Texas A&M HC Mike Elko expects 'big things' from his starting QB
During an interview with Jim Rome, Texas A&M HC Mike Elko discussed his expectations for third-year starting QB Marcel Reed.
Texas A&M's 2026 spring season, culminating with the annual Maroon & White Game , provided head coach Mike Elko and his revamped coaching staff another chance to watch the new roster, now including 17 transfer portal additions and 26 signees from the 2026 recruiting class, in action. Still, nothing matches the return of starting quarterback Marcel Reed, who enters his third season with even higher expectations after throwing for a career-high 3,169 yards and 25 touchdowns, while his 12 interceptions, including four in the last two losses that ended the Aggies historic season, have received more attention than his positive play. Interceptions are nearly guaranteed for every college quarterback, but the situation will always be the focus, and after turning the ball over multiple times against the Texas Longhorns, followed by another two-interception outing vs.
Miami in the first round of the College Football Playoff, it doomed the Aggies' chances of making it farther than the opening weekend. On paper, losing a record 10 players to the 2026 NFL Draft was an expected outcome for Mike Elko , who added enough veteran talent from the portal to make up for the losses, while adding Alabama transfer wide receiver Isaiah Horton finally provides Marcel Reed size on the outside, which should open things up for star junior Mario Craver to carve up secondaries in the middle of the field. Like any head coach, defending their starting signal caller is expected, and during Elko's recent appearance on veteran sportscaster Jim Rome, the third-year coach defended his QB and expects "big things" from the redshirt junior.
"He's our leader, he's our playmaker, everything kind of starts with him on offense" Elko stated. "It's kind of funny, last offseason I was trying to tell people he was capable of throwing the football, now he's thrown for 3,000 yards in the SEC. For him, it's just taking the next step, and his ability to progress through reads quicker, get the ball out on time more consistently, and just seeing himself elevate.
" For the full interview, here is the 45-second clip of Mike Elko's interview with Jim Rome posted below: "Sometimes we forget how much better kids can get from season to season. We expect really big things from him. " @CoachMikeElko on returning @AggieFootball QB Marcel Reed.