Just when the 2026 season couldn't seem to get any worse for Texas A&M football, the Aggies started with the exact same issues that have plagued them from the beginning. Whether it was quarterback Marcel Reed getting himself caught in the exact same positions that have ruined his draft stock or a defensive meltdown in the fourth quarter, simply nothing worked well long enough to pull off an upset win over Alabama.

The Maroon and White have been plunged into thinking about the 2027 season even before the current one has completed, and now with a bye week before travelling to a reinvigorated South Carolina, there are plenty of questions to be addressed as no identity has been established in five Southeastern Conference games.

But before we can look past the latest defeat, who is up in the latest stock report, and who stands out as the biggest drop? Frankly, not many Aggies flashed against the Crimson Tide apart from the occasional play, but where does head coach Mike Elko's squad sit heading into the break? Let's dive into it.

Stock Down: Marcel Reed

Surely this should not come as a surprise, right? Despite the veteran quarterback contributing his first touchdowns against a ranked opponent for the first time in over four games, it was Reed who buried the Aggies in an impossible situation from the get-go. A stout opening three-and-out forced by the Maroon and White defense was rewarded by a pick-six from Reed on the Aggies' first offensive possession. The following play? Another interception.

Reed stepped it up in the next two periods after his blunders, but once the third quarter arrived, he seemed to revert to the quarterback the Aggie faithful had grown accustomed to: inaccurate and inefficient. A short leash was expected after he struggled against Power 4 competition this year, but with Elko's lack of faith in backup Brady Hart, Reed kept playing and kept the offense at its minimum with his fifth straight sub-200-yard passing game.

One might assume that he started his final game in the Maroon and White as the SEC competition grows more difficult, but don't be surprised if the Nashville native remains the starting quarterback with supposedly no better option between him, Hart and true freshman Helaman Casuga.

Stock Up: Landon Rink, defensive line

One of the Aggies' most underrated players, even in light of a lost season, defensive tackle Landon Rink has embodied the blue-collar mentality that Elko has been trying to bring back to College Station. A true sophomore from nearby Cypress, Texas, Rink had two solo tackles and a sack against the Crimson Tide and has been the most consistent on the defensive line even with its sack numbers being among the lowest in the country.

Defensive tackle DJ Hicks was expected to be the core of the unit, but Rink's fight in the trenches has put him on the map, and he will likely be the premier interior lineman in next year's defensive line. Apart from Rink, the unit as a whole held back the Crimson Tide under 70 yards rushing, with a good chunk of the yardage coming in the final minutes when victory was imminent for the home squad.

Another true sophomore, Marco Jones, picked up half a sack, while A&M held Alabama's offense to just 24 points, but with Reed & Co. unable to move the ball in the second half, their fate was sealed in the final quarter.