The 2025 spring football program has ended with the annual Texas A&M Maroon & White Game, which the White team won 19-7 on Saturday afternoon at Kyle Field.
Spring game evaluations can be challenging due to the format and the degree to which coaches are willing to reveal strategies during a televised game. These limitations often lead to overreactions from fans, who might not grasp the intricacies of each play or the specific aspects coaches are targeting for player development. The rules of such games often favor defenses, particularly impacting players like Marcel Reed, whose dynamic mobility was restricted.
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Despite these hurdles, the Maroon & White Game was a success, showcasing several key performances and positive developments. Numerous players demonstrated their potential before Texas A&M’s regular season kickoff against UTSA on August 30. Marco Jones’s standout defensive prowess, the wide receiver duo of KC Concepcion and Mario Craver’s insights into offensive line depth, and the upcoming season’s optimism were a source of optimism.
Below are five key takeaways after the annual Maroon & White Game.
Marco Jones is the real deal
The former 4-star true freshman defensive end Marco Jones showed why named the 2023 Cal-Hi State Junior of the Year. The two-sport star lived in the backfield all game long, making the tackles live a nightmare every snap. He finished the game with a staggering five sacks and six tackles for loss. With his size and speed off the edge, he will no doubt get quality snaps during the 2025 football season
KC Concepcion and Mario Craver are as advertised
After losing several wide receiver players, the Aggies had to hit the portal to find a few veteran replacements to add to the talented but young position. The Aggies added Concepcion and Craver, who both bring speed and elite yards-after-catches ability. During the spring game, the pair proved Elko right when they combined for 12 catches for 142 yards. Post-spring game, A&M fans are excited about what this pair can bring once combined with Terry Bussey and the tight ends.
The offensive line depth is deep but still needs some work
This is almost unfair because a massive part of offensive line play is the cohesiveness of a unit. Today, we did not see the starting lineup that will take the field when the 2025 football season starts. We saw a lot of rotation among several talented players who don’t have experience playing together. It showed in the running and passing games with the line’s interior breaking down multiple times throughout the day.
Marcel Reed was not as sharp with a limited playbook
This is where most of the overreacting happened after the spring game. Reed admittedly did not look as sharp as, but he had two major things working against him. The pocket protection was hit and miss all day, with the misses taking the forefront. Two – since all the defense had to do was get close or touch the quarterback for a play to get called dead, it essentially took away his ability to run the ball. With that, he had a solid outing, going 18-28 for 213 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
The defense for both teams looked in mid-season form
Given that these games tend to skew a little more towards the defense, they took full advantage of the makeshift offensive lines and quarterback safety rules. The defense combined for 12 sacks, but because of the rules, that number is inflated by a few. They also had 17 TFLs, two interceptions, and held the rushers under three yards per carry. Now is not the time to crown them the ’85 Bears, but it’s a good starting point as they head into the summer.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M football: Five takeaways from the Maroon & White game
