Lane Kiffin’s move from Ole Miss to LSU on a massive $91 million deal drew plenty of criticism in Oxford. But in today’s college football landscape, that kind of money can pull almost any long-term coach away. Interestingly, Texas A&M star quarterback Marcel Reed seemed to understand that. His reaction gave Kiffin an opening to try to lure him to LSU. That’s when former Aggies legend Johnny Manziel stepped in and shut it down.

During his December 11 appearance on Outta Pocket with Robert Griffin III, Marcel Reed didn’t sugarcoat his reaction to Lane Kiffin leaving Ole Miss. “It was bound to happen,” the Aggies quarterback said. “Shoot, if $91 million for seven years was in front of my face, I wouldn’t pass it up.” Kiffin jumped on the clip immediately, reposting it with the caption: “#ComeToTheBoot @RGIII Great offense for a QB!!!.” But Johnny Manziel wasn’t having it. He fired back with his own repost: “My brotha @Marcel10Reed owns the boot. We’ll see ya next year though.”

The jab instantly brings back the sting of October 26, when the Aggies shredded LSU in a 45–29 win. Marcel Reed owned the second half in that game. Down 18–14 at halftime, Texas A&M came out blazing, scoring on its first three drives and adding a punt-return touchdown to break things wide open. Reed led the charge with four total touchdowns (two passing, two rushing) and more than 300 yards of offense, including 202 through the air and 108 on the ground.

A&M’s defense slammed the door just as hard, holding LSU to only 14 yards in the third quarter. Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier never recovered and got sacked seven times. With a machine like Reed, who powered the Aggies to their first top-four playoff appearance, A&M isn’t letting him go anytime soon. Manziel is counting on that and is expecting the same dominance next season when the Aggies face the Tigers under new head coach Kiffin on September 26.

Additionally, Reed has cleared his intentions for the next season on the same show. “I’m coming back,” Reed said. “I’ll be back.” This might be a major setback to Kiffin’s attempt to lure Reed to Baton Rouge. Kiffin is already busy trying to rebuild his roster at LSU for next season. He’s got plenty of work ahead, but recruiting and pulling talent from the transfer portal shouldn’t be too hard with the Tigers’ blue-blood appeal. One big shift, though: veteran quarterback Garrett Nussmeier won’t play in the Texas Bowl against Houston, officially ending his LSU career.

The Aggies’ 2026 slate is out

The Aggies open with a favorable three‑game home matchup. They host Missouri State, Arizona State, and Kentucky at Kyle Field. The Bears and Sun Devils give A&M a chance to fine‑tune a playoff‑level roster while satisfying the SEC’s new guideline of playing at least one Power 4 nonconference opponent. Getting Kentucky at home in Week 3 means a winnable SEC opener. It will carry real divisional and playoff seeding weight.

From there, the schedule tightens a bit. A September trip to LSU, followed by home dates with Arkansas and a road swing to Missouri. It will test A&M’s ability to handle physical, line‑of‑scrimmage games in succession. The Aggies also scooch in a third nonconference game against The Citadel in mid‑October. It’ll be a classic blowout that sits awkwardly between SEC gauntlet weeks. A road game at Alabama then looms as it’s A&M’s first visit to Tuscaloosa since 2022.

Where the schedule truly earns its ‘challenging’ label is the final five weeks. After Alabama, A&M gets a Halloween bye, then faces consecutive games at South Carolina, home against Tennessee, at Oklahoma, and finally Texas at Kyle Field on Black Friday. The November trips to Norman and the rivalry showdown with Texas carry national‑brand weight in the 12‑team CFP era.

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