Texas A&M’s 2025 season should be considered historic despite its disappointing finish, as second-year head coach Mike Elko made significant progress after starting 11-0 for the first time since 1993, while the early road win over Notre Dame sparked the Aggies into College Football Playoff consideration, eventually earning their first spot in the postseason tournament since its inception.
Led by starting quarterback Marcel Reed’s career high 3,192 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, and over 400 rushing yards and six scores, Texas A&M’s offense, aided by the additions of star transfer wide receivers KC Concepcion and Mario Craver, who combined for over 1,800 yards and 13 touchdowns, completely altered the play calling for offensive coordinator Collin Klein.
Advertisement
On the ground, the midseason loss of senior running back Le’Veon Moss led to a balanced share of the backfield snaps, as redshirt sophomore Rueben Owens finished the year with a career high 639 yards and five touchdowns, but struggled to gain more than 40-plus yards over the last three games.
On defense, senior edge Cashius Howell led the way with 11.5 sacks, and was named a unanimous All-American, capping off an impressive two-year career in College Station, while the rest of the A&M defensive line, including defensive tackles Albert Regis, DJ Hicks, Tyler Onyedim, and veteran pass rusher Dayon Hayes, all made a collective impact, combining for 43 sacks, ranked second nationally.
While Mike Elko and his staff are already in offseason mode after signing 17 transfers paired with the 2026 signing class, Pro Football Focus released its annual Top 101 college football players list after Indiana defeated Miami in the National Title Game on Monday, placing a final cap on the 2025 season.
Interestingly enough, four Texas A&M players made the rankings, which is the most among any team in the rankings, while three of the four listed, linebacker Taurean York, Cashius Howell, and KC Concepcoin, are headed to the NFL next season after declaring for the 2026 Draft.
Advertisement
Here is what PFF’s Max Chadwick had to say about each player’s selection in the rankings:
LB Taurean York (No. 62)
York has been a leader of Texas A&M’s defense since arriving as a true freshman in 2023 and capped his junior season with his best year yet. He ranked third among all linebackers in America in PFF wins above average and earned a 90.8 PFF coverage grade, second among Power Four linebackers.
WR Mario Craver (No. 67)
Craver built on a strong true freshman campaign at Mississippi State in 2024 and emerged as a star after transferring to Texas A&M this season. His 82.6 PFF receiving grade was tied for the best in the SEC, while his 3.26 yards per route run ranked third among Power Four receivers. Entering his junior year, Craver is firmly established as one of the premier wideouts in college football.
WR KC Concepcion (No. 76)
Concepcion captured the Paul Hornung Award as the nation’s most versatile player, and the production backs it up. The projected first-round pick led all SEC wide receivers in receptions resulting in either a first down or a touchdown (48), while his 84.2 return grade ranked second among all Power Four players after he returned two punts for scores.
Edge Cashius Howell (No. 82)
Howell was one of the SEC’s most productive pass-rushers this season. The projected first-round pick recorded 12 sacks, tied for the fifth most nationally, and earned a 90.3 PFF pass-rush grade that ranked 20th among all edge defenders.
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.
This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Four Texas A&M players make Pro Football Focus’s 101 player rankings
