Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko reacts against the Southern California Trojans. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Texas A&M Aggies Sneak Into ESPN Post-Spring Top-25 Rankings

Originally posted on Texas A&M Aggies on SI
By Jon Alfano | Last updated May 9, 2025 2:28 PM ET

The Texas A&M Aggies showed plenty of promise in their first season under Mike Elko, until they didn't.

Heading into November, the Aggies sat pretty at No. 10 in the country with a 7-1 record and a perfect 5-0 record against SEC competition, being the last remaining unbeaten team in conference play. Their season quickly unravelled down the stretch, though, as they lost four of their final five games with the lone win coming against New Mexico State. The season ended with a frustrating loss to USC in the Las Vegas Bowl, which was basically a microcosm of the year as they blew a 17-point lead late in the third quarter.

With how the Aggies finished the season, it might be easy to feel down about their chances going into 2025. However, analysts largely seem to believe they're a top-25 team, with ESPN's Mark Schlabach placing them at No. 23 in his post-spring power rankings.

"The Aggies should be better with Reed getting a second offseason under his belt, and he'll be much more effective if they can keep [Le'Veon] Moss and [Rueben] Owens healthy. Moss was one of the best backs in the SEC before he went down because of a knee injury in the ninth game in 2024. Owens sat out most of last season because of a Lisfranc fracture in his left foot, but the former four-star prospect is healthy.

"The Aggies upgraded their receiver corps by adding [KC] Concepcion, [Mario] Craver and [Jonah] Wilson. Their biggest concern on defense is replacing Shemar Stewart, Shemar Turner and Nic Scourton's production up front. [Tyler] Onyedim, [T.J.] Searcy and [Dayon] Hayes should help, and [Jordan] Shaw should be a big contributor in the secondary."

Reed's development will be key to A&M taking a step forward, and upgrading his receiving corps is a strong vote of confidence. The changes on defense will be more interesting to see play out, but with how both defensive fronts dominated in the spring game, it looks like the new additions will make an immediate impact.

Road games against Notre Dame, LSU and Texas will be the real tests for Elko and the Aggies, so they'll have to be sharp throughout the season.

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

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