If Texas A&M has any chance of making it back to the College Football Playoff, redshirt junior quarterback Marcel Reed, who finished his first full starting season with 3,169 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, has already proven his ability to lead the Aggies to double-digit wins after finishing 11-2 and 7-1 in SEC play.
Still, after back-to-back losses to Texas and Miami in the first round of the College Football Playoff, Reed threw a total of four interceptions and looked lost in the pocket against two of the best defenses in the country, and while the lack of a steady run game heavily contributed to A&M's offensive issues, Reed's dual-threat ability became more one-dimensional as the season went on.
Losing more than a dozen players due to graduation and the 2026 NFL Draft, including a nation-leading 13 NFL Scouting Combine invitees, coach Mike Elko and his staff landed 17 additions from the transfer portal, and combined with the returning starters, Marcel Reed will, on paper at least, be well-equipped on offense, especially with Alabama transfer wide receiver Isaiah Horton now on the roster.
On Monday, Elko spoke to the media for the first time in nearly two months, revealing last offseason's motto, focused on "finishing," which was not the case in both losses after leading Texas at halftime and in the tie with Miami before the Hurricanes scored 10 unanswered points.
While these performances don't fall squarely on Marcel Reed's shoulders, Elko stated on Monday that his starting signal caller needs to play much better at the end of games, no matter how well he performs in the first half.
"Last offseason, it was about finishing and making sure that we finished the right way. This year, it's more about consistency and urgency. ... That applies to Marcel. There were times where he played quarterback at an elite level, and there were times where he didn't."
Simply put, Reed will now work closely with new quarterbacks coach Joey Lynch and first-year offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins , who are already well-versed with this skillset, and will look to fix his remaining issues this offseason.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M HC Mike Elko challenges QB Marcel Reed on consistency
