Texas A&M's 2026 season opener vs. Missouri State kicks off Saturday night, and over the past two days, third-year coach Mike Elko, along with junior wide receiver Mario Craver and Marcus Ratcliffe , spoke to the local media, previewing the Bears, who are 40-plus-point underdogs heading into Saturday's showdown.
This offseason, Elko and his staff landed 17 players from the transfer portal, including former Northwestern Edge Anto Saka and former Alabama wide receiver Isaiah Horton , who are on track to make an immediate impact and replace key starters who were selected in the first and second rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Mario Craver, Ashton Bethel-Roman , Terry Bussey , and now, Isaiah Horton make up one of the deepest wide receiver rotations in the country, while freshman Aaron Gregory is also a name to watch after a strong spring and fall camp performance.
Anto Saka, who is looking to replace unanimous All-American Edge Cashius Howell , who led the SEC with 11.5 sacks last season, has been Marcus Ratcliffe 's standout newcomer on defense, noting his ability to "wreck plays" and shut down the run game wherever he's lined up.
Isaiah Horton was Ratcliffe's choice on offense, as the veteran wideout's 6'4" frame, and is slated to become a "huge target" thanks to his large catch radius, providing starting quarterback Marcel Reed a go-to target on go route's and slants. Texas A&M vs. Missouri State starts at 6:00 p.m. and airs on ESPN.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M senior DB names 2 newcomers set to make an impact
