Olin Buchanan

Texas A&M offensive lineman Ar'maj Reed-Adams was selected in the seventh round, 241st overall, by the Buffalo Bills in the 2026 NFL Draft on Saturday. After transferring from Kansas, the DeSoto native started every game at right guard for the Aggies in 2024 and 2025.

Last week's NFL Draft highlighted Mike Elko's talent evaluations, as Texas A&M had a program-record 10 players selected and several more signed free-agent deals. With the Aggies hoping to again reach double-digit wins, the head man's ability to evaluate and develop players should give fans hope.

There were some categories where Texas A&M compared favorably to a few recent national champions, and in other areas, there is a clear need for improvement. With regards to 10 vital statistics, here's an outlook on Mike Elko's Aggies as they search for A&M's first national title in 87 years.

There is currently a push being made to expand the College Football Playoff field to 24 teams, with Greg Sankey and the SEC pushing back on doubling the size of the bracket. An expansion to 24 participants would dilute the field and lessen the importance of the regular season.

Beginning on Tuesday in Sandestin, Fla., the Southeastern Conference Spring Meetings will commence as athletic directors and head coaches discuss the biggest topics and issues facing college athletics. Chief among them is the possible expansion of the College Football Playoff.

During Tuesday's sessions at the SEC Spring Meetings in Sandestin, Fla., Texas A&M's Mike Elko might have asked the best questions. The Aggie head man discussed the need for unified leadership and why it's OK to make it difficult to make the CFP, among other topics.

Dollars and cents will ultimately make the decision, but it makes sense, given the constraints of the calendar, that an expanded playoff could spell the demise of conference championship games. It'll likely boil down to the guaranteed revenue of conference title games vs. additional CFP contests.

On Wednesday, Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) introduced the "Protect College Sports Act," an 111-page bill that would grant the NCAA an antitrust exemption. Though the Texas A&M AD has yet to read the bill, Trev Alberts sees it as a "positive" step.

As Greg Sankey predicted entering the week, the SEC did not vote or officially change its stance on possible College Football Playoff expansion. As the summer begins, the league will continue to monitor the interest in possibly moving away from a 12-team bracket.

Late in the 2025 season, Marcel Reed was a legitimate Heisman contender, but untimely interceptions unraveled his case to be invited to New York. Further, many are omitting Reed from their preseason lists of top signal callers as if the Aggie QB can't improve ahead of 2026.