Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham already knows the challenge his defense will face versus Texas A&M on Saturday. While the week of preparation is just beginning, the Sun Devils coach was frank when asked how he planned to defend against Reed and the Aggies’ offense.
The answer, wasn’t the one you’d expect.
“Pray,” Dillingham said jokingly. “But no, he’s a really good player. He’s athletic, but what people don’t give him credit for is he has unbelievable touch on his deep ball and on his intermediate passing game. Like his touch to the sideline on field throws, he can throw a field-out route that’s caught on the sideline, slash the tick, and it is just-it looks like it’s supposed to look.”
Obviously joking at first in terms of the plan for defending Reed, but also serious in his evaluation of the second-year starter. A former four-star quarterback out of high school who, through two full seasons as a starter, developed a reputation as a playmaker both in and outside of the pocket.
Dillingham Was Wowed By Reed
Sep 5, 2026; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) runs the ball during the first quarter against the Missouri State Bears at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
While some of his critics still question Reed’s ability as a pocket quarterback, there’s been little pushback on his ability with his legs. At 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, Reed brings a true dual-threat presence to the Texas A&M offense that makes it especially hard on defenses to game plan for.
Yet, while Reed fits into the category of a dual-threat quarterback, his abilities as a passer are still a question mark. Despite for 3,169 yards and 25 touchdowns last season, his 62.1 percent completion rate and 10 interceptions prompt concerns about his efficiency.
However, while Aggie fans and even critics may worry about Reed’s potential ceiling and how that fits in with Texas A&M’s goals, Dillingham sees the challenges that his team will face on Saturday.
“He throws the ball vertically down the field really well, and then you can’t sack him. It’s very challenging to sack him,” Dillingham said.
To make things potentially even more troublesome for the Sun Devils, Reed already showed an improvement to his game in the season-opener versus Missouri State.
“You can tell he’s gotten way more comfortable and true drop-back passing him just in the few reps they ran of drop-back passing in this year; you could tell his comfort level in that…” Dillingham said. “You could tell that there’s a lot of comfort in the wide receivers, and a lot of trust in those guys are going to be where they’re supposed to be.”
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