Texas A&M's 2026 Roster Still Has One Major Concern

Texas A&M is one of 15 teams with nine returning starters. The Aggies have one more defensive starter than offensive starters.

For a program that lost 4/5ths of its starting offensive line, that's a good amount of continuity otherwise.

That said, is losing almost the entire starting offensive line a bigger deal than what's being made of it?

How about all but one defensive line starter from a season ago returning to the fold? These are legitimate and worrying questions, even if center Mark Nabou and defensive tackle DJ Hicks are the returning players.

Teamwork is essential in the trenches, but there seems to be a lack of existing teamwork at key positions in College Station. Just how much that may hurt Texas A&M depends entirely on how the team navigates a forgiving early slate.

Texas A&M Has Three Games to Get Right in the Trenches

Offensive and defensive lines comprised of new players with little to no experience playing together don't automatically mean a team is doomed. It just means things may take a minute to get off the ground.

The Aggies are afforded some leeway in the early going against a schedule that doesn't threaten to challenge them much. Missouri State will kick off the season at Kyle Field in the Bears' second year as an FBS program.

Arizona State just overhauled the offensive line entirely and brings back only defensive tackle C.J. Fite as an experienced contributor in the middle. Kentucky, under new head coach Will Stein, has experienced players in the trenches, but not experience playing together. The Wildcats have similar problems to Texas A&M, but with less proven coaching talent to guide the lines.

Once the Kentucky game is over, LSU looms. The Tigers have much of their offensive line back in Baton Rouge and defensive tackle Dominick McKinley brings stability back to the middle. LSU is onboarding new guys too, but the level of talent is much higher. Jordan Seaton was perhaps the best blindside tackle in the portal, while Malik Blocton, Stephiylan Green, Princewill Umanmielen, and Jordan Ross bring a violent edge to the defensive line.

There will be no rest for the weary in Week 4 in Death Valley.

Texas A&M's Returning Skill-Position Players Must Bridge the Gap

The Aggies bring a load of experience at the skill positions.

Marcel Reed returns for his second full year starting and third year as QB1 overall. Mario Craver returns as perhaps one of the most dangerous slot weapons in the open field in the game. Rueben Owens and Jamarion Morrow are back and making cases for heavy workloads out of the backfield.

You'd rather replace a quarterback than so much of the offensive line in this case, but Texas A&M is dealing with the hand Mike Elko dealt with his recruiting.

We'll see what that means next Saturday and moving forward over the next few means.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/tamu as Texas A&M's 2026 Roster Still Has One Major Concern.