The 2025 spring football program 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 by 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 affecting players such as Marcel Reed, whose dynamic mobility was restricted.
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Despite these hurdles, the was a success. It showcased several key performances and positive developments. Numerous players demonstrated their potential before Texas A&M's regular-season kickoff against UTSA on Aug. 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 from the annual Maroon & White Game.
Marco Jones is the real deal
True freshman defensive end Marco Jones, a former four-star prospect, showed why he was named the 2023 Cal-Hi State Junior of the Year. The two-sport star lived in the backfield all game, making the offensive 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 receivers, the Aggies had to hit the portal to add veterans to the talented but young position group. The Aggies added KC Concepcion and Mario Craver. 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. After the game, A&M fans are excited about what this pair can produced when 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 great deal 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 sharp with a limited playbook
This is where most of the overreacting happened after the spring game. Reed admittedly did not look sharp, but he had two major things working against him. First, pocket protection was hit or miss all day, with the misses taking the forefront. Second, all the defense had to do was get close or touch the quarterback for a play to get called dead. Those rules essentially took away his ability to run the ball. Despite that, he had a solid outing, going 18 of 28 for 213 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
The defense for both teams looked in midseason form
Given that these games tend to skew a little more toward the defense, the unit took full advantage of the makeshift offensive lines and quarterback safety rules. The defense combined for 12 sacks, but the rules inflated that number. They also had 17 tackles for loss, two interceptions and held the rushers to fewer than 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
