Tennessee football is hitting the road for a marquee SEC matchup this year. The Vols will head to College Station to meet Texas A&M.
With fall camp around the corner, I spoke with Tony Catalina of GigEm247 to get the inside scoop on where the Aggies are at this summer.
Here’s what he said.
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I assume it’s fair to say expectations are high again after what Texas A&M accomplished last season. What do you think is a realistic goal for this team in 2026?
Honestly, a realistic goal for this team should be a national championship. I’m not saying it will happen or that they should be considered favorites. But when you win 11 games the year prior, return your starting quarterback, and have been great at finding ready-made talent via the transfer portal, this is a program that should have title aspirations every year now.
The schedule appears tougher, and they will need to replace talent on both sides of the ball. However, if they’re able to return to the College Football Playoff and contend for a title again, it may change the national perception of the program.
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What are the expectations for Marcel Reed at quarterback? What does he need to improve on this offseason to take the next step?
It’s a great question because the view of Marcel Reed is so skewed right now. This is a guy who was in the Heisman Trophy conversation in mid-November, but back-to-back losses to end the season derailed that and left a sour taste in the mouths of A&M fans.
Still, the expectation is that he will take another step in 2026. New offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins said he is going to build around his units’ strengths and has been working with Reed to put together an offense that caters to what he does well. Reed knows he has to protect the football better and make smarter decisions to keep his team in games.
The early returns in spring look promising, but much of the answer to what Reed and this offense are won’t come until the fall.
What projects to be the strengths and weaknesses of the offense around Reed?
Strength is undoubtedly the wide receiver group. With the return of Mario Craver and Ashton Bethel-Roman and the addition of Alabama wideout Isaiah Horton, WR1-WR3 is as strong as it has been in years. Add in former five-star Terry Bussey and a promising young freshman, Aaron Gregory, and this might be the deepest position on the roster.
The weakness is also clear: the offensive line. The Aggies have to replace four starters from last year, and while they brought in four players with SEC starting experience, it isn’t easy to have never played together before and to come together and mesh the way you need to be successful on game day.
What projects to be the strengths and weaknesses of the defense?
Strength is secondary. A&M is returning both starting safeties, Marcus Ratcliffe and Dalton Brooks, while adding former Colorado safety Tawfiq Byard. At cornerback, they return Dezz Ricks and add top transfer portal addition Rickey Gibson III. Jordan Shaw is in Year 2 with the program and may get the nod at nickel corner, while depth will come from five-star freshman Brandon Arrington and former Georgia Bulldog Julio Humphrey.
Weakness right now may be the linebacker room. With both Taurean York and Scooby Williams off to the NFL, it was already going to be tough to replace two starters. Adding that Captain Daymion Sanford was injured in the spring game, putting his season in doubt, complicates things further. The Aggies did add former Tulsa linebacker Ray Coney, who had 129 tackles last season, and they’re excited about freshman Noah Mikhail. Still, it remains to be seen what the middle of that defense will look like this season.
Do you have an early prediction for the game, or do you think it’s still too early to tell?
I give room for the possibility that it may be too early to tell. I also have a ton of respect for head coach Josh Heupel. That said, if A&M is who it thinks it is, this is a game the Aggies have to win. With LSU, Alabama, Oklahoma and Texas on the schedule, a loss to Tennessee could be a death blow to A&M’s playoff hopes.
