Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) warms up before the game against the Texas Longhorns at Kyle Field. Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Mike Elko Makes Decision Heated Battle For Texas A&M Backup QB

Originally posted on Texas A&M Aggies on SI
By DJ Burton | Last updated Aug 26, 2025 1:13 PM ET

One of the most important pieces to a championship-caliber football team is depth. A lot of the time, depth is mentioned at the wide receiver position or running backs.

Depth is rarely mentioned with arguably the most important position on any football team: the quarterback spot. Many teams run solely through their quarterback. If their starter goes down, so does their season.

Texas A&M had a fierce battle all offseason between redshirt freshman Miles O’Neill, freshman Brady Hart and seventh-year senior Jacob Zeno for the second-string spot. Coach Mike Elko announced who won the backup position in Monday’s press conference ahead of the Aggies’ Week 1 game against the UTSA Roadrunners.

Who is the Next Man Up?

Throughout fall camp, there was a ton of buzz around Zeno. He had starting experience at both UAB and Baylor, and seemed like the perfect veteran to help coach Marcel Reed from the sideline. At the same time, O’Neill had a ton of chatter surrounding him after an impressive high school career and his near-perfect performance against New Mexico State in his collegiate debut.

It was a fierce battle, but a decision had to be made.

“We’re going to go with Miles O’Neill,” Elko said. “I think Miles had a really, really strong camp. I think he's a kid that we believe has a really, really bright future. He’s got a big, strong arm. He kind of went out and won that job, so he’ll go into the year as number two and he’ll be ready to go if something happens to Marcel.”

Having a solid backup quarterback is important for any program, but seemingly even more for Texas A&M in recent years. Last season, then-Aggies starter Conner Weigman missed time with an AC joint injury he sustained against Notre Dame. In 2023, Weigman started the first four games before suffering a season-ending foot injury. Now-North Carolina starter Max Johnson took over once Weigman went down before suffering an injury himself. Now-West Virginia starter Jaylen Henderson was named the starter before suffering a brutal injury in the team’s bowl game and being replaced by a true freshman Marcel Reed.

Overall, the Aggies have not had the best injury luck at the quarterback position, so it is best to be as prepared as possible and put the best players in the best places to be able to win games in case of an injury emergency.

The Aggies are set to kick off their 2025 campaign with an evening bout against the UTSA Roadrunners this Saturday.

This article first appeared on Texas A&M Aggies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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