3 breakout stars from Texas A&M fall camp Handful of Aggies look to burst on scene, anticipating impressive performances By Brody Vaughn Associate Sports Editor With the constant turnover of college rosters, especially in the NIL era, development of returning players is more important than ever. No. 8 Texas A&M football needed to rely on some new faces to uphold the production of the 11-2 season they had in 2025. Fall camp saw the breakout of a few players, some old and some new, that will aid the Aggies to a potential redo of their College Football Playoff berth last season. Anto Saka, graduate defensive end After going viral early this offseason for his mature appearance, graduate defensive end Anto Saka’s name was put on many people’s radar. The Northwestern transfer came to A&M as an established product but
looked to take a step up in his first year in the Southeastern Conference. “I feel like a little bit more pro style,” Saka said. “It’s been great for me. It’s only going to help my development. It’s just a little bit of us playing different techniques. So me being a new guy, sometimes when things are going fast, I might revert back to the old habits of four years. But you know, that’s what practice is for: to fix those old habits.” An elevation to Saka’s impressive skills would make him a name to fear across all of college football. Throughout his four years at Northwestern, Saka totaled 12 sacks, three forced fumbles and 41 total tackles. Saka is coming in with big shoes to fill after the departure of second-round pick Cashius Howell, who led the SEC in sacks last season. But even with the bar set high for him and the rest of the defensive line, the expectation remains the same “[We want to] be the best defense in the country,” Saka said. “Simple as that.” Terry Bussey, junior wide receiver
Terry Bussey’s name was known years before he stepped foot on campus. Even with all the hype, the Timpson native’s time on campus hasn’t necessarily gone according to plan. Bussey’s development over the last two offseasons has been stifled by injury, causing him to fall down the depth chart and take a reduced role in his first two years with the Aggies. With a full camp finally under Bussey’s belt, he’s gotten to take the proper steps in his development to make an impact in the already loaded Aggie receiving room “It was a big offseason for me, being able to get back healthy,” Bussey said. “Get my body feeling right, probably the best my body feels since I’ve gotten to college. Just overall, this summer and this spring, I was working on being a better receiver.” Bussey, in his first year as a full-time receiver, recorded 18 catches for 195 yards and a touchdown last season. With the departure of first-round draft pick KC Concepcion, Bussey looks to take up the mantle of his 2025 predecessor.
B:10.25"
Coming into A&M as the ninth ranked T:10" Marco Jones, sophomore defensive commit of all time, junior wide receiverS:9.75" end
After a strong rookie season, sophomore defensive end Marco Jones is looking to break into the forefront of the Aggie defensive line. After losing an abundance of production from the 2025 season, Jones returns as a young presence that took strides over the offseason. “I think I’m always striving to be better,” Jones said. “Be the best version of myself. But overall, I think I progressed a good amount. Just really being a little bit more experienced.” Jones was recruited out of high school as a linebacker, but his large frame made him seem more of a fit at DE. That transition didn’t come easy, though, as Jones had to relearn how to play the game at the highest level of college sports. “At linebacker, you can look at the overall perspective and go make the play,” Jones said. “Edge is a little different, especially in the run game, you have to defeat your block first and then go get off and go make a play instead of trying to just go make a play from the jump.” Jones is hoping to join the long line of Aggie DEs who made themselves stars in the Maroon and White.
T:3"
S:2.75"
A2
SPORTS
09.04.2026
‘He was sitting in a front row seat’: One day after hospital release, Sanford was back Senior linebacker overcomes obstacles on road to becoming captain, starter for season By Kynlee Joyner Managing Editor Hands gripping pads. Helmets clashing. What should have been a routine play, something practiced hundreds of times, changed the trajectory of senior linebacker Daymion Sanford’s offseason. Laying on the familiar grass of Kyle Field after that seemingly standard play, senior linebacker Daymion Sanford glanced at his leg. When he realized that it was bent the wrong direction, he only had one thought in mind. “All I kept thinking about was was I going to be back for the season?” Daymion said during Texas A&M football fall camp. That question wouldn’t be answered until weeks before the start of the season after
months of recovery. Having just been voted as one of A&M’s 2026 team captains, Daymion was set on a trajectory to have a show out campaign as the starter and most seasoned player in the linebacker room. A fibula injury to his right leg during the Maroon & White Game on April 18, though, sent him on an unexpected detour. While Daymion had a standout 2025 season, even earning multiple Southeastern Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors, his road to starter didn’t come without its challenges. After a less-than-favorable fall camp in 2025, Daymion received news he wasn’t expecting. “Daymion didn’t know that he wasn’t
going to be the starter, and then he found out your job isn’t always guaranteed,” his mother Natasha Sanford said. “Once he found out, ‘Hey, I need to go find out what’s happening. And Elko told him, ‘Hey, you got to wait your turn. When it’s your turn, you’ll be the starter, or you can work your way to becoming starter.” According to Daymion, this setback was a wakeup call for him to change his mindset. And hearing it from Elko only helped push him more. In high school, Daymion explained that
he was not a highly sought after recruit. Natasha and Daymion spent hundreds of hours traveling to camps in hopes that he would get the looks they both knew he deserved. One of those first looks came from Mike Elko when he was the head coach at Duke. “We offered him at Duke, shortly after I got the head coaching job there, actually convinced him to silently commit to us … before really bursting on the scene that spring of his junior year,” Elko said at the SEC Kickoff Press Conference. Unlike most recruiters, Elko didn’t wait until it was time for Daymion to commit to reach out to him. During the recruiting process, Elko maintained an ongoing relationship with Daymion, reaching out to him personally.
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Adriano Espinosa — THE BATTALION
Fashion steps beyond Texas A&M sidelines Pettaway’s off-field fashion line as creative outlet By Ava Loth Editor-in-Chief For sophomore cornerback Deyjhon Pettaway, on a typical Saturday in the fall he can be found in a Maroon and White uniform, in a sea of 118 other unvaried Aggies primed to take the field. However, the hours apart from game days and countless practices, Pettaway takes form in his own, unique, uniform. Fashion being the first indicator of where his visionary-like mind would end up taking him. “Deyjhon has been into fashion since he was probably in junior high,” his mother Natasha Sanford said. “So, he started, I guess, unofficially having his own fashion line since then.” From a young age, Pettaway prided himself in his ambition, and while his talent in football was already on his radar, he didn’t give up the fact that whatever it may be, it was going to be something of his own accord. “He grew up and most people say, football player or something of that nature, he didn’t even say that,” Natasha said. “He just said ‘entrepreneur,’ because he knows he also doesn’t like to be boxed in.” Before knowing what the word entrepreneur fully entailed, something in his heart was already made up. With his fondness of fashion being the concept that catapulted his journey to becoming exactly that. “When he got to high school, it was more so, like, more fancier clothes and stylish clothes,” Natasha said. “And so now that he’s in college and has the resources, he created what he calls ‘Prince Styles.’” His mother noted his middle name — inspired by the musician — led to the configuration of Deyjhon Prince Pettaway.
Natasha said it rolled off the tongue and was something that they absolutely loved. Not only a decision made 19 years ago but one that went on to be a heavy precedent for the direction he would decide to take his individuality and go on to express in his fashion line. “[Prince] is also very royal,” Natasha said. “And so, you can see in some of his designs and the logo, it has the crowns and stuff like that.” However, Pettaway didn’t find all of his inspiration in one place. It came from a multitude of different aspects that cultivated his passion and drive to create something truly outside the box. Whether it be on or off the field, Pettaway’s teammates have shown up for him, with almost every football player having purchased an item off of Prince Styles. “And really selling to a lot of his teammates, I think almost every football player has bought sweats or little sweat shorts from him,” Natasha said. His mother encouraged his creativity, never turning away an opportunity to sit down and bond over the next proposed project from Deyjhon. More so, appreciating the time she got to spend with her son connecting while having his newest idea always at the forefront of his mind. “Sometimes he’s like, ‘Mom, I’m gonna lay this out, or I’m gonna show you, and let’s work on it together, and let’s figure this out,’ his vision comes to life,” Natasha said. “Just having that time together, having creative moments together, throwing ideas off of each other and making it happen is just really great.” Natasha said she has never stopped supporting whatever idea he may throw at her even when he landed on the notion to create his own brand and platform, mentioning that he now refers to her as his “momager.”
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Photos courtesy of Texas A&M Football
SPORTS
09.04.2026
A3
Football season staff record predictions Ian Curtis, Senior Enterprise Reporter Let’s face the reality of things: 9-3 in the SEC isn’t the end of the world in a 12-team College Football Playoff. Take a look at last year’s Miami team — ignoring the elephant in the room of the first-round matchup — for an example. A 10-2 Atlantic Coast Conference team with a good-but-not-elite quarterback got hot at the right time and made the national championship game. All it takes is a few things to go right, like Reed continuing his development and a few key transfers filling voids on the defense — hello, Anto Saka — and there’s no reason A&M can’t battle through a much tougher schedule than last season with its fair share of scars but still find itself on the playoff bubble, headed into conference championship week. Prediction: 9-3 Teagan Parker, Sports Writer Hear that? It’s the deafening silence of A&M football upsetting LSU in Death Valley — Lane Kiffin, stop looking for your daughter’s friends in the stands! — and then losing at home to The Citadel. Although it’s their first loss of the season, the polls drop the Aggies from the top 25 teams and they lose the next weekend in Alabama. Naturally, A&M finds itself in a must-win situation against Texas. The Aggies trail the entire game, but in 12th Man fashion, KC Concepcion comes from the stands to catch the game-winning pass. BTHO everybody, 10-2 all the way! Prediction: 10-2
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I’ve learned by now that betting on the Aggies doesn’t always end in a good payout, but I’m letting it ride. Reed is back with more experience, and Elko has built one of the best receiver corps throughout the SEC in College Station. Adding 6-foot-4 Alabama transfer Isaiah Horton gives Reed another playmaker alongside Mario Craver, Terry Bussey and Ashton Bethel-Roman. I have A&M finishing 10-2, with losses to Oklahoma and Alabama on the road. If Reed stays consistent and Elko can get the defense clicking, the Aggies should be at the top of the SEC and in the playoff picture. Prediction: 10-2 Gracie Streetman, Sports Writer I predict that two big losses will end the regular season 10-2. After three early games for the Aggies to find their footing, the LSU Tigers will be a test in Week 4. LSU will be back with a vengeance and back on home turf this year. A&M, in classic fashion, will most likely beat Alabama, then immediately lose to South Carolina. But a big win at home against Tennessee can hopefully spur enough momentum for a victory at Oklahoma. The Aggies will then finally beat the Longhorns at Kyle Field (please). Prediction: 10-2 Matthew Coughlin, Sports Writer Elko has reloaded this roster, and I believe this is a 10-2 squad even with the nine-game SEC schedule. Reed has all the weapons he could ever wish for. Every schedule in the SEC is difficult, but I think A&M will drop two of the following: at LSU, at Alabama, at Oklahoma and versus Texas (I know). I’m not as worried about the new coordina-
Ava Loth, Editor-in-Chief
I said it once, and I’ll say it again, it truly doesn’t matter what our record is without coming out of the season with the one win where it matters most — against the team we’ve had lousy losses to the past two years. What is our argument of how good our team is when we can’t defeat Manning on Black Friday? I’ve seen better tackles in Costco that day. Therefore, I don’t care where our record stands as of Nov. 28; in fact I hope we go 12-0. However, an 11-1 record doesn’t excite me if we still can’t beat Texas, especially at Kyle Field. And wouldn’t it feel so good to hold over the Longhorns’ head that we beat them during the undeniably worst season in program history? Prediction: 1-11 (Yes, you read that right)
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Kynlee Joyner, Managing Editor
I never really had much interest in football until I experienced being in the presence of a 6-foot-3 sack god. Now that Cashius Howell is playing on Sundays, my mind has shifted to thoughts of orange — not burnt, of course. Needless to say, unless Howell emerges from the stands back in maroon, I don’t have much faith. Prediction: 7-5
tors, and I think the defense will still be stingy. Daymion Sanford’s clean bill of health is a huge plus for the Aggie defense, and the loaded secondary should make more plays on the ball this season. Prediction: 10-2 Roman Alarcon, Sports Writer The Aggies have improved drastically throughout the last half decade, but the steady improvement will likely stop this season, record-wise. The loss of Concepcion, Le’Veon Moss and others who were drafted will likely weaken both the offensive and defensive cores. LSU or Alabama could be a sneaky loss for A&M, and unfortunately, toward the back end of the schedule, I project Oklahoma and Texas to just edge out wins against A&M. With that said, A&M would still be competing with Georgia, Oklahoma and Texas for a spot in the SEC Championship and ultimately a playoff spot. Prediction: 9-3 Gabi LaFleur, Sports Writer This year, with A&M having such a deep receiver room, I’m excited to see all of its different weapons being utilized. Giving Reed more responsibility to truly take command of the offense is a major step forward toward setting the Maroon and White apart from other teams. However, between having to rebuild their offensive line and the tough schedule ahead of them, I do feel tentative about how the Aggies will perform, specifically on the road. Nevertheless, they are in the “Elko Era,” where challenges are meant to be overcome. Prediction: 9-3 Matthew Almand, Sports Writer Being a lifelong Aggie, I’ve seen this movie before:
“A&M is coming off a red-hot season in a huge step forward for the program, poised to strike again with a returning star quarterback.” I may have been young, but I remember 2013. Similar to how they did years ago, A&M will start strong at 6-1, with a tough loss against LSU, before running out of gas when they need it most, losing three of their last five in the toughest part of their schedule — back to their roots. Prediction: 8-4 Rachel Spurgeon, Sports Writer As an Aggie with 14 years of Battered Aggie Syndrome, I have learned how to not get my hopes up too high, thinking it will be our year before it even starts. However, within the last three years, I have been able to witness and experience something that I have waited to see for so long: a team playing with grit, determination and a winning mentality. As I was looking at our schedule, I was concerned about playing many top-tier SEC schools. But with the recruits, transfers and the returning veterans, the sky is the limit. Overall, I think that the Aggies will secure another strong season, including a playoff appearance. Prediction: 11-2 Dylan Fonville, Sports Writer After an impressive showing in 2025, expectations are much higher and more optimistic entering A&M’s 2026 season. Elko looks to prove that he can capitalize on the talent acquired over the offseason. The Maroon and White are expected to begin 3-0 with a tough matchup against No. 11 LSU in Week 4. Ultimately, that game, as well as the next four, are won and the Maroon and White suffer their first loss at Alabama. A&M will then drop another at Oklahoma and advance to the SEC Championship. A brutal loss to Georgia will conclude A&M’s season with a 10-3 record with a championship appearance. Prediction: 10-3
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Brody Vaughn, Associate Sports Editor
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Trey Bohne, Associate Sports Editor
The only thing stopping A&M from having the winningest season in college football history is LSU getting kicked out of the Southeastern Conference for having NFL players on the roster. I can easily foresee a top-four Heisman finalist lineup consisting of Marcel Reed, Rueben Owens, Mario Craver and (begrudgingly) Arch Manning … Prediction: 11-0 (LSU game is canceled)
If a 21-year residency in Aggieland has taught me anything, it’s to expect disappointment. In 2022, I watched Appalachian State march into an energized Kyle Field — against then-No. 6 A&M — and double the Aggies in time of possession to walk away with a 17-14 win and the following week’s College Gameday visit — which was initially scheduled for College Station. Why should I expect something different this season? Two words: Mike Elko. It wasn’t until his third season at Alabama that Nick Saban won his first national championship as the Tide’s leading man. For Elko and A&M, I expect no different. Prediction: 16-0 (National Champions)
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By The Battalion Sports Desk
Elon Jent, Sports Writer
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The Battalion sports desk’s takes on what lies ahead for Texas A&M football’s 2026 campaign
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Transfers in trenches: rebuilding A&M roster NFL departures bring major shakeup to line of scrimmage By Matthew Coughlin Sports Writer After seven linemen heard their names called in the 2026 NFL Draft, No. 8 Texas A&M football head coach Mike Elko turned to the transfer portal to replenish his ranks. The Aggies’ third-year leading man brought in nine veteran additions to help replace the mass exodus. On the defensive side of the ball, the losses include the 2025 Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year edge rusher Cashius Howell and a pair of thirdround picks in defensive tackles Albert Regis and Tyler Onyedim. On offense, the Aggies lost guards Chase Bisontis and Ar’maj Reed-Adams, as well as tackles Trey Zuhn III and Dametrious Crownover. A&M landed its new athletic monster off the edge, signing Northwestern transfer graduate defensive end Anto Saka, who registered 41 tackles, 12 sacks and three
forced fumbles during his time in Evanston, Illinois. The Baltimore native worked closely with Director of Football Strength & Conditioning Tommy Moffitt and is already seeing the benefits both on the field and in the weight room. “One thing I noticed is we are a really big Olympic lifting type program,” Saka said in a press conference on Aug. 12. “Real big on power output and explosiveness, and that’s done wonders for me. All my numbers have skyrocketed on all my major lifts by at least 40 pounds. They have a science here, and it pays off.” The Aggies’ edge room received reinforcement with the addition of graduate transfer DE Ryan Henderson, who joins Elko’s roster after a career-high season at San Diego State. The Las Vegas native tallied seven sacks and a combined 22 tackles in his senior campaign. The newcomers join senior DE T.J. Searcy and sophomore DE Marco Jones, both returning for their second season in College Station. Searcy started in all 13 games for A&M last year, recording a combined 31 tackles, including 6.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Jones played a more limited role with just 278 snaps, picking up 21 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
“We got a lot of young guys and portal guys that came in,” Searcy said in a press conference on Aug. 21. “I feel like they are going to make great contributions to the team.” The interior defensive line added veteran talent in the form of fifth-year DT CJ Mims and junior DT Angelo McCullom. Last season, Mims logged a career-high 42 combined tackles at North Carolina, while McCullom arrived from Illinois after producing 19 combined tackles and 1.5 sacks over the course of two seasons with the Fighting Illini. Incumbent starter senior DT D.J. Hicks returns for his fourth collegiate campaign, having recorded 56 combined tackles and 5.5 sacks through three seasons in Aggieland. “I feel like all those guys make me better every day,” Hicks said in a press conference on Aug. 5. “We got so many talented dudes that you can never relax in that room.” The Aggies’ offseason overhaul didn’t stop on the defensive side of the ball, with four transfers joining Holmon Wiggins’ new-look offensive line. Graduate offensive lineman Mark Nabou Jr. serves as the only returning starter to the Aggies’ blocking unit with over
1,600 career snaps under his belt. LSU transfer junior OL Coen Echols was the first domino to fall from the transfer portal, bringing 772 career snaps with him, only for South Carolina transfer graduate OL Trovon Baugh to follow suit, bringing 1,460 career snaps of his own. Elko dipped back into the LSU departures, signing Echols’ linemate, senior tackle Tyree Adams, adding another 730 snaps to A&M’s front five. The Aggies’ also brought in Alabama transfer graduate offensive lineman Wilkin Formby, adding yet another 1,126 snaps. Aside from external additions, up-andcoming pieces such as junior offensive linemen Blake Ivy and Robert Bourdon and sophomore offensive lineman Lamont Rogers return to Aggieland for another year under offensive line coach Adam Cushing. “It’s a unique group for my career, being able to play with so many guys who are capable of playing,” Formby said in a press conference on Aug. 13. “There are different lineups every day in practice, every period. But it breeds confidence in our coaches and offense when we have so many talented players at each position.”
SPORTS
A4
09.04.2026
Saka targets quarterback, it’s as simple as that Anto Saka prepares for standout season on defensive edge By Trey Bohne Associate Sports Editor Ahead of the 2026 regular-season, Anto Saka described his vision for @Aggiefootball’s front seven: “Be the best defense in the country,” Saka said. “Simple as that.” Written by: Trey Bohne 1treybohne WC: 762 From 2018-21, then-defensive coordinator Mike Elko directed Texas A&M football’s front seven, ranking in the top six in the Southeastern Conference in rushing defense during all four of his coordinating-seasons in College Station. Three years later, Elko returned to Aggieland, producing six NFL Draft picks on the defensive line over just two seasons as head coach. In 2026, A&M’s next premier edge rusher could already be waiting in the wings. Graduate defensive end Anto Saka joins Elko’s roster after four seasons at Northwestern, where he started 33 games, recording 41 combined tackles, including 14 tackles for loss and 12 sacks. For Saka, learning the ins and outs of A&M’s defense meant looking no further than the players who came before him. From Shemar Stewart to Cashius Howell, the Aggies have consistently sent defensive lineman to the NFL under Elko, establishing a development track record that helped earn Saka’s trust as he adjusted to the new defensive system. “It makes you think a little bit … but it works,” Saka said in a media availability on Aug. 12. “The proof is in the pudding. You’ve seen the evidence. You’ve seen the film. Being able to come in and learn a defense that’s a little bit more intricate … a
little more pro-style, it’s been great for me. It’s only going to help my development.” But after a three-year stint in Evanston, Illinois, the transition doesn’t always come naturally. Saka arrived in Aggieland with a repertoire of technique and muscle memory already ingrained, making the transition to
Baltimore native is learning to line up wider on the field, capitalizing on his athleticism by attacking off the edge. “One thing I’ve really liked about this game and how they’re using me is allowing me to play a little bit wider,” Saka said. “Use my athletic ability more, more upfield, attack-style defense. It’s been fun.”
Steve Carrasco IV — THE BATTALION
Defensive end Anto Saka (14) looks down the line of scrimmage during Texas A&M football’s Maroon &White game at Kyle Field on Saturday, April 18, 2026.
one of the SEC’s most dominant defenses nothing short of a tall task. “Me being a new guy, when things are going fast, I might revert back to old habits,” Saka said. “... But that’s what practice is for: to fix those old habits.” Under first-year defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill, Saka’s changing where and how he attacks opposing offenses. As a productive pass rusher at Northwestern, the
Over the course of his first offseason in maroon and white, Saka worked primarily at defensive end, alongside senior DEs T.J. Searcy and sophomore Marco Jones. But over the summer, the Northwestern transfer expanded his game, learning the intricacies of Elko’s playbook at the jack position, giving A&M another option to deploy across its rushing attack. “Throughout spring ball, I was working
more primarily at the end position,” Saka said. “During our summer training session, that’s when I really took the time to sit there in the playbook and learn the jack position, just to give myself some more flexibility and the ability to be an asset wherever they need me on the field.” However, Saka’s development hasn’t been confined to the playbook. The transition from the Big Ten to the SEC meant an offseason in Director of Football Strength & Conditioning Tommy Moffitt’s program, which has developed NFL athletes across college football, most notably contributing to LSU’s national championship in 2019. “Coach Moffit has been the greatest,” Saka said. “One thing I noticed is that we’re a real big Olympic-type lifting program; real big on power output and explosiveness. That’s done wonders for me. All my numbers have skyrocketed, probably on all my major lifts, at least 40 pounds. They have a science here, and it works. It pays off.” In 2025, the Aggies led the country in third-down defense, giving up an average conversion rate of just 22.9%. As A&M looks to replicate that success following the departure of Tyler Onyedim, Albert Regis and Howell, Saka sees no shortage of the traits needed to do it. “Downhill, explosive, gritty, nasty,” Saka said. “We got a lot of guys who can rush the passer; a lot of guys that are gritty; a lot of guys that want to go out there and show that they’re the best at their position.” As Saka enters his fifth collegiate season in a new conference and a new scheme, the internal expectations for A&M’s defense remain the same. For a program looking to build upon its first College Football Playoff appearance in 2025, the objective for the 2026 season isn’t just to reload — it’s to set the standard across the college football landscape. “Be the best defense in the country,” Saka said. “Simple as that.”
‘The Avengers’: A&M receiving corps ready to assemble Craver, Horton, Bussey, Bethel-Roman believe versatility takes aerial attack to next level By Trey Bohne Associate Sports Editor Texas A&M football’s receiving corps entered 2025 with something to prove. From 2014-25, the Aggies went without a first-round wide receiver in the NFL Draft, only for KC Concepcion to breakthrough, registering 919 receiving yards and nine touchdowns to join Mike Evans as only the second A&M wide receiver selected in the first round in program history. A year later, the questions surrounding the Aggies’ pass catchers have changed. Behind senior quarterback Marcel Reed, A&M notched 3,378 passing yards and 26 touchdowns in 2025, a 644-yard and seven-touchdown improvement from a season prior, helping propel the Aggies to an 11-0 start for the first time since 1992. Junior WR Mario Craver served as a solid second option, bringing in 59 receptions for 917 yards and four touchdowns, notably accounting for an 86-yard touchdown against Notre Dame on Sept. 13, 2025. But after A&M’s season came to an end against Miami in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Dec. 20, the loss left the
Aggies wanting more. “We haven’t really won anything,” Craver said. “... We all want to get trophies in the building. Honestly, me, I just want to go out there and have a good season; win a national championship. That’s my only goal.” In 2026, A&M won’t chase its championship aspirations with the same squad from a year ago. The Aggies lost Concepcion and freshman WRs Izaiah Williams and Jerome Myles, but return Craver and junior WRs Ashton Bethel-Roman and Terry Bussey. Head coach Mike Elko and first-year offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins dipped into the transfer portal, signing star Alabama transfer graduate WR Isaiah Horton, adding a big body to Reed’s wideout repertoire. “We’re all just worried about winning,” Horton said in a media availability on Aug. 27. “At the end of the day, whoever is out there is just giving us the best chance to win.” With nine returning starters and a core of players with experience in the untamed realm that is the college football postseason, Craver highlights that the biggest difference entering Year 3 under Elko isn’t necessarily a physical statistic. “We’re a smarter football team,” Craver said. “Coach Elko has been raving on football IQ , with the receivers, safety rotation, corners, blitzes … our whole team is just
smarter. I think we just have a better team, football intelligence-wise, and it’s going to show.” With another offseason in the rearview mirror, A&M’s summer training program created something that the Aggies couldn’t consistently rely on a year ago: options. “I feel like we have a lot more guys who have matured and can make plays,” Bussey said in a media availability on Aug. 21. “You could put the ball in anybody’s hands and it could be an explosive play … just feel like we have more depth in the room and I feel like we can do a lot more with a bunch of different people.” Reed sings that same sentiment, highlighting a flexibility in how and where he can deploy the ball to his pass catchers. “I think the best quality about this receiver group is we’re so versatile,” Reed said in a media availability on Aug. 12. “We have so many that can play at so many different positions … and throw teams off guard … just to get different bodies open.” Versatility, however, doesn’t mean that every receiver looks and plays the same. Nicknamed “The Avengers” by Wiggins, A&M’s aerial attack features an assortment of playmakers with different skill sets, all capable of potentially bringing down the Southeastern Conference’s most lethal defensive backfields. “We know everybody in that room has their different skill sets, stuff they’re good at,” Bussey said. “We all can do pretty
much everything, but you’ve got guys that their main focus … Ashton Bethel-Roman, he’s a blazer. He can run routes and stuff like that. Then you’ve got big body [Isaiah] … Mario Craver.” In 2025, the Aggies came within one game — and in the case of their first-round CFP matchup against the Hurricanes, one play — of their first-ever SEC championship appearance and an extended stay in the CFP. Instead, a late-season loss to Texas and a game-sealing red zone interception by Miami sent A&M packing amidst a 0-2 finish to what was once a revolutionary regular-season campaign. “Ever since last year, our motto has been ‘finish,’” Craver said in a press availability on Sep. 1. “We know last year, we didn’t get to finish the way we wanted to, so everything we do, even in practice … Coach Elko [is] making that more of a priority, for us to finish, for us to compete at the end. When we’re tired … using technique to be able to finish.” A year ago, the Aggies proved they can reach college football’s biggest stage. Now, with a deeper receiving corps, whether Craver, Horton, Bussey or Bethel-Roman, and a third-year quarterback in Reed, simply getting there is no longer the standard. “We’re some animals, man,” Bethel-Roman said in a media availability on Aug. 8. “Whether it’s the older guys or the younger guys, we’re all hungry. We all want to eat.”
OPINION
09.04.2026
A5
Opinion: Simulating Texas A&M’s 2026 football season
Turns out a team can go 9-3 and manage to make the playoffs By Ian Curtis Senior Enterprise Reporter
Ashely Bautista — THE BATTALION
On the eve of the long-awaited football season, what could be possibly more desirable than yet another college football season prediction piece? But alas, I’ll never have the most ball knowledge on the Texas A&M football beat. Some might say, “That’s obvious, you write for The Battalion.” To which I’d respond, “Fair enough.” So I’ve decided to reach out to the oldest and trustiest of allies: EA Sports’ college football video game to give a completely and utterly scientific simulation of what is most definitely going to happen to the Aggies’ this year. It’s like using generative AI, except this AI won’t use up all of our water trying to guess who will win the Heisman Trophy — spoiler alert, it was Miami sophomore wide receiver Malachi Toney. Did I buy the game specifically to write this story? Yes. Was that a wise financial decision? Probably not. But while I may not be smart with my money, I am ethical. Which means that every one of these game simulations was done once and only once, with me user-controlling zero plays and using head coach Mike Elko as the in-game coach rather than creating a coach myself or modifying the Aggies’ playbook in any way. So without further ado, here’s what EA Sports thinks of A&M this season: Week 1: No. 8 Texas A&M 45, Missouri State 0
Chris Swann — THE BATTALION
Chris Swann — THE BATTALION
Key stats: Marcel Reed 28-35-0, 365 passing yards and 4 passing TD and one rushing TD Senior quarterback Marcel Reed started off strong with 365 passing yards and five total touchdowns — four in the air and one on the ground. Can’t hope for much better of a season-opener than a shutout like that. It was at this point that I became hopeful that this simulation would somehow end up undefeated. Week 2: Arizona State 34, No. 7 Texas A&M 32 Those hopes came crashing down with this upset loss to the Sun Devils. A&M entered the fourth quarter down 20-16 and took a 26-20 lead with 10:17 left in the game. Arizona State answered with back-to-back touchdowns and Reed’s fouryard passing score to junior WR Ashton Bethel-Roman with 2:30 left was doomed by a failed two-point conversion. It seems Battered Aggie Syndrome truly is unescapable. Week 3: No. 17 Texas A&M 38, Kentucky 35
Adriano Espinosa — THE BATTALION
Clockwise from top: Fans cheer and spin their 12th Man towels during Texas A&M football’s game against Samford at Kyle Field on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. Biology senior Noah Franklin pulls his tickets during ticket pull for Notre Dame at the Kyle Field Plaza on Monday, Aug. 26, 2024. Franklin was the first to set up camp and had been in line for over 10 days. The 12th Man signals a defensive stop during Texas A&M football’s game against Miami in the College Football Playoff at Kyle Field on Saturday, Dec 20, 2025. Aggies wait in line during ticket pull for the Notre Dame football game at the Kyle Field Plaza on Monday, Aug. 26, 2024.
Satire: I spent $450 and all I got was this lousy sports pass
Sports pass, more like ‘I’ll pass’ By Wyatt Pickering Associate Opinion Editor I recently spent $450 on a Texas A&M sports pass, which is weird because the last time I had that amount of money was when I wasn’t attending a university that honored its mascot with the highest rank in its military academy. With about 38,000 sports passes being sold this year, A&M is on track to have one of the largest and most dedicated student fanbases in the United States. In an interview with A&M sports economics professor David Thiel, he said, “A strong sports program is one of the greatest tools a university can have. Not only can large sporting events with heavily intoxicated children look great for attracting new students, but it is also an opportunity to make as money off their need to watch grown men give each other concussions.” While I am both a victim and accomplice in this sports pass pricing piracy, it makes me wonder what else my hard-earned internship money could have gone toward instead of watching A&M football lose each
week while men in flamboyant white janitorial outfits lead yells to entertain us. Being a college student is expensive, and one of the biggest purchases we make every semester is textbooks. So why pack Reed when you can pack your mind full of knowledge from CHEM 119 instead? Of course, $450 will only buy you the cover page of a textbook, but it will at least get the ball rolling. One of A&M’s Core Values is Selfless Service, and Aggies take giving back pretty seriously. Being the 12th Man, we need to be ready to volunteer for our football team and its coaches at a moment’s notice. For example, head coach Mike Elko has tirelessly served our student body for the past two seasons, and I think it is about time that we “pass it back Ags” and give him the help that he needs. Of course, the assistance Elko needs is with his hairline. Wearing a hat can only get you so far from hiding the balding truth. If a couple of us pocket the money from not buying a sports pass, we could surely raise the funds needed to send Elko to Turkey to receive a premium hair transplant. Defense wins championships, and a healthy hairline wins our hearts. Another alternative way we can utilize
this wasted sports pass spending is by paying for the many hospital bills racked up by Aggies who have had unfortunate accidents on Veo scooters. I, for one, have fallen more times than I can count off of one of these awful vehicles of death, and I am sure there are many unpaid hospital bills because of them. You also could have invested the $450 into your future — perhaps buying a single share of Nvidia, or purchasing a LinkedIn Premium subscription so recruiters can ignore you while you’re paying for it. Unfortunately, I don’t think any solution I provide will stop Aggies from buying these dastardly sports passes. I myself am complicit in this by still buying a sports pass. But isn’t that what being an Aggie is all about? Claiming to be an individual while trying so hard to be a part of the group. Turns out, I’ll still be in Kyle Field on Saturday because, apparently, hope in a football team that continuously proves it can always be worse than imagined is worth paying $450 a year to be a member of the 12th Man. Wyatt Pickering is a business honors and finance senior and associate opinion editor for The Battalion.
The Aggies took a 38-20 lead with just under six minutes remaining in the game and had to stave off a furious Wildcat comeback. Reed’s ball control issues popped up as he threw a trio of interceptions, but senior running back Rueben Owens II with two touchdowns and 100 yards on 16 carries proved to be the difference maker. Week 4: No. 15 Texas A&M 44, No. 4 LSU 30 Death Valley once again became Kyle Field East, as Reed recorded four total touchdowns while the Aggies’ fifth year tight end Micah Riley recorded 60 yards and one touchdown. LSU recorded more total yards of offense — 427-409 — but two lost fumbles as A&M took a 23-6 halftime lead and never looked back. Week 5: No. 9 Texas A&M 41, Arkansas 14 A&M’s stars were on defense, with graduate defensive end Ryan Henderson earning 2.5 sacks and four tackles for loss, graduate CB Rickey Gibson III leading the team with eight tackles and senior CB Dezz Ricks ranking second with six while adding an interception. Yet the game named senior safety Marcus Ratcliffe SEC Defensive Player of the Week for his four tackles, one pass breakup, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Week 6: Missouri 38, No. 7 Texas A&M 27 After generational levels of being so back after the last two games, suddenly the Aggies cratered back down to “it’s so over,”
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