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Mike Elko Provides Key Texas A&M Injury Update

Originally posted on Texas A&M Aggies on SI
By Kolton Becker | Last updated Aug 27, 2025 10:31 AM ET

Texas A&M Head Coach Mike Elko informed the public that it has been a long training camp, and there will be an even longer wait for offensive tackle Rueben “Deuce” Fatheree Ⅱ, who is now unavailable to start the year.

Fatheree Ⅱ enters another season at Texas A&M, where his career began in 2021 as a freshman under former coach Jimbo Fisher. His journey began at Richmond Foster High School, where he was a first-team all-district honoree.

As a Dave Campbell Texas Football four-star prospect in the 2020 class, he committed to A&M over other major programs, including Ohio State, Notre Dame, LSU, Texas, Texas Tech, Baylor, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State.

As a freshman, Fatheree Ⅱ earned nine starts and appeared in 11 games, where he was later named the Offensive Top Newcomer and Most Improved Awards at the team banquet. Year 2 was Fatheree’s Ⅱ most playing time, securing 12 starts at right tackle, and he was recognized with the team's Offensive Mr. Dependable award. In his junior year, he only appeared for five games before sustaining a knee injury that sidelined him when Chase Bisontis took over

What's Fatheree's injury?

According to Elko in Monday’s press conference, he sustained another lower leg injury.

“Deuce Fatheree will be out for at least the first few games,” Elko said. “We’ll kind of see timeline-wise in terms of getting him back, but that’s another lower leg injury. I think outside of that, we came out of camp pretty healthy.”

What does this mean for the rest of the offensive line?

Entering into a new season with a new look offensively, protecting quarterback Marcel Reed will be pivotal to the Maroon and White’s success early on in the season. On the left side, left tackle Trey Zuhn and left guard Chase Bisontis are listed as official starters, while right guard Ar’maj Reed Adams and right tackle Dametrious Crownover carry the load on the right side. Snapping the ball at center is Mark Nabou Jr.

As it stands, Fatheree Ⅱ will be listed behind Zuhn, but is no stranger to playing against top-tier opponents. As a senior, Fatheree Ⅱ appeared in each game, including the Las Vegas Bowl against USC. Major programs against which Fatheree participated were McNeese, Florida, Bowling Green, Arkansas, and Notre Dame, where he contributed on special teams.

Time will tell how long it takes Fatheree Ⅱ to recover, but there is no doubt that there will be big shoes to fill in a room with plenty of depth.

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

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