Mike Elko isn’t ready to admit it yet but it’s time to move on from Marcel Reed. He’s not just playing poorly, he’s costing Texas A&M from having an otherwise successful season. For what it’s worth, deciding between Brady Hart and a struggling Reed isn’t a great decision to have to make. Either way, Elko can’t continue to play Reed when he’s playing as poorly as he is. He’s hurting this team with his inability to secure the ball. He now has eight interceptions on the season (tied for second most in college football).Â
Reed has not only depleted his NFL Draft stock, but he’s put himself and Elko in an awkward situation. At this point, the only thing left for him to do is transfer and find a team that will take him on, maybe develop him better and officially end his train wrecked career in College Station. Here’s where he could potentially be on the move in the winter.Â
Texas Tech Red Raiders
Texas Tech failed in the transfer portal this past season with Brendan Sorsby. They’re naturally going to overcorrect this year in the transfer portal and it feels like Reed is going to be their guy. It makes sense because he’s a dynamic player that will elevate this Texas Tech offense in a good way. He also would benefit from a really easy schedule in the Big 12. The SEC is clearly a bit of a challenge for him. Though he was able to succeed in 2025, it just kind fell face first this season. In the Big 12, he could get away with some of the problems that uprooted his success.Â
The Red Raiders’ loss to Cincinnati proved that even as good as its defense was, they still need a better quarterback. It just feels inevitable that the Red Raiders will do everything they can to get the 2025 version of Reed and with a weaker conference he just might convince all of us he’s not as bad as we thought he was this season.Â
Tennessee Volunteers
Reed is from Nashville so going back to his home state might not be a bad idea. Tennessee has an interesting quarterback situation with two freshman quarterbacks that clearly have a lot of developing to do. Giving them each a year to grow behind Reed might be intriguing to Josh Heupel. It might be even more intriguing when it comes to maximizing in-state talent. Tennessee’s offense hasn’t looked great and there’s no guarantee that adding a struggling Reed would make a difference.Â
But sometimes all it takes is a change of scenery and a new coach to reinvigorate a struggling quarterback – look at what happened with Conner Weigman at Houston, who Reed replaced at Texas A&M a couple of years ago. I don’t think Reed will be good in the SEC again, but maybe a new team and a better coach for development might be what helps him succeed.Â
Oregon Ducks
Oregon can’t get past this season quick enough. A Dante Moore lingering concussion has Dan Lanning and Co. scrambling for quarterback answers. Neither Dylan Raiola or Brock Thomas have been anything worth keeping around. Like Texas Tech, the Ducks are going to overcorrect with their next quarterback and Reed is their bailout option. The good thing for Lanning is he’s not a development project, though he still has things to work on. The Big Ten isn’t quite the challenge the SEC is, which is why he could be an option that doesn’t backfire.Â
Lanning has to get his next quarterback right if he wants a job after next season. The Ducks get a pass this year because their starter got hurt, but Raiola was supposed to be the incumbent and he has looked horrible too. Lanning might feel obligated to snag Reed out of the portal out of sheer hope he is better in 2027.
Indiana Hoosiers
Curt Cignetti has not been shy about dipping into the transfer portal for his quarterback. Since he’s been at Indiana, he’s snagged Kurtis Roarke, Fernando Mendoza and Josh Hoover out of the portal as his starting quarterbacks each of his first three seasons. Why not dip in and snag Reed? It makes a lot of sense because his staff has been exceptional at quarterback development. Reed isn’t the type of quarterback Cig usually goes after, but he could be intrigued by a big name in the portal.Â
This is probably the least likely of the options listed here, but it’s not out of the question. Reed was once a Heisman candidate and Cignetti might not whiff at the chance to land him, develop him for one season and possibly go on a national championship run.
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