Head coach Marcus Freeman and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are set to kick off their 2025 college football season against the Miami Hurricanes on Sunday night. Hard Rock Stadium promises to be electric for the battle between two top-10 ranked teams. It’s a great way to kick off the season. 

While this Notre Dame team is focused solely on head coach Mario Cristobal and the Miami team, they aren’t the only talented program they will see in the near future. The very next game, Week Three, the Irish will be hosting Texas A&M in South Bend for the home opener. Head coach Mike Elko and the Aggies will be hoping for some payback from last season. 

That matchup may be a couple of weeks away, but Texas A&M is already preparing for its first week matchup against UTSA. After talking to as many people as I possibly can around the Aggie program, I’ve collected as much intel as I possibly could on this team. Here is who folks around the program are excited about, and the questions that still remain. 

The conversation will always start with Aggie quarterback Marcel Reed. He took over late last season, and there were mixed results that followed. Reed is a really tremendous athlete (just go watch the LSU game), but improvements as a passer were needed going into the offseason. From the sounds of it, the returns have been a mixed bag so far. 

When speaking with an NFL scout who went through College Station recently, he came away impressed with the A&M squad in general, but Reed’s throwing skills left him wanting a lot more. The saving grace for Reed, in case there isn’t a massive improvement as a passer, is that he does fit the offense that offensive coordinator Collin Klein ideally wants to run. His legs are a big help for raising his floor as a player. 

Even with the underwhelming review for Reed, the pass catchers for the Aggies have reportedly done exceedingly well. They have been even better than some people in the program expected. Former NC State standout Kevin “KC” Concepcion played mostly in the slot for the Wolfpack, but I get the feeling that he will move around a lot more this season. He is expected to be a dynamic weapon.

Former Mississippi State transfer Mario Craver has also impressed with his speed and quickness so far. He should make a ton of big plays for the Aggie offense. Add in the fact that running back Le’Veon Moss is healthy, and this skill position for Texas A&M should be very much improved. Combine that with a really good offensive line, and this could be one of the more improved offenses in college football, at least that’s what some believe. 

On defense, the defensive end position surprisingly has a lot of people excited. After losing Nic Scourton and Shemar Stewart to the NFL this offseason, you would think that position would be in a tougher place. The player making the most noise is Cashius Howell, who flashed some great moments in his first year with the program a year ago. 

That same scout I mentioned before raved about Howell, and the physical development he has gone through over the last few months. Not only is he gaining the attention of the NFL, but there are some who believe that the former Bowling Green transfer could be a breakout star nationally this fall. He is playing at such a high level that one source even predicted he will win the SEC Defensive Player of the Year award this season. 

Notre Dame fans are probably still familiar with the name Marco Jones, a defensive recruit from the 2025 class out of California. The Irish were in a good spot early on, but chose to cool on Jones during the process. Since getting to College Station, Jones has continuously been turning heads. That included a four-sack performance during the spring game. 

Junior Rylan Kennedy has also had some nice moments this offseason as well. The depth of that group should be considerably better than a year ago. 

One name that many probably aren’t super familiar with is safety Dalton Brooks. A former top recruit, Brooks had some nice flashes in 2024 as a sophomore. There is some belief behind the scenes that he is going to absolutely explode as a junior. Brooks is considered one of the most natural athletes on the entire Aggie roster. Along with cornerback Will Lee, this A&M secondary could end up being one of the most underrated groups in the country.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish News

The Miami Hurricanes have an advantage that Notre Dame football will need to find an answer to heading into the season opener 

Miami has an advantage over Notre Dame they need to find an answer to

Ryan Roberts