A new era of Texas A&M football is coming to College Station, and fans now have a date when they'll get a first look at the roster.
The annual Maroon and White Game is scheduled for April 20 at Kyle Field. The timing of the game has yet to be announced as of this time.
After six seasons of Jimbo Fisher, the Aggies are starting fresh with former defensive coordinator Mike Elko amid a 7-6 finish in 20223. Fisher was fired after going 19-15 in his final three seasons, including finishing 5-7 after securing the No. 1 recruiting class in FBS history.
Elko, who went 16-9 during his two seasons at Duke, was considered the favorite to replace Fisher and for good reason. During his time as A&M's defensive coordinator, the Aggies finished top 20 in total yards three of four times. In his final season, Elko's unit ranked third nationally in scoring, holding opponents to 15.9 points per contest.
Everything is changing entering the offseason. Bobby Petrino returned to Arkansas after a one-year stay as the Aggies' offensive coordinator. He'll be replaced by Kansas State's Collin Klein, who just helped the Wildcats finish 10th in scoring (37.1 points per game) and 23rd in total yards.
Elko hired Florida linebacker coach Jay Bateman as defensive coordinator, though it is unclear on who will call defensive plays. The Aggies also saw defensive line and interim coach Elijah Robinson depart the program to take over as Syracuse's defensive coordinator.
Countless roster moves were made over the offseason in the transfer portal. The Aggies watched 18 players leave College Station following a loss to Oklahoma State in the Texas Bowl.
A&M was aggressive in replacing proven production with experienced players from the portal, adding 22 players since Elko's hiring. The top newcomers include defensive end Nic Scourton (Purdue), defensive back Dezz Ricks (Alabama), receiver Jabre Barber (Troy), offensive lineman Ar'maj Reed-Adams (Kansas), defensive back De'Rickey Wright (Vanderbilt) and tight end Tre Watson (Fresno State).
The spring game will also mark the return of 2023 starter Conner Weigman. After winning the starting job over Max Johnson in fall camp, Weigman was coasting toward record-setting numbers before a lower-body injury suffered in Week 4's win over Auburn sidelined him for the remainder of the season.
Weigman will have stiff competition once more as both Jaylen Henderson and Marcel Reed impressed with the first-team offense. Henderson, a sophomore transfer from Fresno State, guided A&M to a 2-1 regular season and threw for 715 yards and six touchdowns against two interceptions.
Reed, a member of the 2023 recruiting class, played most of the Texas Bowl after Henderson suffered an injury to his non-throwing arm during the opening drive. He completed 20 of 33 pass attempts for 361 yards and led the team in rushing with 29 yards and a touchdown.
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