Key Points:
- Nick Saban compared Texas A&M’s Marcel Reed to NFL star Lamar Jackson.
- Reed’s breakout season has made him one of college football’s top quarterbacks.
- Texas A&M looks like a real SEC title threat behind Reed’s leadership.
Former Alabama Crimson Tide head coach and current “College GameDay” analyst Nick Saban made a Friday appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.” As a seven-time national champion, Saban has been around some of college football’s best talent and has an eye for identifying great players.
During his appearance, he shared some extremely high praise for Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed. As a redshirt sophomore, Reed is in his second season as the Aggies’ starter and is truly breaking out.
He’s established himself as one of the most athletic quarterbacks in college football, and on Friday, Saban compared him to Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens.
“This guy reminds me of somebody that plays for the Baltimore Ravens, that has, you know, turned the National Football League upside down for, you know, several years now,” Saban said. “And I think this guy’s got the same kind of qualities.”
This season, Reed has thrown for 1,972 yards, 17 touchdowns and six interceptions. Just like Jackson, he’s also excelled as a dual-threat option with 349 rushing yards and six touchdowns. Similar play styles may not be the only big similarity Reed and Jackson soon share..
ESPN BET ties Reed for the fourth-best odds (+700) to win the Heisman Trophy. Jackson, of course, brought the award home in 2016 with the Louisville Cardinals. Since joining the NFL in 2018, the Ravens quarterback has been named to four Pro Bowls and won MVP twice.
Nick Saban Praises Texas A&M and Reed
The Aggies are 8-0 so far this season, and are serious threats to win an SEC title and the national championship. Saban put them in the same category as the reigning national champion Ohio State Buckeyes.
“I would say the two teams at this point in the season that’s kind of separated themselves from the pack, to me, is Ohio State and Texas A&M,” Saban said. “And, you know, Marcel Reed has been a big part of that… I think this guy has got special talents, man.”
However, it’s still a tough road ahead for the Aggies. They have two ranked matchups left on the schedule, including Week 11 against the No. 19 Missouri Tigers and Week 14 against the No. 20 Texas Longhorns.
With a ringing endorsement from Saban, Texas A&M is on a path to winning its first SEC title ever and its third national championship in program history. They did so in 1919 and 1939.