After tough end to breakout season, Texas A&M QB Marcel Reed seeks some hardware | Golden

TAMPA, Fla. -  The last pass stands out most in Marcel Reed's mind.

Despite the frustrating 59 minutes of football, the Texas A&M Aggies were one completion from overtime in their first College Football Playoff appearance and Reed, their big-play quarterback who anchored an 11-1 regular season, had driven his offense to the doorstep.

The ball found the end zone and the arms of Bryce Fitzgerald. Problem was, Fitzgerald was wearing a Miami uniform.

The interception was the most memorable play of the Aggies' 10-3 loss and while Reed made several gigantic plays in his first full season as the starter - from his last-second touchdown pass to Nate Boerkircher to win 41-40 at Notre Dame to powering a 28-point second half comeback against South Carolina - he chose a negative play as the most memorable.

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A&M coach Mike Elko said it speaks to what he's trying to build in College Station. A quarterback that practices accountability is essential to success, especially in the beehive that's SEC football.

"I think our program is grounded in who we are," Elko said during Wednesday's SEC media days. "I think we know that there's still a lot of things that we want to accomplish. We certainly celebrate our successes, and we certainly remember our successes, but great people and greatness sometimes comes from understanding where you came up short and how you can fix it."

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Reed finished with 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions and ranked fifth among SEC passers in passing rating at 148.19, a breakout season in most instances. Leading his team to an 11-0 start took a backseat to a pair of losses to end the season, notably the 27-17 loss to archrival Texas that knocked the Aggies out of the SEC title game for the second straight year.

And that interception still lingers.

"There's good plays and there's bad plays, but that was the last one so it's hard to forget," Reed said Wednesday. "But we'll definitely grow from it."

With new offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins taking over full-time play calling duties, Reed believes another year of maturity and experience in this league - plus some time in the weight room - will benefit this offense as the Aggies attempt to notch three straight double-digit winning seasons for the first time in 32 years.

"I've gotten stronger," Reed said. "I've gained a couple of pounds, and I feel faster for sure. It's still going to be an explosive season."

His name doesn't come up as often when discussions of the best SEC quarterbacks come up. Names like Texas' Arch Manning, Ole Miss' Trinidad Chambliss and Georgia's Gunner Stockton have gotten bigger headlines, but Reed wants everyone to know he's not playing second fiddle to anybody.

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He worked at the famed Manning Passing Academy earlier this year and held his own against the biggest arms in the country.

"I think I'm one of the top quarterbacks in the SEC and I think I'm one of the best quarterbacks in the country," Reed said. "I didn't go out there to compare myself (to others). I went to showcase myself for sure and get some throws in."

The offseason also presented an opportunity to meet another athlete who wears No. 10. Reed and Aggies legend Von Miller were part of the 90,000 that packed Kyle Field for a soccer friendly between Argentina and Honduras in June. Watching the game was one thing, but a jersey swap with the iconic Lionel Messi? Epic.

"Someone asked us if we wanted to meet him and I was like, ‘Why not?' Reed said. "Someone asked what we talked about. That guy doesn't speak a lick of English. We didn't talk about anything, but I had my jersey."

This time last year, Reed was looking to take the next step forward in proving himself and now the expectations have increased after such a successful 2025 campaign. He has a coach who will still push him to higher heights. Even if some uncomfortable conversations will probably happen along the way.

"It's definitely some tough-love coaching, but it's coaching and I like that stuff," Reed said. "My dad was a coach, so I've grown up in that structure in my life. Me and Elko have kind of grown up since we've been here together and he's told me what I need to do to improve on. I really like having him in my corner. He's a really good coach and I love how honest he is. He's open and lets you know what it is. He's not going to sugarcoat anything."

The Aggies are still searching for what Elko called "the hardware we're looking for" and Reed wouldn't have it any other way.

"We have to raise our floor," he said. "I think it's going to happen this year."

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