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The rivalry between Texas and Texas A&M was rekindled in 2024 after more than a decade off. The Longhorns have won both meetings since, much to the chagrin of Aggies fans across the country. And quarterback Marcel Reed.
Reed was not at his best in a 27-17 defeat last season, throwing two interceptions and failing to deliver a touchdown strike. By his own admission, he kind of hit a wall after a tremendous start to the 2025 season.
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And that’s not sitting well with him. It’s fueling him going into 2026.
Meanwhile, the question frequently comes in from fans wondering about that Texas rivalry. He faced it again at SEC Media Days on Wednesday, asked whether he constantly hears the drumbeat about needing to beat Texas. His answer? Interesting, to say the least.
“I mean, everybody in the world, especially the fans, are always asking, ‘Are you going to beat Texas? Are you going to beat Texas?’” Marcel Reed said, according to Chip Brown of Horns247. “Come to the game and watch.”
He wasn’t finished there, perhaps because the question put him in a sort of an unwinnable spot. There isn’t a great way to answer it.
“I’m not going to tell you no,” Reed said. “Like, that’s just dumb. I’m not going to say no. But, yeah, we’re going to prepare our best for Texas, and we’re going to go out there and play them to the best of our ability.”
Marcel Reed also opened up on how he ‘hit a wall’ in that Texas game. After throwing for 250 yards per game and 25 total touchdowns in the first 11 games of the season, Reed was limited to just 209 yards per game and no touchdowns in the final two games of the season. He was picked off four times in that stretch.
“We weren’t able to move the ball,” Reed said. “Couldn’t get the ball in the end zone. I think we had maybe one or two possessions in the Texas game where we could really move it. Other than that, we were punting almost every possession.”
That’s been nightmare fuel this offseason. But it is fuel. Marcel Reed remains confident that he can turn things around. Particularly when it comes to the Texas rivalry. He believes he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the country, after all.
“I think it’s really important to that have mindset,” he said. “If you don’t, you shouldn’t be playing in the country — you shouldn’t be playing in college football, you shouldn’t be playing in the SEC.
“I’ve always had that confidence growing up. I’ve always played with guys older than me. So I’ve never been afraid of anybody. I’ve never been afraid of a name. I always go out there and know what I’m capable of and play the game that I love.”
Texas and Texas A&M will meet this year on Nov. 27, wrapping up the regular season on Black Friday. It’s already slated for a national primetime broadcast on ABC, at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Big lights, big stage. Come to the game and watch.
