he comes to work every day, who he is. I think how he's attacking this thing, and so we believe in him. We believe that we've got to find a way to create opportunities for him to be more successful.”
In my opinion, Holmon Wiggins should consider moving down to the sidelines to communicate directly and get a better vantage point before and after every offensive drive for the rest of the season. Marcel Reed's performance last season wasn't a fluke, and while he's looked like one of the worst quarterbacks in the SEC thus far, he remains the best option.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M must 'create opportunities' for struggling QB Marcel Reed
