Texas A&M football fans, go ahead and circle April 18, 2026, on your calendars. The Aggies have announced their annual Maroon and White Game at Kyle Field.
This intrasquad scrimmage wraps up their spring practice schedule and kicks off at 1 p.m. It’s a chance to get an early look at the new roster and see how the team’s shaping up for the coming season.
Admission? Totally free. Details about parking and fan activities will drop as the date gets closer, so keep an eye out.
Spring Practice Schedule and Key Dates
The Maroon and White Game marks the 15th and final spring practice for the Aggies. Texas A&M’s spring schedule is packed, with 14 other practices before the big day.
Practice starts March 20, then follows with sessions on March 22, March 24, March 26, March 28, March 31, April 2, April 4, April 7, April 9, April 11, April 14, April 16, and April 17. These practices matter—a lot—especially as the team brings in new faces and works under head coach Mike Elko.
Roster Changes and New Additions
It’s a big year for changes. The Aggies are replacing 15 starters and 20 other scholarship players from last season.
That includes 21 players with expired eligibility, 11 who hit the transfer portal, and three juniors off to the 2026 NFL Draft. On the flip side, they’ve brought in 42 scholarship newcomers.
That group features 25 of the 26 freshmen from the 2026 signing class and all 17 transfers who arrived last month. Four-star tight end Evan Jacobson? He’ll join the team in June.
Transfer Portal Success
The Aggies haven’t been shy about using the transfer portal. During the most recent window (January 2–16), Texas A&M added 18 transfers and lost 11 scholarship players—a net gain of seven.
Half of these new additions are on defense: five defensive linemen or edge rushers, two linebackers, a cornerback, and a safety.
Key Defensive Additions
The top portal pick-up is Tennessee cornerback Rickey Gibson III. He was the No. 1 player at his position and a top-50 portal player overall.
Gibson missed most of last year with an upper body injury, but he’s expected to make a real difference. Head coach Mike Elko seems pretty optimistic about his fit and talent.
There’s also linebacker Ray Coney from Tulsa. Coney put up 129 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, two passes defended, and a forced fumble in 12 games last season.
He was the second-highest graded linebacker transfer this offseason, according to Pro Football Focus. Elko pointed out that having a seasoned linebacker like Coney is huge, especially with younger talents like Noah Mikhail and Jordan Lockhart on the roster.
Building on Last Season’s Success
The Aggies are coming off an 11-2 season and a 7-1 record in SEC play under head coach Mike Elko. Last year, Texas A&M made its first-ever College Football Playoff appearance—a pretty big deal for the program.
Experience and Expectations
Elko thinks the playoff experience will pay off moving forward. Players like Rickey Gibson, who made the playoffs with Tennessee, and Isaiah Horton and Wilkin Formby, who were part of Alabama’s CFP run, add a lot of experience.
He’s betting that this mix of seasoned transfers and new talent will make practices more competitive and raise the bar for everyone.
Elko said, *For us to become the program we wanted to be, there are certain check marks that we had to hit as a program that we just haven’t done. Certainly getting invited into the playoffs, being part of the playoffs, playing for SEC Championship Game opportunities down the stretch. We haven’t done any of those things. The fact that we’re doing them now, that was always going to be the first step we had to take before we became the program everyone wanted to see us become.*
Looking Ahead to the 2026 Season
Texas A&M opens the 2026 season against Missouri State on September 5 at Kyle Field. The coaching staff, fresh off another top 10 recruiting class, has been hustling to make smart portal additions.
They’re clearly trying to keep the momentum rolling and stay competitive after last season’s leap forward.
Final Thoughts
The Maroon and White Game on April 18 is almost here, and fans are buzzing. It’s always interesting to see how the Aggies look with so many roster changes on deck.
There are some big names joining from the transfer portal, which could shake things up. The foundation from last season still feels solid, so expectations are high—maybe even a little too high?
If you’re curious or just can’t get enough Aggie football news, keep an eye on GigEm247 for updates and offseason stories. It’s shaping up to be a wild ride.
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