The thing that makes college football so special is that people resonate with it regardless of cultural identity, communal rituals, and tradition. One of the most meaningful traditions is honoring World War veterans and raising funds in their name. Mike Elko’s Texas A&M Aggies safety Marcus Ratcliffe has taken that responsibility personally through his annual Mission 3:12 initiative.

Texas A&M safety Marcus Ratcliffe is using his Mission 3:12 initiative to turn on-field success into life-changing support for World War II veterans. The idea is simple but awesome: every time the Aggie defense forces a turnover (interception and fumble), money gets racked up for the cause.

The name “3:12” is a cool shoutout to his jersey number (3) and A&M’s famous 12th Man spirit. This past year, the initiative (partnered with Walk among Heroes) absolutely blew up, raising $27,563 for the vet. This is almost five times what they brought in the year before. A big reason for this market rally is the ‘Century Club.’ The elite group of the first 100 donors who matched Ratcliffe’s $312 pledge helped the total skyrocket.

The main goal of these funds is to cover all travel expenses so WWII “living legends” can visit the battlefields of Normandy, France, for the D-Day anniversaries without any financial burden. This year’s campaign focused on Jack Hugman, a 98-year-old Navy veteran who served in occupied Japan. He helped convert a kamikaze submarine factory into a supply hub.

He follows in the footsteps of Ray Falke, a veteran from the A&M Class of 1951, who was the first recipient to make the journey thanks to the 2025 season’s efforts. For Ratcliffe, this hits close to home because this is where his family comes from. His dad was a Marine, and his granddad was in the Navy. The Aggies DB said that hearing these veterans’ stories really keeps him humble.

“To see that the things that these veterans would go through to protect our people that they would do for us,” Ratcliffe said. “I think it just shows me like, wow, the courage that some people have to face things like that I in my life I’ve never had to face, so I think it definitely keeps me grounded and humble.”

According to what football players go through, it’s nothing compared to what these World War II Vets went through. To wrap things up each year, Ratcliffe hosts a private dinner in February where the big-time donors get to sit down and actually hang out with the veterans. After this year’s success, Ratcliffe made it clear that he hopes to increase the total tenfold in future editions of the mission.

With the initiative already in the books, what’s next for Ratcliffe?

Marcus Ratcliffe’s expectation for his 2026 season

Marcus Ratcliffe enters the 2026 season as a senior and is projected to be the No. 1 safety in college football. After a standout 2025 campaign where he established himself as a “shut-down” defender, Ratcliffe is expected to earn First-Team All-American honors and anchor a Texas A&M secondary that ranks among the best in the country. Ratcliffe allowed the fewest yards per snap of any high-volume player in the country. He racked up 66 tackles and 3 tackles for loss, earning an 81.7 coverage grade for the season.

Because he decided to stay for one more year instead of jumping to the NFL early, the expectations for 2026 are sky-high. He’s currently ranked as the 25th best player in the entire nation, and he’s part of a safety room that many experts think is the best in the SEC, with athletes like Dalton Brooks and elite transfer Tawfiq Byard.

While he’s currently projected as a mid-to-late-round prospect, another year of SEC run could put him in early-round consideration for the 2027 NFL Draft. Aggie fans are counting down the days until the season opener against Missouri State this September to see him back in action at Kyle Field.