Texas A&M QB Marcel Reed calls out the doubters at Aggies opening presser as fall camp begins

It took just seconds for Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed to shake up the room as the Aggies' fall press conference got underway this week. The third-year quarterback failed to garner any real hype after a season where he completed 61.3% of attempts for 1,864 yards, 15 touchdowns, and only six interceptions, and Reed took note. He immediately ripped the band-aid off upon sitting down.

“Well, I know y’all have heard it just like I have, ‘Not a passer,'” Reed said. Instead of being upset about the criticisms of his game while LaNorris Sellers and some other athletic two-way threats got a pass this offseason, Reed says he went to work.

“I feel like I’ve had tremendous growth in my passing this offseason,” he said. “We’ve had some great receivers come in and just having the O-line and running backs that we have makes it a lot easier for me to sit back there and make these throws. The receivers we have now have made it a lot easier as well. I feel a lot more confident back there, finding ways to protect myself. Knowing the offense a little bit better.”

Aggies head coach Mike Elko opted against having Reed present at SEC Media Days, which was a bit surprising. While Reed certainly had moments of rough displays of accuracy and decision-making, he's been entrenched as the starter. Reed's emergence saved the Aggies from a gloomy debut season under Elko after Connor Weigman flamed out.

Marcel Reed’s absence from SEC Media Days hasn’t shaken his confidence. He skipped the Manning Passing Academy as a precaution but is fully healthy. The redshirt sophomore is eager to prove this fall that he’s more than just a dual-threat quarterback.

A former four-star recruit, Reed made a statement last season, coming off the bench to lead Texas A&M to a 38-23 victory over LSU. In that game, he threw just two passes but ran for 62 yards and three touchdowns. He went on to start the remainder of the season, finishing with a 4-3 record as a starter.

Head coach Mike Elko opted to stick with Reed as the starting quarterback, adding UAB transfer Jacob Zeno as a backup rather than making a splash in the transfer portal. On Tuesday, Reed downplayed being driven by criticism of his passing ability, though it’s clearly a focus as the Aggies begin fall camp.

“Didn’t really motivate me or anything,” he said. “Obviously, as I go into each season, I know there are some things I have to improve on. I’ve been doing that since I was a kid.”

Reed expressed confidence in his comfort within offensive coordinator Collin Klein’s system, noting it’s the most at ease he’s felt yet. Despite limited passing attempts against LSU, his 2024 stats were impressive, boasting a 61.3% completion rate, 1,864 passing yards, and a 15-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

The 6-foot-2, 185-pound quarterback also contributed 543 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 4.68 yards per carry. Texas A&M’s offense, which led the SEC in scoring during conference play with 29.4 points per game, is now bolstered by new talent, including NC State transfer wide receiver KC Concepcion.

At SEC Media Days, Elko shared how Concepcion, after watching Reed practice, was convinced he could excel in Klein’s system due to Reed’s arm talent. Reed is now poised to lead an offense expected to position the Aggies as College Football Playoff contenders.

This summer, Reed has focused on a “finishing” mentality for himself and his teammates. While he’s ready to silence critics questioning his passing, he also knows his dual-threat ability forces defenses to choose between stopping the run or the pass.