Texas A&M picked up its fourth win of the season Saturday afternoon, defeating The Citadel 41-0 and finishing the first half with a nearly flawless offensive performance after scoring four touchdowns on all four drives. In his seventh start of the season, redshirt junior quarterback Marcel Reed completed 8/13 for 130 yards and a touchdown pass to freshman WR Aaron Gregory.

Backup quarterback Brady Hart was equally impressive, throwing a touchdown to Gregory and looking more poised in the pocket, delivering accurate strikes downfield. Still, facing an undersized Citadel team will make most SEC quarterbacks look good, so take this with a grain of salt.

Marcel Reed, despite his consistent struggles in the pocket, looked very comfortable, making good decisions in the passing game, which could signal cleaner play moving forward, but this writer isn't completely confident.

Texas A&M's defense was nearly perfect, aside from giving up nearly 150 rushing yards, but a shutout is still impressive, no matter the opponent. The Aggies will head to Tuscaloosa to face Alabama next Saturday afternoon, and the hope is that this win gives the team at least some momentum.

Here are five key takeaways from Texas A&M's shutout win over The Citadel.

Texas A&M's running back room provides plenty of hope

Texas A&M racked up 264 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, averaging 6.5 yards per carry, led by sophomore Jamarion Morrow's three touchdowns and freshman RB KJ Edwards' career-high 116 yards, averaging a blistering 8.9 yards per carry.

KJ Edwards should continue to start and trade reps with Jamarion Morrow and fellow freshman Carsyn Baker for the rest of the season, since Rueben Owens hasn't regained his explosive running ability this season. The future is bright in the backfield, and KJ Edward might just be the most talented freshman back Mike Elko has ever had.

Over the next six weeks of SEC play, Marcel Reed will likely continue to start, so OC Holmon Wiggins will focus on the Edwards-led rushing attack and use Marcel Reed's legs. Looking ahead to next season, Edwards, Morrow, and Baker look like your next three-headed monster.

Freshman WR Aaron Gregory is an electric playmaker on the rise, and sophomore TK Norman is highly reliable

With wide receivers Mario Craver and Ashton Bethel-Roman out, freshman Aaron Gregory stepped up, leading the Aggies with 94 yards and two touchdowns, including a 37-yard score on a solid throw from Marcel Reed.

Gregory entered the program as a blue-chip prospect with NFL traits, and given the lack of juice in the passing game this season, the chance he's received to play more snaps has resulted in impressive play; combined with sophomore and fellow Alabama native TK Norman, Texas A&M's future wide receiver rotation isn't lacking talent.

It's also notable that Gregory and Norman reeled in nearly every target that came their way, while Norman's impressive sideline catch, keeping one foot inbounds to extend the drive, should result in playing more snaps with five regular-season games remaining.

Texas A&M's defense accomplished its goal against a lesser opponent, posting two shutouts in one season for the first time since 1993

For the second time this season, Texas A&M's defense posted a shutout, this time led by safety Tawfiq Byard's seven tackles and 1.5 TFLs, while defensive end Sam M'Pemba recorded four tackles and half a tackle for loss. The defense limited a one-dimensional Citadel offense to 43 passing yards and 140 rushing yards, which won't impress most Aggie fans given the program's struggles this season.

However, under Mike Elko and first-year defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill, the secondary looks improved in coverage, and the run defense has done a better job cutting down on explosive gains. Freshman linebacker Tamarion Watkins recorded four tackles and was flying all over the field, while freshman defensive end Tristian Givens also posted four tackles.

Backup QB Brady Hart looked improved, but is he good enough to start?

Backup QB Brady Hart played all but a couple of snaps in the second half, completing 8/12 for 107 yards and a touchdown, as the former air-raid high school standout entered the season as an intriguing option barring Marcel Reed sustaining an injury.

However, Marcel Reed's poor play this season has led most Aggie fans to wonder why Mike Elko wouldn't bench Reed for Hart, a former Michigan commit who flipped to the Aggies before the 2025 season. From what I saw today, Hart has more zip on his throws and is a more natural passer than Marcel Reed, but he lacks experience against SEC fronts and coverages.

After Marcel Reed's solid, but expected, efficiency against an undersized Citadel defense, it's clear that Elko will ride with his veteran starter during next Saturday's road test against Alabama. However, if Reed's SEC struggles continue, trusting Brady Hart might be the only option this season.

Texas A&M's next five SEC games will determine Mike Elko's offseason decisions

Everyone wants to talk about Marcel Reed's future with the program, but I'm here to tell you Mike Elko has a long list of concerns to address beyond QB, including wide receiver, the defensive line, and first-year OC Holmon Wiggins' future.

If Texas A&M's offense plays much cleaner moving forward, winning three, or possibly four, more games isn't out of the realm of possibility, but it will depend on Marcel Reed and the offensive line playing their best football late in the season.

If things completely fall apart, and the Aggies finish with four or five wins, a complete overhaul on offense could be in the works, as Elko and the higher-ups in Texas A&M Athletics will have to spend a lot of money in the transfer portal for a veteran QB with NFL upside, and do a better job of replacing veteran starters on both sides of the ball.