Texas A&M football held their annual Maroon and White spring game this past Saturday, and fans by and large were generally satisfied. There was a lot of dominance along the defensive line, as only one projected starter was logging major minutes on either OL, but other than that, there were quite a few nice moments from the game.
One thing you can safely count on, though, is that someone will come away from a spring game like this with an opinion that will have other fans throwing their hands up in the air. And true to form, that's what we got out of this year's edition as well.
It wasn't the greatest day we've seen out of Marcel Reed in Kyle this past Saturday, but he was by no means bad. However, ever since the New Mexico State game this past fall, there has been a seed germinating in the minds of a certain section of the fanbase— one that began to be expressed when Reed didn't look like a world-beater in Saturday's game.
I'm gonna say something mildly controversial.
— 👍Justice☦️ (@WSlopeAggie) April 19, 2025
Miles O'Neill has a higher skill ceiling than Reed, he has a Josh Allen-like profile and arm, and he has the potential to be a top-3 QB in college football and an NFL starter. His size is a huge plus. Start Miles.
Look, I'm as high on Miles O'Neill as anyone. I loved what I saw out of him on Saturday, and he looked impressive against NMSU. His physical talents are clear, and his future is bright as an Aggie.
But we need to pump the brakes here a little bit.
Reed's dynamic run ability adds a dimension to the offense that O'Neill doesn't have. And while the size and arm strength that Miles boasts outclasses Reed overall, Marcel is actually not that far off when it comes to his ability to sling it.
It wasn't too long ago that one of the big concerns with Reed was the fact that he was drilling his passes into receivers at too high a rate of speed. He's gotten better at throwing with touch, as his overall game really improved by leaps and bounds down the stretch of last year.
The size could be an issue with regards to durability and consistent accuracy, as he needs to generate power in a way that won't make his pass spread look like it's all over the place. But in that respect, too, he came pretty far in the last part of 2024.
The consistency factor for the team, too, should not be overlooked. Reed's experience isn't massive, but this team has gone years and years without an adequate amount of experience at signal caller. I think Aggie fans everywhere are ready for that to change and for A&M to finally boast a seasoned vet in the pocket.
I was not for starting Marcel over Weigman at first last year, but it became clear he was the right choice. Just because that happened last year doesn't mean it needs to happen this year. Marcel is the starter and he needs to be the starter. If something happens, it happens— but for now, there's no need at all to rock the boat.