Texas A&M 'Can Win With' Marcel Reed's Skill Set, Says Mike Elko

With Marcel Reed at quarterback, the Texas A&M Aggies played argubaly their best game of the young season in the win over Florida.

Sep 14, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) throws the ball against the Florida Gators during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images / Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko won't officially name a starting quarterback ahead of Saturday's meeting with Bowling Green, even going as far to say that the process will be a "game-time decision" for the remainder of the season.

It's unclear if that will remain the case as the 2024 campaign treads on, but one thing that's certain is that Elko has tremendous confidence in what Marcel Reed brings to the table.

Reed made his claim to be the starter over the injured Conner Weigman in Saturday's 33-20 road win over Florida in a game that was a bigger blowout than the final score indicated. When meeting with the media Monday, Elko expressed his confidence with Reed at quarterback, saying that his talents are someting the Aggies "can win with."

"We feel really comfortable with who Marcel is," Elko said. "We have a lot of confidence in Marcel. We always have. ... It didn't surprise me. Is he consistent? Yeah, he's consistent in that he's young and goes through the ups and downs of being a quarterback. ... He has a skill set we can win with."

In the win over the Gators, Reed went 11 of 17 passing for 178 yards, two touchdowns and no picks. This was highlighted by his 73-yard bomb to receiver Cyrus Allen in the third quarter that essentially sealed Florida's fate. He also juked-out defenders on his way to rushing for 83 yards and a score on 13 carries.

With the Aggies up big for most of the second half, Texas A&M's ground game started to take over. If the contest was closer, Reed's passing numbers likely would have been much more impressive.

If he gets the start against Bowling Green, expect more dual-threat highlights from the Nashville native.

No. 25 Texas A&M and the Falcons will kick off from Kyle Field on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CT.