Marcel Reed represents the biggest challenge for the Texas defense versus Texas A&M

Raise your hand if you pictured Marcel Reed under center when Texas faces Texas A&M way back in the preseason. Now that the vast majority of readers have kept their hands at their sides, it’s time to talk about the elusive youngster with the weight of College Station on his shoulders heading into the most important matchup the state has seen in 13 years.

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Reed was On3’s No. 3 quarterback in the 2023 class, but after a singular redshirt year, the Nashville product is commanding the offense of a top-25 team. Reed has seven full games of play under his belt, four of which have come against SEC opponents. This year, he’s 105-for-175 for 1426 yards, 12 touchdowns, and three interceptions.

Reed is also a standout on the ground with his dual-threat ability being the biggest scare for head coach Steve Sarkisian ahead of Saturday’s game. He has rushed 93 times for 441 yards and six touchdowns.

“Legitimate dual-threat quarterback. They do a nice job schematically,” Sarkisian said. “(Offensive coordinator) Collin Klein, coming from Kansas State and going there now, very detailed offensive system. They’ve got all the normal run game. They’ve got all the zone read run game we’ve seen in year’s past, quarterback runs. They’ve got the passing game. This guy has electric quickness and speed, and is a real weapon.”

Against LSU with starter Conner Weigman benched, Reed helped lead a 31-point second half, eventually topping the Tigers in College Station 38-23. In that game, Reed threw just two passes, but with a mix of designed and off-script runs, the freshman rushed for 62 yards and three touchdowns. On the entire year, Reed has run for 266 yards and five touchdowns against SEC opponents on 4.6 yards per carry.

Reed’s dual-threat ability, as highlighted by Sarkisian, allows for Klein to get creative on offense. Texas has dealt with Klein for almost a decade, most recently when he was the offensive coordinator for Kansas State in 2022 and 2023.

Now in College Station, Klein does a great job of working from a variety of formations, showing defenses condensed 12 personnel looks and then lining up five-wide on the next play. It is actually very reminiscent of Sarkisian’s game plan, getting the team’s best playmakers out into space.

The difference between the teams in this game, however, is that A&M’s biggest playmaker is probably Reed himself. Running back Reuben Owens, the assumed starter, was hurt in the pre-season, and star replacement Le’Veon Moss sustained a season-ending injury against South Carolina. Amari Daniels has been a pleasant surprise filling in, but Texas probably has four or five receivers with more open-field ability than A&M’s best.

Klein will work to get Reed into 1-on-1 situations, allowing him the opportunity to make a defender miss. This has worked against many teams and is part of the reason why A&M has been in the 83rd percentile or better in red zone success rate in Reed’s last three SEC starts.

“I think that’s why their red zone numbers are so good because when they get down there, you have to defend him running the ball as well as throwing the ball,” Sarkisian said. “I think they’ve tailored an offense around him to his skill set that makes them and makes him, in particular, difficult to defend.”

Thankfully for Texas, the Longhorns have already been tested by running quarterbacks this year. Diego Pavia and Taylen Green are arguably the two best dual threats in the SEC, and the Longhorns were mostly successful against both. Green was held to under 200 combined yards, and while Pavia was a bit more successful on the ground, Texas limited him to 143 passing yards and intercepted him twice.

This will be another big test for the Longhorn linebackers. A&M has an offensive line that can help isolate Reed in space, or give him holes that will need to be filled quickly. One of the most volatile players in this game is the edge rusher Colin Simmons. In games against more stationary quarterbacks, Simmons has thrived. But the freshman registered zero pressures against Pavia and struggled in the run game against Arkansas.

Simmons is just one piece of the puzzle, however, and Texas has the personnel to force Reed to beat them deep downfield (Reed is third in the SEC in average depth of target). Other athletic freaks include Anthony Hill, arguably the best side-to-side tackler in the nation, as well as Barryn Sorrell and Trey Moore, two guys who have played their best ball when asked to set the edge and play the option game.

Even though Texas probably possesses the best defense in the nation, there are some points of volatility that could allow Reed to succeed. Liona Lefau and David Gbenda have had a split at linebacker, with Lefau solidifying himself as a starter in the last six games. But the Hawaii product has been shaky in recent weeks. Gbenda has played just 10 snaps between the Arkansas and Kentucky games.

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No matter who is in at linebacker or off the edge, Texas’ challenge is with Reed, and his playstyle directly fits what Klein does best: drawing defenses in with the option to allow for the strong arm to take the top off the defense. He represents the biggest obstacle for the Longhorn defense on Saturday trying to clinch a spot in Atlanta for the SEC Championship.