The first AP Poll of the year has dropped, and the Texas A&M Aggies feature prominently thanks to not only the strong roster they will field this year, but the reputation that Mike Elko has built for the program. The Aggies come in at no. 8 on this initial list, their highest start in four years and by far their best under Elko.
The Aggies are in the same spot where they were in the Coaches' Poll, meaning they're pretty well slotted in the minds of the college football public. That's not necessarily a bad thing, especially when they're so high up compared to where they've been— a top-10 preseason ranking is no joke.
The Aggies are the third-highest ranked SEC team, behind no. 3 Georgia and no. 5 Texas. They are at the fore of a glut of teams from the conference, with Ole Miss, Oklahoma, LSU, and Alabama making up four of the next five teams (Texas Tech is in the mix there as well).
Texas A&M comes in no. 8 in initial AP Poll, signaling readiness to compete for a championship
Texas A&M began last year down at no. 19, and it took them beating Notre Dame in South Bend to get up into the range where they were contending for a spot in the College Football Playoff. Now, though, starting off at no. 8, the Aggies are well-positioned right from the jump to get back to the field of 12.
That won't be an easy task, by any stretch of the imagination. The Aggies are facing down an extremely tough schedule at the moment— ranked by the initial SP+ ratings as the 14th-toughest slate in the country (though that's subject to change as we get a better idea of just how good every team on the list is).
Road trips to no. 10 Oklahoma, no. 11 LSU, and no. 13 Alabama could all be top-10 showdowns by the time the games actually arrive. That's not even counting a trip to no. 25 Missouri, who snuck in the very back of the poll, has a good chance to be undefeated when they host the Aggies on October 10.
Then, you have the visits to Kyle Field from no. 5 Texas and no. 20 Tennessee, neither of which will be easy wins. Home field advantage is key in those, which A&M fans are thankful for, but it's not a cakewalk by any means.
The good thing is that the Aggies are starting off the year in a strong position, which will give them a chance to work their way back into the top group if they stumble at any point. With this kind of schedule, it feels like that has a strong chance of happening— though Mike Elko usually has his team ready for these challenges.
Hopefully, the Aggies live up to this high ranking and end up occupying a top-3 spot for most of the year, just like they did in 2025. Even if the road is a little rockier this year, though, they are starting off with enough equity that they could make it up later in the year.
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