Texas A&M didn’t just defeat the Samford Bulldogs on Saturday. They dismantled them. A 48–0 blowout should’ve been the headline, but all eyes shifted to Marcel Reed’s absence early in the second quarter. Reed, after throwing 3 TD passes in the first quarter, was nowhere to be seen, and injury rumors exploded across social media. With increasing concerns, Mike Elko was forced to step up to address the QB’s exit.

Mike Elko denied injury rumors and revealed it’s a game plan to provide opportunities to the new talent.

“More than anything, it’s about getting people in,” Mike Elko said at the post-game presser. “We wanted today to be about guys getting opportunities. There were guys that got quality reps today, and I thought that was really, really important.”

Reed posted a 3-yard touchdown pass to Ashton Bethel-Roman on the very first drive to put the Aggies ahead 7-0. The QB scored again and extended the lead to 14-0, with a 6-yard pass to KC Concepcion with about four minutes left in the first quarter. The third touchdown came with a 58-yard throw to Bethel-Roman, extending the lead to 21-0 near the end of the first.

After Amari Daniels scored a 1-yard TD run in the second quarter, extending the lead further to 28-0, Marcel Reed stepped out of the field and was replaced by Miles O’Neill.

Despite playing a cameo role in the first quarter, Reed completed 10 out of 15 passes for 120 yards and 3 touchdown passes, totaling 25 TDs, leading the Southeastern Conference this season. He also entered the school’s history book, adding 41 career touchdowns, taking 7th place in the school’s passing touchdowns. And he does all that while being inclined to great causes.

He’s not the only one to set a record. WR KC Conception, one of the highest 2026 NFL draft pick prospects, recorded 5 receptions, leading the receiving group record in yards with 42. With a combined effort, the Aggies secured their 11th straight win this season against the Bulldogs by 48-0. But that is not the only remarkable thing.

Marcel Reed in Golden Arm Award finals

The Heisman campaign is in full swing, with Texas A&M launching “Marcel Mode,” a website specifically designed to promote Reed as one of the Heisman Award finalists. Besides the Heisman hunt, Texas A&M announced on Friday that Reed has been named a Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award finalist.

The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award is presented annually to the nation’s top senior or upperclassman quarterback in the year of graduation with their class. This embodies not only outstanding on-field performance but also character, citizenship, and leadership. It’s a huge honor for the QB, who led the Aggies this far.

Texas A&M’s QB1 Marcel Reed currently holds the third-highest odds with +225 entering the Week 13 games. Reed didn’t play much against Samford on Saturday, and it had an immediate impact on his odds. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, his Heisman odds fell from +500 to +1200, which could keep him below the Commodores’ QB Diego Pavia. However, at this stage of the season, the campaign and votes could go unpredictably volatile.