QB Marcel Reed’s offseason bonding push as No. 8 Texas A&M eyes more wins

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Marcel Reed takes his role as a Texas A&M captain very seriously and believes building relationships off the field will pay dividends on it.

The senior quarterback says he can name every teammate he’s had in four years with the Aggies and spent the offseason hosting trips and activities for the players.

“Just doing things and making sure we all bond,” he said. “I spend time with everyone on the team, not just the offense to make sure we’re all connected. Because when it all comes down to it, we’re going to need each other.”

After No. 8 Texas A&M reached the College Football Playoff for the first time last season, Reed spent the offseason working on himself and doing everything possible to build chemistry within the team.

While he spent time with the entire team, including at a party with a bounce house, he made a special effort to plan things for the other skill players. They took trips to Florida, Dallas and Houston and he hosted them in his hometown of Nashville where they mixed work and fun.

They worked out and he got some throwing in with them at D1 Training. After their workout, he was thrilled to take everyone to his favorite restaurant, Sunda, where they tried a bit of everything but were wowed by the Korean fried chicken bao buns.

“Being a quarterback, having experience and being older, I think people respect me and also respect my voice,” he said.

Reed hopes that his experience will translate to continued success for him and the Aggies after they opened the season 11-0 before a loss to rival Texas and a 10-3 defeat to Miami in their playoff game. The Aggies had a shot to tie that game against the Hurricanes with less than 30 seconds to go with a third-and-goal from the 5. Reed was picked off to seal Miami’s victory.

He tries not to dwell on that play, but he has studied it so he can make a better decision the next time he’s in a similar position.

The 22-year-old said he believes he’s grown a lot since that loss. He’s studied tons of film, particularly to watch protections and blitzes and to see how he can better direct the rest of the offense to succeed. It’s work that hasn’t gone unnoticed by coach Mike Elko.

“He’s taken the step we hoped he would take,” Elko said. “I think he’s much more comfortable, much more confident, knows the reads, knows what the progressions need to look like. I think his footwork looks cleaner, ball delivery looks cleaner and so (I’m) excited for him.”

Reed threw for 3,169 yards and 25 touchdowns while adding six rushing scores last season. But after throwing a career-high 12 interceptions, including two apiece in Texas A&M’s two losses, he’s focused on taking better care of the ball as he enters his third season as a starter.

“Not make a bad play worse,” he said. “Just taking what they give me and moving on when I need to.”

The Aggies are counting on his experience to steady an offense that returns just one starting lineman from last season and has a first-year coordinator in Holmon Wiggins. Wiggins, who was promoted when Collin Klein left to become the Kansas State coach, knows Reed’s performance will be the key to Texas A&M’s success.

“We’re trying to tailor everything to his skill set,” Wiggins said. “Now you see him doing some stuff and actually taking more command of the offense because there’s more understanding of what it is, and a lot of that comes with experience and also time on the job, so he’s continuing to build confidence through our practices.”

The Aggies open the season Sept. 5 against Missouri State in the first of three straight home games. Reed knows outside expectations are high for his team, but he wants everyone to know that he expects big things, too.

Asked what people should expect from the Aggies this season he paused and smiled before delivering an answer.

“The biggest thing they should expect is wins,” he said.

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