Texas A&M QB Marcel Reed Featured On This Week’s Heisman Podcast
Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed is the featured guest on this week’s Official Heisman Trophy Podcast. Listen to the full conversation here. Episodes and clips of The Official Heisman Trophy Podcast are available on all major podcast networks, including Spotify and Apple, as well on YouTube and TikTok.
Texas A&M’s 8–0 start has pulled the Aggies into rarefied air for the first time since 1992, and sophomore quarterback Marcel Reed is the steady flame at the center of it. He’s accounted for 1,972 passing yards and 17 touchdowns, adding 349 rushing yards and six more scores—production that mirrors his personality: composed, competitive, and relentlessly efficient.
He talked all about it on this week’s Heisman Trophy Podcast.
After last weekend’s 49–25 win at LSU, Reed didn’t dwell on history; he pointed to habits.
“It feels amazing,” he said, “but it’s no surprise to us that we are where we are. There’s still a lot in front of us that we have to build on.”
In Baton Rouge, that building came after a blunt halftime assessment. Down 18–14, the message inside the locker room was simple: execution.
“We knew we were the better team,” Reed said. “All the good things they had came from negative things we did to ourselves. We made adjustments, then came out—big kick return by Terry Bussey, drive-score, defense gets a stop, drive-score again, then a punt return. Things went really well once we settled down and played our game.”
What’s striking is how comfortable Reed is on the road. Three of A&M’s marquee wins have come in hostile venues—Death Valley and Notre Dame Stadium among them—and Reed embraces the noise.
“I love playing on the road,” he said. “Wearing white, playing in somebody else’s environment, hearing them loud when I’m on the field and quiet when we get in the end zone—that juices me up.”
Reed’s weekly calibration happens with an OC who’s been on the Heisman stage. Colin Klein, a dual-threat star during his Kansas State days, debriefs with Reed every Sunday.
“He tells me that if I ever need anything with the media stuff and how to handle it, I can come to him,” Reed said. “But none of this is important until it’s important. We still have four regular-season games. That’s my focus.”
Klein has already said Reed is “absolutely” a Heisman candidate; Reed hears the noise without letting it in.
“I’ve seen it,” he admitted, “but I’ve got to keep putting good games out there and keep winning. We’ve got Missouri next. That’s what we’re focusing on.”
The mentorship tree extends to Texas A&M’s most famous modern quarterback. Johnny Manziel connected with Reed after fall camp, offering tips on specific throws and how he synced with Mike Evans.
“He calls me just about every week after games to congratulate me,” Reed said. “Tells me to keep the boys rolling and keep being a leader. It’s pretty cool.”
Reed grinned when informed he’s 2–0 against LSU—better than Manziel’s mark.
“I didn’t know that,” he laughed. “Maybe I’ll bring it up next time.”
If there’s a narrative about being overlooked out of Nashville, Reed shrugs it off.
“I never cared about where I was placed,” he said. “The schools that gave me an opportunity—I took one here at Texas A&M, and it worked out pretty well.”
The flip from Ole Miss to College Station was, at heart, a family decision.
“My dad was born in Marshall, my sister’s from Texas, and a lot of family lives in Dallas,” he said. “Christmas in Texas my whole life—this is a second home. I felt comfortable with the staff and our ’23 class. We bonded that first visit and we’ve been brothers since.”
His father, a former college head coach, remains Reed’s compass.
“He gave me more on the defensive side—identifying coverages, how to read things, how to draw on the board in meetings,” Reed said. “Now he’s turned more into a dad. He keeps my head on straight and reminds me there’s a lot of room for improvement.”
The NIL era has introduced Reed to some surreal moments—like an acting class with Terry Crews for Sonic.
“It was pretty hard not to laugh,” Reed admitted. “There were like five or six takes where I couldn’t hold it in. He’s one of the funniest people I’ve ever met. His mannerisms are insane.”
On game day, Reed’s meticulousness shows up in unlikely places—namely, the laundry. He has a game-day superstition: a pair of Bob Ross PSD underwear with the motto “no mistakes, just happy accidents.”
“They’re washed every week,” he emphasized, recalling a road-trip scramble at LSU. “I had to wash them in the hotel sink and air-dry them on a hanger. They didn’t dry all the way, so I put them on the iron Saturday morning.”
Ritual or not, the results have been anything but accidental.
There’s room for some flair, too. Hidden talents?
“I can juggle and play the saxophone,” he said, gamely acknowledging he’s working up from three balls to four. And the message to Aggieland?
“12th Man, we love you and appreciate your support. Keep showing out.”
National talk will keep swirling, but Reed’s not chasing trophies—he’s chasing standards.
“I don’t think any trophy will make me more competitive,” he said. “I’m already trying to reach something really high—SEC and national championships. If my play gets me one of those trophies, I’ll be satisfied.”
For now, the road calls again—with a composed quarterback who seems to play his best when the crowd goes quiet.
