Here’s the first 2026 game week edition of TTFT:

1. The biggest obstacle the Aggies may face in 2026 isn’t Texas. It’s not LSU or Alabama — it’s expectations. Every time the Aggies have had a really good season in recent memory, they’ve followed with a flop. In 2010, they went 9-3, played in the Cotton Bowl and were ranked in the top 10 in 2011. And cratered. After the excitement of the 2012 season, Texas A&M was ranked as high as third early on — and couldn’t stop anyone. In 2020, the Aggies ended up fourth nationally and won the Orange Bowl, only to crater in 2021. This team is better and more complete than those other year after teams, but this is one of the remaining obstacles Mike Elko has to deal with. Until the program puts two straight seasons (or more) together at the top, then people will wait for what they think is an inevitable letdown.

2. One thing Marcel Reed did in the offseason was take personal accountability for his disappointing finish and worked hard to improve. He’s certainly come out and put pressure on himself after today, when a story in USA Today quoted him ripping Texas. “I hate the color orange,” he said. “The colors just look so ugly. Everywhere you go [in Austin], you see that color orange. Burnt orange? Who likes burnt orange? … Texas, it’s the rival, bro. You gotta hate them.” If you’re going to talk (accurate) smack like that, you’ve got to back it up. Reed’s not stupid. He knows he just put a bullseye on himself. So hopefully he knows he’s got to do some walking after that talking.

3. Speaking of Reed and his improvement, it’s pretty much universal that Reed took another big step forward in his overall performance during the offseason. He was certainly one of the stars of camp. I said after last season that, if he took a similar-sized step from 2025 to 2026 that he did from 2024 to 2025, he’d be an elite quarterback. Before the big lights come on, at least, it looks like he has. We’ll see how that turns out when things get serious.

4. I’m going to repeat something I said in Monday Thoughts yesterday (if you didn’t read it, why not?): Don’t take the “official” depth chart seriously. Most, if not all, of that is done without serious input from the coaches. They don’t care. So for all the people who freaked out over Anto Saka being listed as a backup at defenive end — stop. It doesn’t mean a darned thing. Maybe TJ Searcy gets the first series. Maybe he doesn’t. Who cares? Saka is going to play. He had an impressive summer. Searcy is also a good football player. So just enjoy the fact that the Aggies can put together a strong two-deep at both end positions.

5. There’s no real argument that the Aggies have as deep a receiver group as they’ve had in a long time. The real question is, how deep do they go? The top four are obvious in Mario Craver, Isaiah Horton, Ashton Bethel-Roman and Terry Bussey; it seems certain that Aaron Gregory is going to play too. Kelshaun Johnson had a good summer. TK Norman is consistent, and then there’s freshmen Jayden Warren and Maddeen Williams. Could they go nine deep? That seems like a lot for a full season (though it seems very possible for Saturday night). It’ll be interesting to see how deep they go when things get serious in conference play.

6. Maybe I’m in the minority here, but I think Rueben Owens will have a very good year and be established as he firm RB1. He’s gotten stronger, still has that elite skill set and he’s fully aware that he left a lot of yards on the field last year. He’s also a really good receiver out of the backfield. So you can bookmark this one and give me crap if I’m wrong or credit if I’m right.

7. One of the better stories of the offseason is that of Blake Ivy. After serving as a backup for the past couple of years, he wasn’t fazed by the addition of Coen Echols from LSU in the offseason. He came in ready to compete and called his shot in the spring, saying he was ready to start. And, it looks like he came through. I’m looking forward to see what he does.

8. One thing I’m enjoying about this mess with LSU breaking just about every rule under the sun in an effort to win big this year is that people in the national media are realizing that, hey, Lane Kiffin may not be a good guy! Paul Finebaum said, “every day, Lane Kiffin shows up with another lie.” No, Lane. People don’t believe that you want to follow the rules but your hands are tied. No, Lane, people don’t believe you when you say the leadership council backed bringing in former NFL players. People don’t believe, you, period, and why should they? Nobody’s been more of a phony over the last 15 years than he has.

9. LSU’s approach to all this NFL to college stuff has basically been to sneer at the SEC and say, “What’re you going to do about it?” LSU has been fortunate enough to get a couple of preliminary injunctions to help their cause, but the SEC gets their chance before the court Thursday. And the SEC is already saying, “you want to find out?” To LSU. Tennessee Chancellor Donde Plowman, speaking on behalf of the rest of the SEC’s executive committee, said today that “We are prepared to defend our rules and our authority to defend our rules…this is a rule we will not budge on.” So I really hope LSU keeps pushing their luck, because if they do step on a trap, it’s going to hurt really badly.

10. As pathetic as LSU’s actions have been of late, TCU’s have been even more scummy while attracting less attention. The Horned Frogs kicked starting safety Jacob Fields off the team after there was a fight in the locker room, but the unviersity didn’t go into detail. It turns out that Fields hit wideout Dozie Ezukanma, who was then hospitalized for three days because of a brain bleed, a concussion and other injuries after being punched and kicked in the head by Fields. TCU didn’t get take Ezukanma to get medical assistance for more than two hours, at which point an MRI found bleeding in the brain. TCU’s response was to ban the Fort Worth Star-Telegram from covering the team in person because they covered it (properly, as it turns out). Sounds like the way one of their old coaches and his handlers would have done things.

You can guess which coach I mean.

Our Sponsor

10 Things for Tuesday is sponsored by Brent Campbell, Fighting Texas Aggie Class of 1998. Brent is a Commercial Real Estate Broker, serving all of Central Texas and specializing in sales, leasing & development. He leads a retail acquisition and sales team and was recognized by the Austin Business Journal as a Commercial Real Estate Heavy Hitter in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2023, 2024 & 2025.

In the last 22 years, he has closed deals with a total transactional value of over $400 million and has leased more than 4.75 million square feet. Brent currently serves as the president of the board of directors for Habitat Homes, Inc. and Pathways Youth and Family Services. He is currently on the Downtown Round Rock Task Force.  He is a former president of the Heart of Round Rock Neighborhood Association and a former member of the Round Rock Zoning Advisory Committee, the Round Rock Business and Retention Committee, and the City of Round Rock Ethics Commission, which has led him to begin developing in Williamson and Travis County.

An Austin native, Brent lives in Round Rock where he and his wife have raised four boys. Brent works for Don Quick and Associates, Inc. in Round Rock and can be reached at brent@donquick.com.