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Greg McElroy Names Quiet SEC Contender Flying Under the Radar
Greg McElroy Names Quiet SEC Contender Flying Under the Radar originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The win totals for every SEC team have been released, with the Georgia Bulldogs, Alabama Crimson Tide and Texas Longhorns emerging as the favorites to win the conference. All three teams have a predicted win total of 9.5 games for the upcoming season, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
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Following them are the LSU Tigers, Ole Miss Rebels and Tennessee Volunteers, with a forecasted total of 8.5 wins each. Notably absent from the top six are the Texas A&M Aggies, who finished with an 8-5 record in the first year under head coach Mike Elko. The Aggies have a win prediction set at 7.5 for the 2025 season.
The 8-5 season represented progress following 7-6 and 5-7 campaigns, which ultimately led to the firing of Jimbo Fisher. Although the improvement was encouraging, it was bittersweet. The Aggies started the season strong with a 7-1 record but stumbled to a 1-4 finish. One of those losses came against Texas in the final game of the season, where the Aggies fell 17-7, despite having a chance to secure a spot in the SEC Championship Game.
Despite the disappointing end to the season, ESPN's Greg McElroy expressed optimism on his radio show, "McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning," stating that there is reason to believe the Aggies could compete for the SEC title in 2025.
Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Lysaker-Imagn Images
"Then finally Texas A&M," McElroy said. "You are going to say, 'C'mon, they are always 8-4, Greg.' Well, I actually think they are one of the few teams, by the way, returning a quarterback this year. There aren't many that are. They are. Marcel Reed is back. Mike Elko's second year. You can expect a possible second-year bump."
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McElroy mentioned Texas A&M's returning quarterback, Marcel Reed. After stepping in for starter Connor Weigman, Reed threw for 1,864 yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also demonstrated his impressive running ability, rushing for 543 yards and scoring seven touchdowns at an average of 4.7 yards per carry.
McElroy acknowledged that some key players on the defensive line will not be with Texas A&M this season, but he said he still believes they will perform well defensively. The players missing are Shemar Stewart, Shemar Turner, Nic Scourton and Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy. However, McElroy thinks the Aggies have a strong and deep running back room.
He is optimistic about some of the new additions at wide receiver and considers the offensive line to be one of the best in the league. Additionally, he believes the Aggies' schedule is not overly challenging.
McElroy thinks Texas A&M has the potential to be a real sleeper team in 2025, noting that not many people are discussing them. The Aggies will kick off their season against the University of Texas at San Antonio Roadrunners at 7 p.m. ET on Aug. 30.
Related: Paul Finebaum Names Major SEC Team That Had a 'Miserable' End to the Season
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
