Texas A&M’s 2025 regular season came to an abrupt end after losing to Miami (FL) 10-3 in the first round of the College Football Playoff, as starting quarterback Marcel Reed struggled in the pocket, throwing for 237 yards and two interceptions, while his seven turnovers since Texas A&M’s comeback win over South Carolina have created more questions than answers heading into the offseason.
However, Reed’s poor play wasn’t the only reason the Aggies faltered down the stretch, as Texas A&M’s poor run defense, which allowed Miami running back Mark Fletcher to run for 172 yards, averaging 10 yards per carry, consistently gashing the A and B gaps, which has been an issue throughout the regular season.
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This problem should be fixed with better coaching and personnel changes, and with Elijah Robinson set to return to the coaching staff, likely serving as co-defensive coordinator alongside Tony Jerod-Eddie, with Sean Spencer now headed to Virginia Tech. Robinson’s elite recruiting and development background, paired with his familiarity with head coach Mike Elko, makes him a perfect and much-needed addition heading into the 2026 offseason.
Set to be hired this week, Robinson will be tasked with helping recruit defensive linemen from the transfer portal. On Sunday, it was revealed that Tulane all-conference DL Trevon McAlpine plans to enter the portal as soon as it opens on January 2. Given the future departures along the line of scrimmage, this could be a great fit.
During his final season with Tulane, McAlpine recorded 35 tackles, a sack, two tackles for loss, and seven pressures, and finished with an efficient 68.2 run defense grade (Pro Football Focus).
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M should pursue former Tulane transfer DL Trevon McAlpine
