Mike Elko comments on potential ‘growth’ for Marcel Reed after CFP loss
By David Wasson
Published:
The 7th-seeded Texas A&M Aggies fell short in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Saturday, losing to the 10th-seeded Miami Hurricanes 10-3 despite driving to within 5 yards of potentially tying the game with less than 30 seconds remaining.
The Aggies’ season ended dramatically when sophomore quarterback Marcel Reed threw his second interception of the game, uncorking a pass behind receiver Melin Ohrstrom and into the hands of Hurricanes defensive back Bryce Fitzgerald.
Ward’s Saturday performance – 25-of-39 for 237 yards passing and 15 carries for a team-high 27 yards – finished off a season that saw the signal-caller pass for over 3,000 yards and 25 touchdowns.
After the loss, Aggies coach Mike Elko praised Ward’s effort in 2025 – and said Ward has plenty of room to improve heading into 2026 and beyond.
“He’s still a young quarterback,” Eklo said. “I still think there’s a lot of room for development and growth from him. I think he saw major strides this year. But I still think there’s a celling there that he’s not close to hitting.”
Ward also rushed for 466 yards on 89 carries and notched 6 touchdowns in leading Texas A&M (11-2) to its first CFP appearance. His best performance of the season was a 439-yard passing outburst in a come-from-behind victory against South Carolina on Nov. 15, 1 of 5 games in which Ward threw at least 3 touchdown passes.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. He also hosts Gulfshore Sports with David Wasson, weekdays from 3-5 pm across Southwest Florida and on FoxSportsFM.com. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
