Dec 27, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) throws the ball against the Southern California Trojans in the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Why The Best of Texas A&M QB Marcel Reed is Yet to Come

Originally posted on Texas A&M Aggies on SI
By Aaron Raley | Last updated Aug 27, 2025 6:44 PM ET

Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed has had quite the up-and-down collegiate career with the Maroon and White, ever since he debuted for the school in the 2023 Texas Bowl.

After coming in to relieve Jaylen Henderson, who had just suffered an injury on the team's very first offensive possession of the game, Reed showed that he was capable of leading the Aggies in a big setting, though the game resulted in a 31-23 loss, and his sporadic starts and eventual QB1 promotion in the 2024 season showed that Reed was truly the signal caller to answer A&M's problems at quarterback that they had suffered over the past number of seasons.

And according to A&M head coach Mike Elko, the best of Reed might still be yet to come.

Coach Elko Believes That Reed is Ready to Be an SEC Quarterback

During the Southeastern Conference's weekly Zoom conference Wednesday afternoon, Coach Elko had high remarks for his starting quarterback, citing how Reed's growth over the offseason has given him the tools to truly be an elite option in the conference that the team is a part of.

“I think he understands what it takes to be a quarterback in the conference and this league, and you’ll start to see the star that he is,” Elko said in the meeting.

The A&M head coach as well as the two coordinators have been very vocal about Reed's progression over the offseason, from his upgrade in passing to his overall leadership on the team.

“He’s a lot more comfortable going through the progressions,” Elko said earlier in the month. “Are the eyes getting to the windows the same time as the routes getting to the windows? That's how we're going to improve our passing game... That is coming. You're seeing that get better each and every day. You're starting to see it click a little bit more from him every day."

Even defensive coordinator Jay Bateman had plenty of positive remarks for Reed, speaking of how the rest of the team looks up to him and how his decision-making has improved.

"The team believes in Marcel,” Bateman said. “Our kids have a lot of faith in him. As a coach, the decision-making... It's faster decisions. He's hard to defend. He runs like a running back. He throws like a really good quarterback."

Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Collin Klein praised Marcel's overall skill set and his overall passion for the game.

"He comes from a football family and has been around it his whole life,” Klein said. “He has a love for the game and a passion for the game. The Lord has blessed him with some really good physical tools, and that's a good combination."

Reed will get to use those physical tools again this Saturday when the Aggies open up their 2025 campaign against the UTSA Roadrunners.

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

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