Texas A&M is coming off of a breakout season under head coach Mike Elko, one which saw them improve massively from the 8-5 record in his initial campaign. The Aggies started 11-0 for the first time since the early 90s, including massive road wins at LSU and Notre Dame, but dropping their final two games is something that left a bad taste in the mouth of a lot of fans.
This was a team built on the back of a heck of a lot of SEC experience, especially along the offensive front. The number of combined starts on the offensive line for the Aggies was the basis for a lot of hope coming into the year, and that paid off in a big way.
While they won't have that next year, Marcel Reed gains another year of experience, and the Aggies added quite a few big time players through the portal at offensive line. That in mind, it should be no surprise that the Aggies are already receiving top-10 hype for the upcoming season per the latest ESPN rankings.
ESPN ranks Texas A&M in top 10 in way-too-early top 25 for 2026 season
Texas A&M rounded out the top 10 in ESPN's way-too-early top 25, which dropped late last night. The Aggies are called a team that is "built to last under Elko," despite the late-season losses, and credit is given to the head man for rebuilding his team's lines of scrimmage through the portal.
The Aggies have three SEC teams ranked ahead of them— Texas (the unearned hype has already begun), Georgia, and Ole Miss. The Aggies avoid UGA and the Rebels in the upcoming year, but they play no. 12 Oklahoma, no, 15 LSU, and no. 21 Alabama— all on the road, to add insult to injury.
The Aggies will also host no. 23 Arizona State and no. 24 Tennessee, giving them six teams on their schedule currently ranked in this top 25 that they have to face off with. If the Aggies get another double-digit win season in 2026, they'll have earned every inch— just like they did this year.