August 8, 2026
Texas A&M QB Depth Chart Solidifies at Fall Camp as Transfer WR Drops Off Roster
Marcel Reed is firmly entrenched as starter while Brady Hart leads the backup race, but a notable transfer wide receiver has quietly disappeared from the fall camp roster.
Texas A&M's quarterback hierarchy is coming into focus two practices into fall camp, with Marcel Reed operating as the unquestioned starter and redshirt freshman Brady Hart holding the early edge for the backup role — but the Aggies also have a roster hole to account for after a transfer wide receiver was no longer listed on the fall camp or online depth chart.
Reed, who threw for a career-high 3,169 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions during the 2025 season, has shown increased accuracy and confidence through the first two practices, which began Wednesday evening. Alabama transfer Isaiah Horton, a 6-foot-4 senior who played with Reed during their high school days in Tennessee, is in line to start at the X receiver spot. Horton's catch radius was on display during Thursday's practice, and his presence is expected to open the middle of the field for junior wideout Mario Craver, who caught 59 passes for 917 yards and four touchdowns after transferring from Mississippi State before the 2025 season. Junior Terry Bussey, who added size this summer and refined his route running, rounds out a rotation head coach Mike Elko views as among the program's strengths entering Year 3.
The disappearance of an unnamed transfer wide receiver from the roster adds a layer of uncertainty to a receiving corps that already absorbed the departure of KC Concepcion, who led the Aggies in receiving yards and touchdowns last season. New offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins, regarded as one of college football's top wide receivers coaches, is expected to mitigate those losses schematically.
Hart Holds QB2 Edge as Camp Competition Remains Open
Behind Reed, Hart enrolled early and has since appeared in live game action, giving him a leg up over the other four backup quarterbacks on the roster. He has added roughly 20 pounds of muscle since arriving, improving his durability prospects against SEC competition. Elko has indicated the backup competition will remain open throughout camp, and the former four-star prospect — who posted an 81-19 touchdown-to-interception ratio and a 66.9 completion percentage across two high school seasons — will need to continue showing progress to hold off challengers.
On the special teams front, Illinois transfer kicker David Olano was named to the Lou Groza Award Preseason Watch List on Friday. Olano connected on 87 percent of his field goal attempts in 2025, including seven of eight kicks from 40-49 yards, and is projected to start when the Aggies open the season against Missouri State on Sept. 5. His addition, alongside five-star kicker Asher Murray, addresses a kicking inconsistency that contributed to Texas A&M's 10-3 first-round College Football Playoff loss to Miami last season.
Texas A&M enters the 2026 season ranked eighth in the initial US LBM Coaches Poll. National projections for Elko's squad have varied widely, with CBS Sports analyst Brad Crawford suggesting an 8-4 or even 7-5 finish is possible given a demanding nine-game SEC schedule and the departure of a program-record ten players to the NFL Draft following an 11-2 campaign.