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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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Texas A&M entered the year sitting No. 8 in the preseason AP Top 25 poll. They broke out in 2025 under head coach Mike Elko, who led the Aggies to an 11-2 overall record and the program's first-ever College Football Playoff. The season ended in disappointment, falling 10-3 against Miami in College Station, but this year was supposed to be different. It's been even worse.
The Aggies dropped to 4-6 on the season and 1-6 in SEC play after Saturday's loss at home against Tennessee, with the Vols overpowering the Aggies en route to a 22-7 victory, scoring 16 unanswered points in the second half. It was Texas A&M's third straight loss and fourth in five games, losing on the road at Missouri, Alabama, and South Carolina before Saturday's blunder at home against Tennessee. They also fell previously at home to Kentucky and on the road at LSU.
Speaking after the game, Elko delivered an emotional apology to Aggies fans.
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"Utter apology with everything that I have to everybody who supports this program," Elko said. "Thank you for turning out, you deserve so much better. Give me a chance, and we will get this fixed and put a much better product on the field. That’s all I can say."
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He said all the right things, but it doesn't take away from how bad this season's been for Elko's squad. All of the Aggies' losses this season have come against SEC opponents, and unlike last year, the offense hasn't been there to save the day. Texas A&M is averaging just 26.1 points per game, the fifth-lowest mark in the conference, and 359.2 total yards per game, the fourth-lowest. Marcel Reed has regressed after last season's breakout, and was even benched Saturday in favor of sophomore Brady Hart.
How this season has gone is even worse when you consider Texas A&M had the No. 12-ranked transfer portal class in 2026, headlined by Tennessee's star cornerback Rickey Gibson III. They also had the No. 10-ranked recruiting class in 2026, led by five-star corner Brandon Arrington, the top-ranked CB in the country. None of it made a difference and now the Aggies head into 2027 with serious questions to answer.
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This will likely be Reed's final year in College Station, along with top receivers Isaiah Horton and Mario Craver. Their leading running back, Rueben Owens II, will probably be gone too. Texas A&M is going to have to have some big holes to fill, though it does have the No. 2-ranked recruiting class in 2027, with 23 commits already, including five-star edge rusher Zyron Forstall. The Aggies will need to be aggressive in the portal as well, though.
It's probably still too early to talk about buyouts for Elko. He just took the team to the CFP and finalized a new six-year deal in November 2025 valued at around $69 million, or about $11.5 million per year. If fired by Texas A&M before the end of this season, Elko would be owed around $56.4 million, according to USA TODAY Sports. That's probably not going to happen, but a repeat next year and the conversation could change quickly.
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