College football analyst gives bold prediction for Texas A&M program ahead of 2025 season
The first day of the Aggies' fall camp sessions kicked off Wednesday evening, as head coach Mike Elko prepares his team to face heavily-touted conference foes for the opportunity to reach the College Football Playoff for the first time in school history.
The new 12-team playoff format introduced last season gives teams like Texas A&M the chance to control their destiny, but any success will need to be earned. ESPN's computer model, which ranks the strength of schedule for every team in college football, placed the Aggies at No. 9, according to The Spun. Texas A&M has challenging road tests against Arkansas, LSU and Texas, along with a non-conference rematch at South Bend, Indiana, against Notre Dame scheduled.
Even with those daunting games awaiting the program this upcoming season, On3 Sports college football analyst J.D. Pickell has the Aggies reaching the playoffs in Elko's second year at the helm:
While Pickell's picks garnered much attention from disgruntled fans, he could have gained a few from Aggieland with his breakdown of this year's roster when he joined "The Paul Finebaum Show" this week.
"I think if you were to give A&M a different logo, there would be a lot more people picking them to be in the College Football Playoff. Marcel Reed is back, he was impressive in flashes last year. The production, that I love, is back on offense. I love their running back room, I love Collin Klein, I love what Mike Elko's about too," Pickell said.
Just days before his guest appearance with Paul Finebaum, Pickell analyzed A&M's schedule and formulated his game-by-game predictions for one of the most difficult schedules in the country.
With the first day of fall camp behind the Aggies, there are still 30 days left until the 2025 roster gives glimpses of their potential this season. Last season left much to be desired, after Texas A&M went 7-1 to begin the 2024 campaign before eventually concluding the year with an 8-5 overall record. The eight-win season in Elko's first year was the first time the program has reached that mark in the win column since 2021.
The return of every starter on the offensive line from last year's squad should help anchor the offense and give sophomore quarterback Marcel Reed time to find talented targets like transfers KC Concepcion (NC State), Mario Craver (Mississippi State) and many more promising athletes in the Aggie wide receiving corps. Texas A&M brings much-needed depth to the table in the secondary this season with transfers Jordan Shaw (Washington) and Julian Humphrey (Georgia) anchoring that unit on defense. Returners like Cashius Howell, Scooby Williams and Will Lee III will bring leadership and experience to the group this season as well.
Only time will tell if Pickell's predictions will come to fruition, as the Aggies are gearing up for the season opener against the Roadrunners, which takes place on Saturday, Aug. 30, at Kyle Field in Bryan-College Station, Texas.
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Dylan on X: @dylanmflippo.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox Sports
6 hours ago
- Fox Sports
2025 NFL, CFB, MLB Best Bets, Predictions By Chris 'The Bear' Fallica
National Football League 2025 NFL, CFB, MLB Best Bets, Predictions By Chris 'The Bear' Fallica Published Aug. 4, 2025 10:21 p.m. ET share facebook x reddit link "Bear Bets" are real wagers that Chris "The Bear" Fallica is actually making. There's something incredibly special about fall sports. Between college football, NFL and MLB postseason, there is fun to be had for all — particularly when it comes to laying a few wagers. That's where I come in. One of the wagers below features Kyle Shanahan, and it's what I believe to be a really solid bet. Let's take a look at where I'm sprinkling my cash this week. Penn State to make the CFP This is my favorite bet in college football this season. No team in the sport is more predictable or trustworthy than Penn State, which usually hammers the teams it is supposed to, and loses to top-five, top-10-type teams. This puts the Nittany Lions at a 10-2 floor, as they have both Oregon and Ohio State on the slate. The Oregon game is at State College, so let's say PSU wins that game. Maybe the game at Iowa is tricky? Potentially lose at Ohio State? That's it. Even the detractors of Drew Allar have to think Penn State is returning to the College Football Playoff behind a powerful running game and elite defense, even without Abdul Carter. Some people do not like laying a price like this, but I have no issue doing so. A 10-2 record and a CFP berth for Penn State — book it. PICK: Penn State (-290) to make the CFP Penn State HC James Franklin on what makes Drew Allar special Kyle Shanahan to win Coach of the Year Just about everything that could go wrong for the 49ers last year did. Injuries to Christian McCaffrey, Trent Williams and others. Blown late leads. It was just one of those years in the Bay after another agonizing Super Bowl loss. There isn't a ton of depth here, but injury luck doesn't tend to repeat itself in consecutive years, meaning expect the Niners to be healthier this season. The schedule is about as easy as could be coming off a 6-11 season, and, with a win total of 10.5, the Niners are supposed to be good. ADVERTISEMENT Robert Saleh returns to San Francisco to coach a defense that has played as if it missed his leadership over the last couple of seasons. Maybe Shanahan doesn't fit the mold of a young head coach or a head coach from a team that's going to surprise, but there's a chance the Niners could post something like 12-5 and win the division, given that schedule, especially if the concerns over Rams QB Matthew Stafford are realized. I just don't get how guys like Aaron Glenn are shorter-priced in this market, given how the Jets are going to win like six games. PICK: Kyle Shanahan (20-1) to win Coach of the Year Clayton McCullough to win NL Manager of the Year Okay, by now we've all made the joke, "Can you name the Marlins manager?" But Clayton McCullough and the Marlins might be getting the last laugh. The former Dodgers first-base coach has Miami on the cusp of a .500 record after sweeping the Yankees. While it might be a little too much to ask him to reach the playoffs given the strength of the current NL wild cards, it's not unreasonable to think he's in the mix for NL Manager of the Year consideration. This has been a lineup and rotation in flux all season and if Miami actually got some decent pitching from Sandy Alcántara in the first half of the season, it might actually have a legit chance at a wild card. Brewers manager Pat Murphy is a big favorite here, and I guess he should be. But in terms of doing more with less, McCullough certainly deserves consideration if the Marlins finish with a winning record. Obviously, I'm late to the party here in terms of the number, but I'll jump in now in case they continue this hot streak. PICK: Clayton McCullough (23-1) to win NL Manager of the Year Chris "The Bear" Fallica has covered sports for nearly three decades. While college football has been his focus, he also enjoys the NFL, Soccer, Golf, Tennis, MLB, NHL and Horse Racing, with an "occasional" wager on such events. Chris recently won the inaugural Circa Football Invitational and finished in the Top 10 of the Golden Nugget Football Contest. He's a multiple-time qualifier for the NHC Handicapping Championship. Remember, "The less you bet, the more you lose when you win!" Follow him on Twitter @ chrisfallica . Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! share
USA Today
7 hours ago
- USA Today
Slight equipment change has former surfer Scarlett Schremmer in contention at U.S. Women's Am
BANDON, Ore. — Scarlett Schremmer hits the ball higher than most amateur golfers. Bandon Dunes is not a place you want to hit the ball high. Winds rushing off the Pacific Ocean cover the spectacular Oregon layout like a blanket, nabbing loosely-hit golf balls and sending them into the crevices of the property. The wind, on a good day, can make a good shot average and a bad shot forgettable. When it's really blowing, it can whisk away any hope for a good round. Schremmer, who grew up a surfer in Hawaii before turning to golf, knew to compete at the 2025 U.S. Women's Amateur, she needed to make a change. So she did. She changed from a Callaway Chrome Tour X+ to a Chrome Tour X during Sunday's practice round, and it's a change that paid dividends Monday. Schremmer shot 3-under 69 on Monday and is one shot off the lead after the first round of stroke play. She'll head out early Tuesday in more benign condition to begin, but with only 18 holes separating her from match play, another strong round will have her in contention for the Robert Cox Trophy. "I kind of struggled it around during the practice round. But I think changing golf balls was a key part, and just having my mom out there," Schremmer said. "I was basically playing the spiniest ball they have, and now I'm right in the middle." The result of the change? Six birdies, three bogeys and a early appearance near the top of the leaderboard for a motivated Schremmer, the incoming freshman at Texas A&M who missed the cut in the U.S. Girls' Junior three weeks ago in Atlanta. At one point in the opening round, Schremmer was tied for the lead at 4 under but had to birdie the last to get in the clubhouse a shot behind. Her last USGA event, the U.S. Girls' Junior, is a tournament that has bugged her since she went home after stroke play. That letdown was no match for her Monday. "The U.S. Girls' Junior definitely was a kind of gut punch," she said. "I felt like I was a pretty main contender going into that week, so it was pretty heartbreaking to leave early. I definitely took it as motivation, and I'm just happy to be here and kind of open a new chapter as I close my junior golf career."
USA Today
9 hours ago
- USA Today
Former Notre Dame QB Steve Angeli praises Riley Leonard, discusses his clutch CFP play
Steve Angeli didn't receive a lot of playing time for Notre Dame last season because Riley Leonard was firmly entrenched as the starting quarterback. For the season, Angeli went 24-of-36 passing for 268 yards and three touchdowns against zero interceptions. But the now Syracuse Orange signal-caller did have an integral part in Notre Dame's run to the College Football Playoff national championship game. During the Orange Bowl CFP semifinal against Penn State, the now Indianapolis Colts rookie Leonard exited the game during the final drive of the second quarter with a possible head injury. Angeli came in to lead a 52-yard scoring drive that featured three third-down conversions and ended in a field goal that cut Notre Dame's deficit to 10-3 entering halftime of an eventual 27-24 Fighting Irish win. Angeli spoke to the local media at Syracuse on Monday about Leonard and that clutch FG drive. "That was the most fun I had playing football last year," Angeli told reporters … "Just having that opportunity was special." It's safe that say that while he didn't get to see the field often in South Bend, he loved his time there. Angeli, who completed 77 percent of his passes for 504 yards with seven touchdowns and one interception in 2023, has two years of eligibility remaining with the Orange. Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes and opinions. Follow Dave on X: Miller_Dave
